Case Study: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University achieves secure, high-performance collaboration for cutting-edge research with Webex by Cisco

Supporting cutting-edge research activities Constructing open and secure ICT foundations

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) is a research-focused graduate university that needed an open, high‑performance network to support diverse, data‑heavy research and extensive BYOD use. With many specialized and legacy research devices that cannot use standard IEEE 802.1x authentication, plus sudden traffic spikes and campus expansion, OIST faced significant security, visibility, and management challenges across its campus and data center networks.

OIST deployed a broad Cisco solution set—Nexus and Catalyst switches, ACI/SDN, ISE for policy, Prime Infrastructure for wireless visibility, UCS servers and collaboration tools—to create isolated VLANs for non‑802.1x equipment, a 10Gb backbone, campus‑wide Wi‑Fi with improved monitoring, and a roadmap toward DNA‑driven automation. The result is a secure, flexible, scalable ICT foundation that speeds troubleshooting, protects research equipment, supports global collaboration, and prepares the university for future growth and automated network operations.

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University

Brett Mason

Senior Manager, Networks and Connectivity