Internet of Things is Soaring Into Classrooms
Internet of Things technology has spread across all industries and is boosting productivity and providing important insight when implemented properly. According to our survey and infographic, The Rise of the Internet of Things, 79% of organizations have implemented or are planning to implement IoT technology and integrate it into their businesses. In education, 43% said they are already using or planning to use IoT technology in the future, and another 30% said they were considering IoT device use.
Smart Internet of Things devices used in education include wearables, mobile devices, educational technology, interactive classroom whiteboards, motion sensor lighting, surveillance cameras, temperature sensors, and wireless door locks, to name a few. While there is overlap with other industries, in education the IoT devices tend to be used differently than in other industries.
In education, our survey found that the top use cases are physical building security, smart buildings, video surveillance, and sensor monitoring. Other uses include data collection for better business decisions, location tracking, asset tracking, and weather monitoring.
Education institutions also shared with us their concerns about implementation. The biggest apprehension by far is ensuring IoT device security. Other top concerns include management, control, and visibility of IoT devices; a need to learn more about the devices; and earning a return on investment. IT teams also worry about privacy issues.
We asked educators about their greatest device security concerns. Their top priority is to implement network policy over IoT devices. This is a huge concern because IT managers must prevent devices from harming the network and possibly comprising it. Precluding rogue control and insuring data privacy are also concerns that align with maintaining the integrity of the network. Other worries on the minds of IT teams include the possibility of service interruption and loss of data integrity.
When asked about the level of importance attributed to IoT adoption, most respondents rated it very or moderately critical to their organization. Another 38% said it was important, but only minimally. With only 21% percent considering implementation unimportant, I would expect to see more smart and connected schools and campuses in the near future.
To address the growing number of Internet of Things devices, Extreme Networks has developed networking technology to securely handle, manage, and control these devices on the network. Extreme’s latest Wi-Fi access point, the industry’s first combination camera access point provides better mobility, significant cost savings, and increased security. With the solid foundation of Extreme’s unified solution, customers have complete visibility and control over all devices entering the network as well as expanded capabilities to handle smart building technology. Extreme’s other recent and upcoming access points are designed for educational environments. Our acquisition of Avaya Networking strengthens our strategy and commitment to meeting the IoT, personalized learning, and educational technology needs of institutions.
This data is based on an Extreme Networks survey of over 300 CIOs, VPs of technology, and architectural engineers.
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