Cisco Networking + iOS Gives Teachers More Time to Teach

Partner Success Story

Imagine you’re the teacher in a room filled with curious grade-schoolers. Each student holds a device, ready to follow your lead through a fun, online science lesson. Only, their screens seem stuck. Hands go up and you hear practically in chorus: “I can’t log on,” or “mine’s not working.”

This happened all too often when teachers in the City of Gothenburg, Sweden, tried to use web-based learning in their classrooms using iPad devices. Service was spotty, especially when everyone in the class tried to log in to Wi-Fi at once. Teachers were spending too much time troubleshooting IT problems and not enough time using technology in new, creative ways.

School leadership turned to Intraservice, the city’s internal service provider, for help. And Intraservice reached out to Apple and Cisco. By combining Apple’s strength in mobility and Cisco’s strength in wireless networking, the two companies have partnered to deliver an optimal wireless experience.

Starting with two of Gothenburg’s primary schools — Trestjärneskolan and Emmaskolan — their wireless infrastructure was updated with a Cisco network that included the Apple and Cisco jointly developed Optimized Wi-Fi Connectivity. This unique capability enables iPad and iPhone devices to connect to the optimal Cisco wireless access points quickly and efficiently, even when roaming within a building or across a campus.

Finally, the schools could enjoy high-speed, reliable wireless internet access – regardless of how many students tried to log on at once or where ever they roamed around within their schools.

Soon teachers spent far less time troubleshooting and much more time getting creative incorporating device-based learning into their lesson plans. The teachers said it felt like magic, as they were now able to have multiple classes use iPad devices at the same time with no degradation of the student’s experiences. The teachers went on to use the mobile technology to make learning more fun, helping to motivate to students to want to learn more.

Along with the positive reports from teachers and students, administrators saw support calls drop by half. As a result, the decision was made a deploy a full-scale installation of the entire Apple and Cisco jointly developed solution in the city of Gothenburg, which includes over fifty primary schools.

By improving the Wi-Fi experience for Gothenburg’s schools, the Apple and Cisco partnership put the power of enriched learning in the hands of more than 22,000 students – and put plenty of lesson time back on their teachers’ schedules.

An A+ solution all the way around.

Between technology and new ways to teach, there’s a bridge.

Learn more about the City of Gothenburg Success Story.