The need

In 2023, Acadia University recognized the need for a campus-wide Network Upgrade initiative. The increasing number of users connecting to the network and the volume of data being transported wirelessly made it evident it was time to upgrade in order to remain competitive. Acadia University reached out to Barrington to collect requirements, identify a new solution approach, and lead the University in the development and award of a request for quote (RFQ) for a new network solution option.

Acadia and Barrington began the work required to plan, procure, and implement a university-wide Network Upgrade Project (excluding residences), which allowed for the much needed improvements to support modern technologies and ways of working for students, faculty, and staff.     

The solution

Barrington supported the Acadia team by analyzing, researching, and creating a current state and future state system inventory. Barrington collaborated with external vendors to acquire network design expertise and a standardized estimation method, encompassing all campus building categories, to be utilized in creating a five-year total cost of ownership model.    

Work began with a deep dive into the current state of the Acadia network. Through interviews, document review, and data analysis, Barrington created a picture of the University’s current network capabilities and areas for improvement. This essential work laid the foundation for the subsequent assessment of solution options. The Barrington team made several divestment and consolidation recommendations with the help of a technical partner.

Supporting Acadia through the procurement process, HPE Aruba was selected as the future state network solution, and a high-level implementation plan was also developed by the Barrington and Acadia team to support the implementation. Barrington is now the chosen implementation partner for this multi-year project and is leading the University through the phased structured cabling and network infrastructure modernization project.

The results

The following was achieved as a result of Barrington’s support and expertise:

• Developed a prioritized list of campus facilities to create an Implementation Roadmap focused on campus readiness and network infrastructure implementation  
• Supported project approval through business case and budget creation
• Determined an appropriate procurement approach, including specific project particulars  
• Supported / developed procurement documents, including the evaluation model and criteria  
• Managed the evaluation process, and supported questions and the amendment of requirements, as well as proposal evaluation and scoring 
• Provided oversight throughout the project, including scope management, schedule monitoring, and status updates