Ridley High School is the newly constructed high school
for the Ridley School District. Ridley High has a student
body of 1,600 students in grades nine through 12.
Don Otto, director of computer and network services
for the Ridley School District, has been aggressive in his
use of technology to improve communications, security
and safety in the high school.
The high school installed an infrared flame detector to
combat student smoking. The alarm notification from the
wireless smoke detector is transmitted over the Alcatel-
Lucent network and the messaging is delivered using
Alcatel-Lucent’s OmniPCX, an IP PBX platform that
provides an evolution path from traditional voice to IP
telephony. With the smoke detectors and Alcatel-Lucent
network, mobile staff members are immediately alerted
via two-way radios anytime a student flicks a lighter or
strikes a match.
The district further increased its e-communications when
it installed Alcatel-Lucent’s OmniPCX and 150 IP phones
throughout the district. This allowed the centralization of
multiple switches and consolidated the number of lines
needed. All the IP phones connect to the OmniPCX over a
gigabit Ethernet backbone, eliminating the costly monthly
expenses for T-1 lines to join PBXs in each school.
With phones in all classrooms and common areas,
such as cafeterias, libraries and gymnasiums, teachers
and administrators can communicate more easily. More
phones also make it easier to call 911 or dispense district-
wide alerts during an emergency. Additionally, the
OmniPCX provided voicemail to all teachers and admin-
istrators for the first time. The district then integrated its
e-mail servers with voicemail to provide a unified messaging
system, enhancing its ability to effectively communicate
during emergencies.
Network Security Solutions
School districts need to know who is on the district
network, check if those users are compliant, direct what
those users can access, see what those users are doing
and quarantine and remediate. Alcatel-Lucent provides a
comprehensive set of network management applications
and tools that simplify this process and support security
management for both Alcatel-Lucent and third-party
networking devices.
At the heart of Alcatel-Lucent’s network security solution
are strong security features embedded in the Alcatel-Lucent
OmniSwitch family of data switches. The Alcatel-Lucent
operating system protects the network from attacks and
significantly reduces potential network downtime.
For user authentication, Alcatel-Lucent offers Access
Guardian, which enables enforcement of device and
network security policies by providing role-based access
to the network. Access Guardian authenticates network
users, including district teachers and administrators,
students and parents, confirms their PCs’ conformance
to security policies, and then provides access rights based
on the user’s role.
With the Alcatel-Lucent OmniVista 2500 and 2700,
school district IT managers or directors can then monitor
network activity, configure and troubleshoot each device, as
well as manage an entire network from a single platform.
OmniVista has a true client-server architecture that
allows multiple users to access its services simultane-
ously either through a Java-based client or through Web
browser application. It delivers network-level management
while providing access to various element managers. The
OmniVista 2700 incorporates Alcatel-Lucent’s Quarantine
Manager to ensure a safe and secure infrastructure through
extensive network access control, customizable security
policies based on district needs and services, and the elimi-
nation of threats from misbehaving devices by quarantine
and isolation. Quarantine Manager can be integrated with
OmniVista or used as a stand-alone product.
Once devices are quarantined, users can be redirected
to a captive portal where they have the opportunity to
download the appropriate anti-virus updates or other soft-
ware to bring them into compliance with district policy.
With Alcatel-Lucent’s Access Guardian and Quarantine
Manager, a district network can proactively prevent virus
and worm attacks, ensure performance, protect IP tele-
phony devices and provide reliable network services to all
authorized users.
“Alcatel-Lucent met our specifications without compromise.
The Alcatel-Lucent solutions provide enhanced educational
programs with no limitations.”
— Gary Bixby, director of facilities and support services, Cheltenham Township School District
