Texas A&M-Commerce Expands Partnership with Apogee to Offer Cutting-Edge Wi-Fi for COVID Era and Beyond

As blended learning heightens connectivity demands, new high-speed ResNet puts campus on progressive path to support student success

AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#COVID19–In its continued quest to bolster student success and satisfaction, Texas A&M University-Commerce unveiled a new state-of-the-art wireless network across all residence halls, serving more than 3,000 students to meet rapidly expanding blended learning and intensifying bandwidth demands. As the pandemic continued and dorm rooms began doubling as classrooms, the school expanded its partnership with managed technology services leader Apogee to ensure all A&M-Commerce “Lions” who live on campus have reliable, highly available connectivity.

“COVID has changed higher education and campus life, and we have taken steps at A&M-Commerce and have risen to the challenge,” said Michael Stark, Director of Residential Living and Learning. “While connectivity was challenged by the influx of devices, COVID demanded even more. Our new Apogee ResNet delivers new equipment and bandwidth critical to meet both needs. Students report higher satisfaction as they now experience fast and consistent internet access in residence halls.”

Located approximately 65 miles from downtown Dallas, A&M-Commerce has an excellent reputation as an education leader committed to providing a personal, accessible, and affordable learning experience for a diverse community of learners. With over 11,000 students, the university is the third-largest institution in The Texas A&M University System. Founded in 1889, it’s the fourth-oldest state university or college in the state of Texas. A&M-Commerce is the third campus in the A&M system to install high-speed ResNet from Apogee, joining Tarleton State University and Texas A&M University-Galveston.

With an access point in each room, students are seamlessly participating in online classes and research, virtual student clubs, Zoom or FaceTime video calls with family and friends, streaming movies, and TV shows, and engaging with all their favorite social media apps and games. They also have instant access to Apogee’s 24/7/365 support team, based in Austin, Texas, via phone, chat, text, and email.

Over the years, evolving needs in academic instruction, the move to blended learning, and student technology usage patterns required modernization of A&M-Commerce’s residence hall Wi-Fi infrastructure to handle the intensifying demands brought on by the pandemic.

Already a long-time partner of Apogee, A&M-Commerce evaluated options to modernize the network. “We had a very positive perception of Apogee based on 10+ years of experience working with them,” said Stark.

The new A&M-Commerce wireless network not only helps ensure blended learning success but will also positively impact student’s residential and campus life experience, as the high-speed, high-density Wi-Fi provides each student with 100 Mbps bandwidth per device, and the ability to connect up to seven devices. It also supports Personal Area Networking, allowing students to connect all their devices to print wirelessly, use Apple Airplay, listen to music on their wireless speakers, and more. Students can also call, text, or email Apogee for support 24/7/365.

With the Apogee partnership guaranteeing high-performing and reliable Wi-Fi, future-proof equipment refreshes, and technical support, the IT staff is now free to focus on innovation instead of fielding round-the-clock support calls and conducting piecemeal upgrades.

“More than any other time in history, colleges and universities need to be ready for both on-campus and remote learning and be able to rapidly adapt to changing circumstances. Technology has always been vital to learning, but now, it’s absolutely essential,” said Travis A. Ball, chief procurement officer. “Thanks to Apogee, we’re putting the campus on a progressive path of staying ahead with technology.”

According to Matt Loecke, executive vice president of sales at Apogee: “As the only higher ed-focused technology managed services provider in the country, we fully understand the pressure for schools to stay well ahead of dynamic and complex pandemic and Gen Z student technology requirements —intensified online learning, virtual social interactions, multiple connected devices, bandwidth-hoarding gaming systems and whatever Netflix is serving up. We’re honored to extend our partnership with A&M-Commerce, and we believe that, like their peers, they’ll continue to rely on Apogee’s commitment to enable their students’ academic success and quality of life.”

About Apogee

Apogee is the only managed services provider with a sole focus on higher education. Fueled by a community of more than 1,000,000 students and administrators nationwide, Apogee’s 20 years of experience living and breathing higher education provides a unique understanding of the connection between technology and student vitality. The company is committed to redefining the student campus life experience. Visit Apogee at apogee.us.

About Texas A&M University-Commerce

A&M-Commerce serves rural and metropolitan East Texas with distinction, consistently delivering on a promise that our founder, Professor William Leonidas Mayo, made more than a century ago: “No industrious, ambitious youth shall be denied an education if I can prevent it.” We are committed to our university’s mission: Educate. Discover. Achieve.

The 2,100-acre Commerce campus provides many opportunities for students to learn and grow. The university offers more than 135 degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. A vibrant student life experience includes 14 NCAA Division II athletic teams, a thriving Greek system and more than 120 student organizations. Programs are delivered on site at the Commerce campus as well as in Corsicana, Dallas, McKinney, Frisco, and Mesquite. Many courses are also available online.

Contacts

Mary Placido
SKC, Inc. for Apogee

mary@skc-pr.com
(415) 218-3627

Michael Johnson
Executive Director of Marketing and Communications
communications@tamuc.edu
(903) 886-5128