Page 46 - Technology plan fy2023-27

Wi-Fi / Wireless Strategy

Due to the increased need for wireless coverage, the District is in the process of providing a
wireless umbrella at every location which can facilitate the use of a wide assortment of mobile
computing devices. The solution is vendor agnostic and provides coverage for multiple
platforms including BYOD devices allowing for greater flexibility and productivity.

In our current environment, wireless is deployed with one access point in every classroom, in
every school. Media centers, auditoriums, and gymnasiums are generally configured in a load
balanced scenario to handle larger capacity and greater demands. The primary focus for the
wireless infrastructure over the next five years is to supplement the existing infrastructure with
WIFI6 technologies and aggressively engineer sites that require additional resources for mass
online testing and classroom instruction. With the massive 1:1 Chromebook implementation,
schools depend more and more on wireless technology and we designed a solution that is
easily scalable and configurable including higher density. Over the next five years, wireless
coverage will be in place to entertain new technologies and support more network related
initiatives.

A considerable amount of our network and wireless infrastructure is funded through the FCC
E-Rate program where 80% of qualified purchases are refunded as appropriate. We work
closely with E-Rate consultants to take advantage of as many opportunities and funding as
possible.

Telephone System
Internet Telephony is the transport of telephone calls over the Internet. Also known as VoIP, it
has grown to become one of the most used and cost-effective ways to communicate today. The
most significant benefit of IP Telephony is a money-saving and easy implementation of
innovative services. IP Telephony solutions make use of packet switched connections from the
Internet for the exchange of voice, fax, and other data forms instead of using the traditional
dedicated circuit-switched connections from Public Service Telephone Networks (PSTN).
Benefits including cost savings, improved productivity, flexibility, and advanced features make IP
telephony an appealing technology.

The phone system upgrade was recently completed in 2021 and will be in place for several
years to come. The team will be researching and evaluating cloud based infrastructure in the
next upgrade cycle.

Storage and Access
Servers: The District’s Server team supports all servers and SAN infrastructure that host student
and staff applications and data. This includes over 2100 virtual and over 300 physical servers in
three data centers and remote locations including more than 180 school sites. The team is
responsible for maintaining all the virtual and physical infrastructure which includes continuing
server hardware refreshes every five years. The District’s server Infrastructure is over 95%
virtualized and in line with the District Green initiative, saving on power and cooling in all data
centers and server rooms at school sites. All schools were reduced from many servers to a
single host using VMware virtualization technology.

Storage: Enterprise storage continues to evolve and currently exists in multiple types of formats,
sizing, and prices. The District supports multiple SANS at multiple locations including a
Business Continuity site for business critical applications and a Disaster Recovery Site at
Northwest Regional Data Center (NWRDC) in the event of a disaster in Palm Beach County.

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