HPU is going wireless this fall. With the growing use of
wireless communication and the technology provided by CISCO
Systems, HPU students will be able to take advantage of this
mobile state-of-the-art technology to break away from the
traditional “wired” stations.
Students using laptop computers with this technology will
no longer need to go to the HPU Computer Center to check e-mail
or jump on Campus Pipeline, HPU’s intranet system. They can
do research on the Web and use all the resources that the
Internet has to offer just by being in the vicinity where
wireless connectivity is available on campus.
“Wireless technology is just one of many exciting high-tech
applications emerging on campus,” said Itoh. “Our goal is
to provide the best service available to our students and
to keep Hawai’i Pacific University at the forefront of new
technologies available in the 21st century.”
Wireless technology utilizes radio waves to link a student’s
laptop computer to access points. A total of eight access
points will be located in the downtown campus by fall semester.
The student’s laptop computer, equipped with a PCMCIA wireless
PC card, will be able to upload and download data at up to
full Ethernet speed (10+Mbps), which is significantly faster
than cable and DLS modems. Plans are in place to deploy wireless
technology at HPU’s other remote campuses and dormitories
in the upcoming school year.
Computer Center software applications will also be available
through wireless connection in the very near future. These
include MS Office, Visual Studio, Pagemaker, and System Architect,
among others. Eventually, various classes will require the
use of laptops to access Internet-enabled course material,
as well as other multimedia content.
While the idea of wireless technology is slowly catching
on at other universities across the globe, the technology
already available at HPU makes the University a valid contender
with other college campuses, according to Justin Itoh, associate
vice president of Information Technology Services at HPU.
