New Zealand-based data communications equipment supplier Allied Telesis is once again putting its sponsorship muscle behind EIT.

Ten years ago, while EIT was constructing its Information Technology and Computing building, the company was awarded the contract to replace data communication infrastructure for the entire Hawke’s Bay campus.

In exchange for naming rights for the building’s third floor, the company donated six data communications switches to enable the Computing School to teach switch configuration courses. The switches are ‘background’ devices which are used to  link all the computing resources across the EIT campus.

At that time, a data communications course taught as part of EIT’s Bachelor of Computing Systems was redesigned around Allied Telesis’ systems.

The relationship blossomed with the company offering internship opportunities to final-year Bachelor of Computing Systems students, some of whom went on to accept  permanent positions at Allied Telesis.

When Computing Head of School Stephen  Corich recently met with Allied Telesis  business development manager Mike Muir,
the link was re-established.

As a result, Allied Telesis has donated nine new switches worth more than $100,000 to EIT – six to replace those used for teaching
purposes on the Hawke’s Bay campus and three for the Tairāwhiti campus.

Senior computing lecturer John Jamieson, who redeveloped the data communications course ten years ago and has taught it since,
is now including Allied Telesis training materials in his course. That provides an opportunity for students to gain Allied
Telesis certification – industry recognition of their work with the switching equipment.

“We now have an intellectual copyright agreement with Allied Telesis where the company gives us access to their training
materials,” says Steve. “John incorporates these into his classes.

“The students will have the opportunity to sit Allied Telesis certification exams and become Allied Telesis engineers. EIT is the
only educator in the country where they can achieve that.”

Because New Zealand’s leading data communications equipment suppliers use similar configuration language, EIT graduates are still able to transfer their Allied Telesis skills to other switch providers.