IBM Partners With Campus Networks For Wireless ServicesIBM Partners With Campus Networks For Wireless Services

While service providers, industry analysts, and end users widely acknowledge that mobile E-business and wireless services are still in the early stages of development, IBM Global Services is looking to advance its efforts on college, government, and corporate campuses through a new partnership with Campus Networks Inc.

IBM Global Services Thursday revealed that it will build, operate, and maintain the underlying IT infrastructure for campuses that subscribe to Campus Networks' services, designed to provide ubiquitous mobile broadband access to data stored on the Internet or private intranets. Campus Networks, which was formed last July, has yet to implement any wireless networks, but the service provider plans to offer a version of its portal co-branded with its corporate and collegiate clients and customized according to their needs for applications, services, and content.

IBM Global Services' unparalleled access to resources and its determination to be seen as a provider of wireless hosting services attracted Campus Networks, says president Al Liebovitz. Rather than just put up the wireless equipment and go in through a campus' existing network, Campus Networks and IBM Global Services will establish their own wireless LAN equipment and backbone. IBM will run all data, network, and call centers from hosting facilities off campus. Liebovitz says school campus settings are his company's primary target client at this time because colleges and universities attract a dense population of users who demand wireless access to information.

Wireless is a tremendous appeal to students, agrees Terence Hsiao, director of business development for Associated Students UCLA. The southern California university is evaluating a number of options for implementing a wireless data network for its campus. One of these options is the combination of Campus Networks and IBM Global Services. "It doesn't surprise me that IBM is getting into the infrastructure services side of wireless," Hsiao says. "They're a company with a lot of ability and a lot of resources, and their presence enhances what Campus Networks has to offer."

Although the ability to securely deliver wireless networking isn't well established yet, today's students expect a higher level of technology than older generations were used to, Hsiao says. "UCLA is looking to meet students' expectations. Every dorm room in UCLA is wired today, but it's like building a new freeway in Southern California; you put it in and there's bumper-to-bumper traffic the next day."

Wireless services cut across all areas of Global Services, says Dean Douglas, IBM Global Services general manager for mobile E-business. Douglas expects that within 18 months, Global Services will restructure to include wireless services as a part of all its consulting, outsourcing, and integrated technology offerings.