Teq, CloudGenix Get Together to Put SD-WAN Technology in Schools

Companies have been increasingly using software defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) tools as a means to provide better connectivity within organizations and otherwise improve operations. In something of a surprise, Teq and CloudGenix recently got together on an exclusive partnership that would take SD-WAN technology in a whole new direction: to school.

With SD-WAN technology in place, users can more readily route application data to drive better overall performance on the network. This also allows users to prioritize some kinds of traffic over others, meaning better overall performance for certain traffic when it's needed; for instance, when the system is engaged in a video conference, emails can be delayed for later sending when there's a lag in the conference or when the conference ends.

A recent survey from the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) underscores what's at stake here; with 19 percent of schools paying at least $50 / Mbps or more every month, and almost as many at 18 percent paying as much for WAN connections, it's clear there's a lot of cash involved. Tools like those offered from Teq and CloudGenix can help users move to more standard Internet and even LTE (News - Alert) connections instead, making a more cost effective system. With over 68 percent of schools reporting that they won't have sufficient bandwidth for the next 18 months of advancement—some are already past their limits—that also makes a clear call for better connectivity. To top it off, one in four respondents were projecting growth in connectivity between 100 and 499 percent thanks to online assessments and increased digital content.

Teq's CEO, Damian Scarfo, noted “When evaluating CloudGenix, we also liked that our customers could try it before committing to it. CloudGenix will run in parallel to their existing network without impacting it, so a district can make a very informed decision about the product.”

A way to improve connectivity without drastic alteration of current circumstances sounds like a solution tailor-made for schools. With the growth of digital content—not to mention more students bringing in devices for use in education—there's a lot more demand for connectivity. That demand has to be met or risk falling behind; no one wants to go back to the bad old days of textbooks older than the students that don't reflect many pieces of history at all, and some in an outright incorrect fashion. Improving connectivity is a great way to do this and open up a host of new possibilities; think about the concept of a “digital field trip” where students can speak to professionals in the field, while on the job.

Digital connectivity opens up experiences and possibilities like little else in both work and play. In education, this is no different. It requires the right infrastructure, however, and that's where Teq and CloudGenix come in.