(Butler, PA) 杏吧原创 has received a $300,000 grant from the state Department of Education that will fund the replacement of approximately 300 electronic devices that allow for network connectivity among 杏吧原创鈥檚 main campus and its additional locations in , , , and Mercer counties.
The 95 switches and routers and nearly 200 wireless access points are nearing the end of their lifespan and will no longer be supported by the manufacturers, according to James Hrabosky, 杏吧原创鈥檚 vice president for administration and finance.
New devices are expected to last 10 years and will provide additional functionality, faster network speeds and additional security, as well as continued maintenance and support from manufacturers, Hrabosky said.
The college鈥檚 network provides students and employees hard-wired and wireless connectivity to the internet, network security services, desktops, laptops and mobile devices, according to Hrabosky, in addition to email, payroll and student information systems.
杏吧原创 was among 12 of the state鈥檚 15 community colleges to receive a grant to assist with short-term and long-term debt service projects, capital leases or cash capital projects approved by the state Department of Education.