KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - July 16, 2003 - Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), one of Malaysia's top educational institutions, is building one of the largest campus networks in Asia with 10 Gigabit Ethernet solutions from Cisco Systems®. The network, with a total capacity of 5.5 terabits per second (Tbps), 55,000 times faster than a 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet network, will enable UiTM to deliver high-speed Internet and intranet access to its 86,000 students and 8,000 staff respectively in its main campus in Shah Alam and all 14 branch campuses nation wide. All the university's branch campuses located through out the country will also use the main campus backbone for intranet and Internet access. The project will be implemented by Solsis (M) Sdn Bhd, a Cisco-certified reseller.
With the objective of building an infrastructure capable of creating a world-class e-learning environment, and to cope with a fast-growing staff and student population, UiTM opted for a network that was reliable, scalable, and could accommodate future technology advancements. The network supports the convergence of storage, data and multimedia at consistent speeds.
"As a university that prides itself on academic excellence and the development of the next generation of technology leaders for Malaysia, it is important that we keep pace with advancements around the world. To become a world-class university, we need to provide world-class facilities with a highly dependable communications infrastructure. Having worked with our business providers in the networking area, we were very comfortable with the combination of product quality, customer service and technology leadership that they offered," said UiTM Vice Chancellor Yg Bhg Datuk Seri Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Abu Shah.
Using Cisco Catalyst® 6500 Series switches with 1-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet modules and the Supervisor Engine 720 processor, UiTM's network will take full advantage of the increased scalability in performance and intelligent network services. A total of 5.5 Tbps of switching capacity is delivered through the Catalyst 6500 Series switches. The university's data center server farms are also equipped with the Cisco Content Switch Module, which provides content-aware server load balancing for intelligent and fast Web caching. Also in the network are Cisco Catalyst 4500 Series modular switches and Cisco Catalyst 2950 Series and Catalyst 3550 Series stackable switches.
"It is an honor for Solsis to build one of the largest campus networks in Asia. We are proud that UiTM is playing an exemplary role in investing in technology and its future. We hope that other educational institutions will take heed and ensue technological advancement and promote the evolution of IT in the country," said Ahmad Rizan, Managing Director, Solsis (M) Sdn Bhd.
"UiTM is the first university in Malaysia, and one of the first in the whole of Asia, to build a network this large and advanced. This is a strong indication of its commitment to building an environment that augments the education process with e-learning programs and tools. UiTM's network is an excellent example of how internetworking technologies are creating benefits for organizations worldwide," said Johnson Khoo, Managing Director, Cisco Systems Malaysia.
The 10 Gigabit Ethernet modules enable an extension of Ethernet technology from the university's local-area network to its wide-area network, providing UiTM with increased bandwidth, increased network reach and lower cost of ownership while protecting existing investments in their fiber infrastructure. By supporting high-bandwidth connections with a rich set of services, the 10 Gigabit Ethernet modules will enable this university to implement new applications such as server-less buildings, data center remote mirroring, disaster recovery, e-learning, imaging or 3D modeling, as well as high-bandwidth inter-POP connections.
About UiTM
UiTM started out in 1956, as Dewan Latihan RIDA, a training centre under the supervision of the Rural Industrial Development Authority (RIDA) that provided short courses in commerce and cottage industries to rural youths. Nine years later, in 1965, the Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) Act was passed in Parliament. This act provided for a change of name from Dewan Latihan RIDA to Maktab MARA (MARA College). It also defined the new role of the MARA college which was to train Bumiputras to be professionals and semi-professionals, and to enable them to become equal partners with other ethnic groups in the commercial and industrial enterprises of the nation. In 1967, Maktab MARA was renamed Institut Teknologi MARA (ITM). It was an autonomous body until 1976 when the Institut Teknologi MARA Act of 1976 was introduced. With the passing of the act, ITM became a statutory body within the Ministry of Education and under the supervision of a council. On 26 August 1999, the Prime Minister, YAB Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad, announced that ITM was going to be called Universiti Teknologi MARA. This announcement was followed a few months later by the passing of the ITM Act (Amendment 2000) by the Dewan Rakyat (lower house of parliament) on 25 February 2000 and the Dewan Negara (upper house) on 8 May 2000. The name change was implemented retrospectively from the date of the Prime Minister's announcement. Today, it is a full-fledged university (http://www.uitm.edu.my).
About Solsis (M) Sdn. Bhd.
Solsis (M) Sdn Bhd is a reputed Malaysian ICT service provider, offering a full spectrum of ICT services; Consulting and Integration, Outsourcing and Managed Services, Services-E-Business and Investments, and Technology and Software Services; to a range of customers in the government and private sectors. Supported and equipped with a nation-wide network infrastructure of 24 service centres in Malaysia, Solsis offers its customers 24-hour service, 7 days a week. More information is available at http://www.solsis.com.
