Auckland University of Technology Re-signs IBM

Auckland University of Technology Re-signs IBM for Five Year IT Network Services Contract

New Core IT Network will Capitalise on Emerging Technologies

Auckland, New Zealand – 25 May 2012:

IBM (NYSE: IBM) announced today it has replaced Auckland University of Technology (AUT)’s core IT network as part of a new five year services contract. The new network, which went live in March, gives AUT great flexibility for deploying equipment to meet the changing needs of the university and enables it to capitalise on future enhancements in technology, such as video and data centres.

The network re-design has enabled the University to implement a new architecture with increased resilience and to prepare for the Learning Precinct on AUT’s City Campus, opening in March 2013.

IBM, the first company in New Zealand to gain ‘new’ Cisco Gold certification status, will provide a range of specialist Cisco-certified implementation and support services, training for AUT staff and 24/7 network performance monitoring from the Highbrook data centre.

“Replacing core networks is not done lightly or often and we sought partners who could prove they had the highest level of technical competency,” says Roger Wanless, AUT’s Network and Internet Manager. “IBM and Cisco were winners in the RFP for their financial and technology proposition and deep technical skills. As an added bonus, IBM’s long standing relationship with AUT gives us continuity across our team.”

“We are delighted to renew our relationship with AUT, applying our significant local resources and deep understanding of networking technologies to successfully manage a major network replacement and redesign. We now look forward to supporting AUT’s internal team to maximise the return on their IT investments for the next five years,” says Andrew Stevens-Clark, Business Manager, Technical Support Services, IBM.

AUT, which previously leased its network infrastructure, has purchased a full Cisco solution for core networks, border routers and data centres, including networking management. AUT also uses Cisco telephony, wi-fi, video conferencing and network edge technologies.

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