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Educause Quarterly Features Apogee Partner University of Texas of the Permian Basin
[July 11, 2011]

Educause Quarterly Features Apogee Partner University of Texas of the Permian Basin


Jul 11, 2011 (Close-Up Media via COMTEX) -- Apogee, a provider of managed residential network services to higher education, announced that partner school The University of Texas of the Permian Basin has been featured in the summer edition of Educause Quarterly.



According to a release, the article, written by Keith Yarbrough, Associate VP for Information Resources at UTPB, describes the internal deliberations and decision to outsource, and details the process of choosing a partner capable of meeting the diverse needs of their campus.

"First, we considered the pros and cons of expanding our resources in-house versus outsourcing to a proven ResNet provider," said Yarbrough. "We quickly realized that the outsourcing model offered a number of advantages that we could not replicate with in-house resources, including technological expertise, [a] dedicated ResNet team and 24 * 7 support, [as well as additional] cost savings.


"Once we recognized the benefits of outsourcing the ResNet, we issued an RFP and received three responses. We carefully reviewed and compared each provider's offerings against our requirements and ultimately made the decision to award UTPB's ResNet contract to Austin-based Apogee. Apogee had demonstrated successful ResNet deployments at many universities across the nation and, most importantly, could provide the strategic vision to meet our needs well into the future because their solution incorporated a built-in plan for continued growth.

"Our calculations on the cost savings derived from ResNet outsourcing convinced us unequivocally that managed service was the right fit for our campus. By partnering with Apogee to manage, expand, and support the residential network instead of attempting to provide the same services in-house, UTPB expects to save approximately $800,000 over the next five years. We're also able to provide our students with comprehensive 24 * 7 network support, guarantee bandwidth growth as our needs expand, ensure regular technology refreshes, and avoid the costs of ongoing equipment maintenance, repair, and replacement.

"By rethinking our approach to managing the student ResNet, UTPB was able to dramatically expand services, focus on other mission-critical goals, and ensure a strategic plan for future growth -- all at a significant cost savings to the university. For us, the choice was clear. Partnering with Apogee for managed ResNet service has been a successful approach for IT, UTPB, and our student residents." The University of Texas of the Permian Basin is a provider of higher education.

Report information: apogeenet.net/features/utpb.

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