Case Study: Kent State University achieves a future‑proof, AIOps‑enabled high‑performance campus network with HPE Aruba Networking

Leading public research institution takes strategic approach to modernizing experiences by standardizing on Aruba ESP

Kent State University, a public research institution serving 36,000 students and 10,700 employees, needed to modernize aging wired and wireless networks to deliver high‑performance, secure, and flexible connectivity across classrooms, labs, residence halls and innovation spaces. The university required a future‑proof platform to support immersive XR and esports, E911/location services, IoT for facilities, and to slash operational overhead and provisioning time.

Kent State standardized on Aruba ESP (Wi‑Fi 6 APs, CX switching, ClearPass, Aruba Central, AirWave, UXI and NetEdit) to unify and automate wired and wireless management. The deployment delivered better user experiences, faster ad‑hoc site rollouts using RAPs and Central, IoT support across 147 buildings, and reduced access‑switch configuration from three hours by an engineer to about 30 minutes by a student—while positioning the campus for AIOps, location services and ongoing modernization.

Kent State University

John Rathje

Vice President for IT and CIO