Deakin pilots Cisco hyperlocation with Dimension Data's help

Deakin University is piloting an innovative hyperlocation project in its bid to be recognised as Australia's most digitally advanced university.

The university is using Cisco's Connected Mobile Experiences (CMX) technology, along with intelligence built into the network and Aironet wi-fi access points, to allow students to take advantage of proximity services. For instance, students can see heat maps of study areas to find the quietest place in the library. Support staff can respond to callouts with pinpoint accuracy.

Craig Warren, Deakin's director of ICT infrastructure services, said the university's existing Cisco wireless network infrastructure was able to locate connected devices within three metres. This distance could be sharpened to within one-metre accuracy if the university deployed Cisco's hyperlocation module.

Deakin is supported by Dimension Data, which last year deployed 500 Cisco wi-fi access points to fix the university‘s “frustration” with its wireless network.

Warren was impressed by Cisco's new Digital Network Architecture (DNA), announced at last week's Cisco Partner Summit in San Diego. "Our dependency on the network has increased to a point of criticality.

"With these high-end user mobility requirements, we need rich contextual information from the network… tracking 55,000 students, 10,000 staff, the three-to-five devices they have. We need information on where they go, where they dwell, what they do differently on any particular device," he added.

Hyperlocation is a big focus for the vendor at this year's Cisco Live. Deakin's hyperlocation project began with a prototype at the university library, followed by the current pilot, which has been running for four months. The team will then put together an enterprise business case with the aim of a full rollout in the latter half of this year.

Lynn Warneke, director of channels and platforms at Deakin, said the university wanted to use technology in a way that is "truly smart but also truly useful". The university aims to be "the premiere university in Australia driving the digital frontier," she added.

Warneke pointed out some further use cases for the proximity project. "We are adding context to location. Students are able – if they opt in, of course – to determine the location of their Deakin study group on campus."

The technology can also take advantage of geo-fencing, triggering notifications as users move around the university campus, she added.

Warneke added that the university's hyperlocation mobile application was developed by Oakton, which is now owned by Dimension Data.

Dimension Data Australia last week was the sole Australian company to pick up a global award at Cisco Partner Summit in San Diego, when it was named Asia-Pacific partner of the year.

It backed this up with three gongs at Cisco Live – Dimension Data picked up awards for Software Partner of the Year and Cisco Capital Partner of the Year, while account manager Terry Kimball was recognised for Teaming Excellence Award of the Year.

The journalist travelled to Melbourne courtesy of Cisco.