AMBS modernises digital network with new AI-driven upgrade

Roc Technologies has partnered with HPE Aruba Networking to upgrade the network at Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS), part of the University of Manchester, aiming to enhance digital experiences for students, staff, and external collaborators.

The modernisation project involved implementing updated network infrastructure designed to improve reliability, user satisfaction, and scalability. University representatives indicated that this infrastructure plays a key role in maintaining the institution's status in global higher education, while also representing a sustained commitment to investment in student and faculty digital experiences.

Roc Technologies collaborated with AMBS to deploy AI-enabled networking solutions, including HPE Aruba Networking's Central NetConductor platform. The intention behind adopting these technologies was to automate network deployments and management, thereby improving availability and speed for devices connected across the business school's premises.

The use of AI-based insights has also shifted the network team's approach from reactive to proactive maintenance. By detecting and addressing potential issues before they affect end users, AMBS reports being able to prevent costly periods of downtime, with consistent high-speed access maintained across the network.

Security formed a central part of the project, with AMBS now utilising dynamic segmentation under a Zero Trust Security model. HPE Aruba Networking's Central NetConductor policy manager turns user and device roles into automatically enforced access policies, ensuring that sensitive information, such as research data, is only accessible to authorised users and protected from broader network exposure.

With increased scalability, IT operations teams can respond more quickly to changing requirements by deploying new services and solutions at a pace, supporting both academic and administrative needs as the university evolves.

Initial feedback from AMBS staff reflects improved satisfaction levels following the network upgrade. Recent university survey figures show that 85% of staff now rate their Wi-Fi satisfaction as four out of five stars, while 80% report that they perceive the speed and reliability as excellent.

"Our aim is for our network to be a platform for growth and expansion. With our digital infrastructure now pivotal to forming connections with students and clients in the modern age, we've expanded on our established strategic relationship with Roc Technologies and HPE Aruba Networking to modernise our network. Following the success of the project at the AMBS, we're now looking towards a rollout across the rest of the University of Manchester campus," Paul Westhead, Network Architect at The University of Manchester, commented.

"We're delighted to have played a key role in enhancing the digital backbone of a higher education institution as prestigious as the University of Manchester. The key to success in the project was the close collaboration and partnership between Roc, HPE Aruba Networking and the university to achieve the end goal of modernising the AMBS network. Key stakeholders from each organisation were aligned, cooperated with each other, and focused on achieving the outcomes that the technology could ultimately deliver," Chelsea Chamberlin, Chief Technology Officer at Roc Technologies, stated.

"Via our collaboration with Roc Technologies and the University of Manchester, we've helped to deliver a future-ready network at the AMBS that provides seamless connectivity, advanced security and AI-driven automation. This modernised infrastructure supports today's digital learning and lays the groundwork for continued innovation across the university," Mark Weeks, Director of UK and Ireland at HPE Aruba Networking, added.