3Com-Forney Independent School District

Vendor: 3Com (NYSE: COMS)
Customer: Forney Independent School District www.forney-isd.org  

Vertical Markets: Education
State: Texas

Technology Used: Fully integrated voice-and-data Ethernet network, stackable Gigabit switching, IP telephony, network management, 3Com Switch 8800, 3Com Switch 7757, 3Com Switch 5500G, 3Com Switch 4400, 3Com Switch 3400, 3Com Switch 3300, 3Com Network Director, 3Com IP Telephony Solutions

Solution: The Forney Independent School District is located in Texas. It consists of a dozen elementary and secondary schools, and is one of the fastest growing public school districts in the state. Over the past seven years, the student population of this school district has increased by 20 percent annually.

Because of the steady increases in the number of students attending the Forney Independent School District's educational institutions, a need arose for a highly functional, streamlined network that could effectively serve the district’s 7,000 students and 1,000 faculty members and other personnel.

Roger Geiger, the IT professional in charge of completing this daunting task, relied on 3Com technology to develop the new and improved network. After using 3Com switches in the past, Geiger made the decision in 2007 to deploy more than 150 Switch 5500G stackable edge switches and a Switch 8800 modular core switch. Other 3Com solutions deployed included IP telephony and network management applications. The end result was a fully-integrated voice and data Ethernet network.

Geiger stated that there were several compelling reasons to use 3Com products to build the new network. One was that 3Com offered outstanding value compared to other providers, quoting prices that were 30 to 40 percent lower. Another was the positive relationships Geiger had with several of 3Com's sales and IT professionals. Geiger described the 5500G switches as easy to install and extremely reliable. He also recounted how the switches were able to withstand extreme heat and exposure to fire retardant powder. Incidences of failure were described as "virtually non-existent." This translates to a low cost of ownership and an excellent return on investment. Finally, Geiger praised the robustness of Network Director, a software suite that enables users to control a secure, converged network infrastructure.

Further details: http://www.3com.com/other/pdfs/solutions/en_US/3com_090114_forney.pdf