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Build an Intelligent Network for the Smart Campus

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This level of functionality requires a sophisticated ecosystem with a range of Internet Protocol (IP) and telephony deployment

options. These options include fixed connectivity (e.g., fiber or Ethernet) for high-bandwidth connections, low-bandwidth wireless

connectivity (e.g., Long Range, Low Power WAN) for machine-to-machine (IoT) devices, and high-bandwidth wireless connectivity

(Wi-Fi and 4G LTE) for mobile devices. Institutions also need the ability to physically extend networks to reach and connect with

new IoT devices and other technologies that support smart campus capabilities — often across the globe and to unconventional

endpoints (like building furnaces, security cameras, and lighting systems).

Schools and universities around the world are discovering the value of digital transformation in education—reducing costs while

enabling students and educators to connect, create, and share on any device. By connecting every facet of campus assets (from

student applications to building, security and parking endpoints), institutions can transform their traditional campus into a safer,

smarter, and more cost-efficient learning environment.

Every successful smart campus initiative requires a robust, intelligent network to serve as its foundation. To stay on the right track

and build the smart campuses of tomorrow, IT leaders need to establish an underlying intelligent network infrastructure —before

focusing on adopting cloud architectures, “X-as-a-service,” IoT, data analytics and other technologies commonly associated with

smart projects.

An intelligent network provides fast, secure, reliable connectivity to a multitude of applications, devices and resources wherever

they are—even as needs change and grow. By leveraging this network to process and exchange the data on which smart projects

depend, institutions can realize smart campus goals such as engaging and educating, ensuring safety, reducing operating costs and

increasing revenue.

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The Campus of Tomorrow: a Network of Connectivity

Build an Intelligent Network for the Smart Campus

Reduce operating

costs and simplify

management

Maximize application

performance

(i.e., reduce network

latency and packet

loss)

Provide security and

reliability for a broad

range of devices and

applications

Support real-time

applications such as

Voice over IP (VoIP),

video, conferencing,

community storage

and online transaction

processing

Provide ubiquitous

access to the internet,

cloud and other

computing services, even

for remote locations and

unconventional devices

As the foundation for a smart campus, an intelligent network must:

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Identify key “anchor applications” and their required

support metrics, review the available network

technologies and map network solutions to the application

requirements. Know exactly how each application will be

used before choosing it.

Provide sufficient bandwidth to support remote,

IoT, mobile and cloud-based applications, especially

for dense urban areas where high demand can slow

the network unacceptably. Implement policies and

mechanisms for prioritizing network traffic and optimizing

bandwidth use based on an asset’s level of importance to

the campus. Consider cooperative relationships with local

municipalities and businesses to supplement bandwidth

and high-performance computing at peak periods.

Design for scalability to accommodate new users,

devices, servers and applications as well as increasing

volumes of data and data traffic. Avoid creating data silos

within departments and plan for access by both internal

users and external users (i.e., students, faculty, guests).

Simplify operations by using virtualization technologies to

help control and manage network services.

Build in security and privacy from the beginning by

establishing transparent rules for the use of data and

implementing mechanisms to systematically track every

new point of connection, evaluate and mitigate the risks

it poses, and perform continuous monitoring. Update

legacy systems that were not designed with secure

network connectivity and storage in mind.

An efficient smart campus is a diverse, secure and scalable network capable of connecting everything—motors, controllers, valves, lights,

switches, sensors, and a host of specialized data generating devices. Beyond the network, a vast array of systems infrastructure is critical

to help ensure application delivery and to collect and analyze data—turning that data into insight, decisions and action. To start building,

consider the following:

IoT has expanded the network attack surface to include millions of network-connected devices, sensors and applications. In recent

months, cybercriminals have used vulnerabilities in these devices to launch massive spam and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS)

attacks. In one high-profile incident, cybercriminals used IoT devices such as webcams and DVRs to launch a massive botnet attack

on a popular DNS provider that triggered outages across the United States and Europe. Administrators and educators can reduce

risk by approaching security on these devices as they would approach any other application or resource on their network. This

includes changing default user names and passwords; segmenting critical services; testing for vulnerabilities; updating devices

regularly; and using encryption, authentication, authorization and other traditional security mechanisms as needed.

Smart Campus Foundation: Key Considerations

Securing IoT

With all these new applications and services, IT staff must establish a vision and start down the path to adopting the cloud, deploying

mobile applications, and embracing the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT with all its sensors, lights, meters, data collection and analytics

creates exciting possibilities to improve the design and delivery of services. But, before going too far down this path, IT leaders must

make sure their network and infrastructure can perform well enough to handle the thousands of additional end-point connections and

hordes of data they will need to handle.

IoT has expanded the network attack surface to include millions of network-connected devices, sensors and applications. In recent

months, cybercriminals have used vulnerabilities in these devices to launch massive spam and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS)

IoT has expanded the network attack surface to include millions of network-connected devices, sensors and applications. In recent

PAGE 4 of 4This document is provided for informational purposes only and may require additional research and substantiation by the end user. In addition, the information is provided “as is” without any warranty or condition of any kind, either express or implied. Use of this information is at the end user’s own risk. CenturyLink does not warrant that the information will meet the end user’s requirements or that the implementation or usage of this information will result in the desired outcome of the end user. Services not available everywhere. Business customers only. CenturyLink may change or cancel products and services or substitute similar products and services at its sole discretion without notice. ©2018 CenturyLink. All Rights Reserved. The CenturyLink mark, pathways logo and certain CenturyLink product names are the property of CenturyLink. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) is the second largest U.S. communications provider to global enterprise customers. With customers in

more than 60 countries and an intense focus on the customer experience, CenturyLink strives to be the world’s best networking

company by solving customers’ increased demand for reliable and secure connections. The company also serves as its customers’

trusted partner, helping them manage increased network and IT complexity and providing managed network and cyber security

solutions that help protect their business.

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Enable financial viability by providing funding for

long-term maintenance, repairs, management and

upgrades—or, by tapping into new revenue streams.

Beware of creating a fixed budget with hard numbers

that don’t account for inflation. Create a system that

allows awards and authorizations to adjust to inflation

without requiring additional rounds of approval from

education trusts, boards or other governing bodies.

Reduce operating costs by centralizing network

management, automating network provisioning and

adopting network-wide policies to drive application

and network changes. Label, inventory and track every

piece of network equipment and application, device or

sensor. Doing so will help IT personnel manage patches,

updates and repairs as well as reduce time-consuming

errors related to misidentification or improper handling

of mission critical pieces of the network.

Develop a multi-step roadmap that begins with

simple connectivity and then incrementally adds

IoT components, applications and other smart campus

technologies. Once connectivity is in place, build

confidence and support by starting with “low hanging fruit”

(e.g., smart temperature controls or smart student meal

plan tracking) that provide a quick return

on investment.

Establish partnerships with third-party providers that

offer project management over the entire network

ecosystem, as well as customized services and a

well-established, properly vetted network of vendor

partners. This will help realize the promise of smart campus

initiatives while saving time and money and reducing risk.

The path of digital transformation that leads to your ideal smart

campus demands an intelligent network foundation and a

partner experienced in innovation, network modernization and

the complexities of delivering services that help smart campus

initiatives track against these goals:

• Engage and Educate

• Ensure Safety

• Reduce Operating Cost

• Increase Revenue

Support Your Smart Campus Journey