This summer, Computing and Communications Services will be replacing network electronics in all State-owned/operated buildings, as part of the Common Network Initiative program funded by the Office of the Chancellor. This project will replace aging Cisco network switches with state-of-the-art equipment from Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise. These new switches will offer faster connectivity speeds in many areas of the campus and new power features to ease deployment of wireless access points, phones, and cameras, along with a dramatically lower cost and carbon footprint.

The project is in the final planning phase, but deployment of the new equipment is likely to begin in late June and complete late July or early August of 2016. Due to the vast scope of the project, cutover to the new equipment will take place during normal business hours, requiring up to a couple of hours of network downtime for affected users. To ease this burden, the detailed schedule will be posted as soon as it is available, and affected users can expect both email reminders and signs at building entrances to make sure everyone is aware of upcoming network changes.

More information about the project can be found at www.csuchico.edu/cni, and the detailed schedule will be posted to this location as soon as it is available.