tago University joins global eduroam™ WiFi service

Thursday 26 September 2013

Otago University joins global eduroam™ WiFi service

University of Otago students and staff now enjoy access to a simple, safe, convenient and collaborative wireless network service at thousands of locations worldwide, while visitors to the University can take advantage of the same service here.

The University has joined eduroam™ (‘education roaming’), a free, secure service offered by the Research and Education Advanced Network New Zealand, or REANNZ. It’s available at participating university campuses and institutions in New Zealand and in more than 60 countries around the world.

eduroam™ is part of Otago’s strategic effort to enrich the experiences of the University community and its international stakeholders and expand the institution’s global reach.  It’s like having a master key to WiFi whenever students and staff visit another university and all it requires is the user’s home university login credentials.

Travelling University of Otago students, faculty, and staff will be able to seamlessly access the Internet when visiting campuses around the world. Furthermore, guests from other eduroam™ institutions will be able to make use of Otago's extensive wireless network to gain access using their own university’s login credentials.  Mike Harte, Director, Information Technology Services at the University of Otago says uptake was instant. “Almost immediately after launching the service to the University community, we had visitors to the campus logging on.  It’s been very well received.”

REANNZ was granted the only rights to run eduroam™ in New Zealand. CEO Steve Cotter sees value in the service, beyond just the clear benefit to its current users. He says eduroam™ cuts down on the administrative burden for members offering the service. He also sees potential for the network service to benefit the wider community.

“As New Zealand becomes more interconnected, eduroam™ can help schools, libraries, museums, and cultural institutions become key building blocks of a borderless, educated society.”

To see a list of eduroam participants around the world, visit: https://www.eduroam.org/?p=where

For more information about eduroam at Otago, visit:
http://www.otago.ac.nz/its/services/network/otago054090.html

ENDS

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