Worcester Polytechnic Institute Prevents Theft With IPCheck

Company Profile

Founded in 1865, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is a pioneer in technological higher education. WPI’s innovative, globally focused curriculum has been recognized by leaders in industry, government and academia as the model for the technological education of tomorrow. The university awarded its first advanced degree in 1898. Today, its first-rate research laboratories support masters and Ph.D. programs in more than 30 disciplines in engineering, science and the management of technology. Located in the heart of the regions biotechnology and high-technology sectors, WPI has built research programs including the largest industry/university alliance in North America that have won it worldwide recognition.

Challenge

WPI’s system administrators in the Academic Technology Center have a lot of ground to cover. With over 3000 undergraduates, faculty and adjuncts accessing network resources, systems must constantly be monitored to ensure availability of academic resources. Electronic classrooms include computers, audio-visual equipment and other resources that are connected to the network by Ethernet connections. A number of Web sites support course management and mission critical media servers as well as collaboration and information portals. If a section of the network is not available, class delays, interruptions and even cancellations can occur.

By using IPCheck Server Monitor, WPI can take advantage of the latest technologies to enhance their classrooms.

Solution

Since 1999, WPI’s Academic Technology Center has relied on Paessler IPCheck Server Monitor to monitor the health and availability of their network resources. Using IPCheck Server Monitor, system administrators can determine if resources are online and accessible by students and staff. IPCheck Server Monitor provides IT staff with the resources to easily monitor server information including ports used for media services and unique web services.

“Since we first started using IPCheck Server Monitor, it has always met our needs and been very cost effective,” said Joseph Kalinowski, senior system administrator in the Academic Technology Center. “Since then, we’ve expanded our network resources, added devices and are using IPCheck Server Monitor to manage territory we simple couldn’t before.”

Kalinowski’s team now manages their inventory of Ethernet-enabled projectors and other network devices in classrooms across the campus from their desktops.

“If a projector is installed, we can ping it using IPCheck Server Monitor. If we can't ping a projector anymore, IPCheck Server Monitor sends alert and we know we need to investigate,” says Kalinowski. Previously IT staff would not know if an asset had been moved until they were notified by a student or faculty member. They had no way to monitor the whereabouts of assets exceeding $4,000 each, in the case of the projectors.

“Previously, we simply did not have the ability to monitor projectors via the network,” Kalinowski states. “Now we can keep track of our inventory and monitor it instantly without spending resource time physically checking on each asset.”

Like most organizations, WPI has increased pressure to manage more with less. IPCheck Server Monitor helps them meet their goals of securing devices and increasing network availability without putting a strain on their budget.

Paessler IPCheck Server Monitor

IPCheck Server Monitor is a Windows-based software and multi platform ASP service. IPCheck Server Monitor makes it easy and affordable to detect network and website failures early, minimizing downtime and avoiding economic impact.