Università di Bologna

Challenge

L’ubicazione della Rocca di Bertinoro (FC) assume una valenza metaforica di quello che, nel corso di mille anni di storia, l’attuale sede del Centro Residenziale Universitario ha sempre rappresentato. Non a caso, nei tre grandi edifici storico-monumentali di cui si compone la Rocca, nel 1994 è stato istituito il Centro Residenziale Universitario, un vero e proprio centro di eccellenza per la didattica e la ricerca, a cui servizi e tecnologia all’avanguardia forniscono visibilità e fama in tutto il mondo della cultura.

L’impegnativo progetto di dotare così importante bene artistico delle infrastrutture tecnologiche idonee coniugare tradizione e modernità è stato portato a termine da VEM sistemi, azienda partner di Cisco Systems.
Le soluzioni WI-FI Aironet permettono infatti connettività ad alte prestazioni anche in luoghi o edifici particolare valore storico-artistico cui non è possibile eseguire opere murarie e scavi per cablaggi di rete.

Solution

In an environment where the drive for research is so strong, there had to be room for new technologies, which are essential to maintaining the high quality of service offered.
Bertinoro is also home to BICI (Bertinoro International Center for Informatics), an association of Italian and international professors engaged in advanced computer science research.

“It was during the first BICI meeting in 2000 that I became aware of the benefits of wireless networking,” says Bandini.
“The possibility of connecting PCs without using cables seemed like a great advantage for the Center’s meeting rooms.”

Bandini thus decided to add this technology to the other existing solutions, again consulting VEM Sistemi for the implementation of the project.
Thanks to 13 Cisco Systems Access Points, Wi-Fi connectivity was extended to all rooms in the residential area not yet reached by traditional data lines, as well as the entire educational and recreational space.

“The service we introduced includes the provision of Cisco Systems Aironet cards for laptops, along with a user guide explaining how to connect to the network. Each user is assigned a static IP address; by providing only the necessary privileges for each session and requested service, wireless network access is completely secure and under our full control.”

Benefits

Technological innovation is one of the distinguishing features of the Center, as Bandini points out:

“All the fields in which we specialize demand high performance from our IT infrastructure. The Center is a high-level institution, a center of excellence where cutting-edge technologies are essential.
The Cisco Systems Aironet solution is part of our goal to meet the needs of not only education but also research—so that the workshops held here are truly moments of knowledge exchange and intellectual engagement.”

Satisfaction is so high that, according to the director himself, Cisco Systems wireless solutions have become indispensable.

“A state-of-the-art ICT architecture in a stunning setting like the Rocca di Bertinoro is certainly a point in our favor. It’s important to have companies that can suggest innovations and emerging trends to continuously improve our services.
The confidence of having a high level of support is a real added value for VEM—and for us.”