Credit: Dreamstime
Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) has unveiled plans to modernise wireless network capabilities to support organisational digital transformation efforts, underpinned by Aruba infrastructure.
Impacting 4000 employees on a daily basis, Aruba WLAN solutions will provide “comprehensive and flexible” Wi-Fi coverage for an expanding SPH campus, spanning more than 150,000 square metres across both Print and News Centres.
According to Glen Francis - CTO of SPH - the aim is to create operational efficiencies while bolstering security capabilities across thousands of users and devices from a single management pane.
“We are moving into the new digital future, not only through the way we deliver news, but through constant innovation to build the workplace of the future,” Francis said.
“The pandemic accelerated the agenda to strengthen our technological foundations, so we can improve work quality and streamline processes with an enhanced network infrastructure. Mobility and agility will be key driving forces in the evolving ‘anywhere’ office.”
Hampered by roadblocks such as legacy networking systems and an over-reliance on wired infrastructure, SPH rolled out Aruba AirWave to gain “granular visibility” into ageing wired and wireless networks. Supported by Aruba UXI sensors, user experience was monitored in real time and helped pinpoint the main sources of connectivity issues, such as the over utilisation of 2.4Ghz channels.
“Aruba’s forward-thinking infrastructure is a perfect fit in powering our vision,” Francis added. “It builds a solid foundation for SPH to continue delivering better products for customers, simplifying technology for business users, and developing new capabilities. We have never been more confident and well-prepared to move into the new digital future.”
Once core pain points were identified and resolved, SPH deployed the vendor’s Access Points, Mobility Master and Controllers solutions on top of UXI sensors to further strengthen network coverage and performance. As a result, Wi-Fi bandwidth provisions doubled from 64 to 128 Mbps.
“In the digital-first reality, new business outcomes and dynamic customer experiences are only possible if there is a secure, automated and intelligent network infrastructure supporting it,” outlined Justin Chiah, senior director of Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Hong Kong at Aruba.
The move resulted in cost savings “in the thousands” and by minimising wired connections, remote employees, on-premises staff and roving journalists can now leverage enhanced connection irrespective of location.
With thousands of digital endpoints connected to SPH’s network daily, Aruba ClearPass was selected as a single management tool capable of providing "full visibility" over the multitude of endpoints and extended role-based access control with granular policies.
“This year, IT teams will begin the next step of their transformational journey, which is creating the necessary infrastructure for the intelligent edge,” Chiah added. “Beyond simply connecting remote workers to the cloud, how users and the Internet of Things are connected will be a key area of focus to improve business outcomes, while enriching employee experiences.”
Looking ahead, SPH is also preparing to deploy Aruba Central and Edge Services Platform to maximise data generated at the edge.
