AMSI teams with Nortel to boost new UAE school WiFi broadband mobility and multimedia capabilities

The IP network will provide all communications services such as VoIP, multimedia and WiFi broadband mobility to the entire Dubai campus.

Deployed in conjunction with Nortel's channel partner, MDS PACC, the new integrated voice and data IP network will support AMSI's "Notebooks for Books" (N4B) project. Through technology and digital integration, the school's initiative has completely transformed classrooms into multimedia wireless learning centers where teachers communicate directly with students via their laptops wherever they are on campus. The N4B initiative replaces traditional chalk boards with interactive whiteboards and school textbooks with eBooks accessed from laptop PCs.

To fully support the N4B project, AMSI required a seamless, resilient and reliable network, accessible anywhere and anytime, which would give students and teachers access to databases as well as allow them to interact in real-time, regardless of location within the campus.

"ASMI is committed to enhance the learning experience in all its schools by introducing innovative, technologically advanced support aspects into every classroom." said Adonis Nasr, CEO, AMSI. "AMSI's award-winning 'Notebooks for Books' project has significantly benefited both the students and teachers of AMSI's schools, strengthening its schools' reputations as a leader in academic innovation. The laptops are giving the students the opportunity to think and learn independently from the teacher and to develop the skills they need for the knowledge economy."

"AMSI's pioneering approach to using IT in the classroom has already resulted in the students earning improved grades and is also helping to set a model for the future of education across the region," Nasr said. "AMSI has teamed up with Nortel to boost its networking and communication system for AMSI's N4B project. Nortel's expertise and experience provides us with the technology we need to support our standards of excellence."

"The AMSI deployment is a great example of how Nortel works closely with its customers to simplify multiple communications services into a seamless and reliable experience for users," said Ramin Attari, vice president, Middle East, Nortel. "Nortel focuses on helping educational establishments achieve academic excellence with a learning infrastructure that is flexible, highly secure and always-on. Customers are embracing new technology, a new vision for the future, a new way of doing things - they are embracing Nortel."

At the core of the Nortel solution for AMSI is the Nortel Ethernet Routing Switch (ERS) portfolio providing a resilient, highly secure and intelligent network. The ERS portfolio enables Terabit performance and network-wide delivery of applications such as VoIP over 10-gigabit Ethernet. Nortel's Ethernet Switch portfolio provides high-throughput networking at low ownership cost per port. Nortel's Enterprise Network Management System enables network administrators to identify and resolve problems and performance bottlenecks before they impact network services.

Nortel's Business Communications Manager offers educational entities like AMSI the features they require, such as telephony, unified messaging, multimedia call center, interactive voice response, IP routing and data services such as firewall, wireless, and more. Mobile communications for campus staff and students is provided through Nortel Wireless Area Network (WLAN) coverage which ensures secure, high-speed wireless access within the campus. Nortel VPN Routers provide routing, IPsec and SSL VPN, firewall, bandwidth management, encryption, authentication, and data integrity for secure connectivity across managed IP networks and the Internet.