- Sector: Higher Education & Public Research
- Delivery Scope: Campus-wide LAN/WLAN Refresh, Next-Generation Firewalls, Cisco ISE Access Control, CUCM Collaboration Upgrade, Multi-Year Support
- Key Technologies: Cisco Catalyst 9500/9300, Catalyst Center, Catalyst 9800 WLC, Cisco Firepower FTD/FMC, Cisco ISE, Cisco Call Manager v14
Project Impact at a Glance
1,000+
Wi-Fi 6 access points deployed
16,105
Students supported across 5 campuses
Zero Trust
Cisco ISE policy-driven network access
Wi-Fi 6
Wireless-first teaching & research infrastructure
The Challenge: Replacing Fragmented Hardware Across Five Distributed Campuses
The University needed to replace aging, end-of-life network hardware across five distributed campuses. Legacy systems caused intermittent connectivity issues and lacked the bandwidth needed for digital initiatives like esports, virtual classrooms, and immersive learning
- Campus Dispersion: Operating sites across disparate locations meant hardware management was inefficient and fragmented
- High-Density Device Growth: Modern university life requires each student and academic to connect multiple personal and academic devices concurrently without lag
- Academic Calendar Sensitivity: All upgrades had to be executed around term dates, exam schedules, and research projects to avoid disruptions
The Solution: Enterprise-Wide Software-Defined Network Refresh
Serving as the University’s Cisco partner since 2018, Sword designed and delivered a wireless-first, software-defined architecture backed by Cisco Catalyst Center, Firepower Threat Defence, and Cisco ISE
Wireless-First LAN/WLAN Deployment
Rolled out Cisco Catalyst 9500 core and 9300 edge switching, coordinated by Catalyst 9800 wireless controllers and more than 1,000 high-performance Wi-Fi 6 access points
Zero Trust Perimeter & Access Security
Replaced legacy ASA firewalls with Cisco Firepower Threat Defence (FTD) managed through Firepower Management Center (FMC), coupled with Cisco ISE for endpoint visibility and micro-segmentation
Collaboration & Managed Lifecycle Support
Upgraded Cisco Call Manager (CUCM) to version 14 with Flex licensing on new BE7K servers, establishing a long-term managed service with weekly governance and proactive patching
Measurable Business Outcomes
Enhanced efficiency
Consolidated multi-campus licensing under Cisco Flex and reduced management overhead via centralised Catalyst Center automation
Operational Resilience
Zero Trust posture with Cisco ISE dynamically validates endpoint posture, containing threats away from academic directories
User Experience
Ultra-low latency Wi-Fi 6 fabric ensures seamless mobile access across lecture halls, labs, and student accommodation
Future-Proof Scalability & Independence
High-bandwidth backbone provides the performance foundation to launch esports arenas and immersive digital courses
"Since 2018, Sword has been our strategic partner for all Cisco-related solutions, delivering a modern, secure, and scalable network supporting over 1,500 staff and 16,000 students across multiple campuses."
Senior Leadership Team Member
More Information
Deployment schedules were planned around university term dates and exam periods, using out-of-hours change windows with certified Cisco engineers on site
ISE automatically identifies whether a device belongs to a student, lecturer, or visitor, dynamically applying the appropriate access privileges and security policies across the network
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