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State University Expands Campus-Wide Communications System

RADirect Provides T1/Extension Solutions Based on M13 Multiplexers

Illinois State University (ISU) is nestled in the twin-city community of Bloomington-Normal, in the heart of Central Illinois. The campus, which spans nearly 850 acres, comprises more than 60 major buildings - including 13 residence halls and two student apartment complexes - that serve an enrollment of more than 20,000 students.

As ISU’s Manager of Telecommunications, John Foster is responsible for maintaining the university’s expansive campus-wide telephone system. Foster was recently challenged with increasing communications capacity over the campus’s extensive fiber network, but found that the manufacturer of the network’s existing fiber multiplexers was no longer in business. Concerned about uniformity and the lack of spare parts in the event of an outage, Foster embarked on a search for a new solution.

ISU’s equipment requirements included some advanced features such as dual (AC/DC) power supply, T1/E1 terminated as RJ-45, and management capabilities – features Foster originally thought only existed in expensive solutions from vendors like Siemens. Nonetheless, he decided to research his options and enlisted the help of Bob Rice, President of Johnstown, Ohiobased systems integrator Stellar-1 Communications (now a RADirectGold reseller). Through an Internet search, Rice found RAD Data Communications’ Optimux-T3 M13 multiplexer on the RADirect Web site. Said Foster, “Not only did RAD’s Optimux-T3 satisfy all of our unique requirements, but its cost was nearly one-third the price of the Siemens solution.

Even after a formal RFQ was issued and several additional solutions (including one from Siemens) were proposed, Foster and Rice made the decision to purchase fourteen Optimux-T3 units from RADirect. RADirect staged all of the units in their lab and shipped the equipment – fully tested and ready to go - in about one week. “From day one, it was clear that RADirect had the technical expertise we needed to complete this project,” said Rice. “Not only did they provide us with a solution that perfectly fit the ISU network, but their responsiveness and attention to detail demonstrated an obvious commitment to ensuring a smooth and hassle-free installation.

Now, nearly all of ISU’s telephone networks are communicating over RAD’s Optimux-T3 M13 multiplexers, and Foster could not be more pleased. “I literally have not had to deal with the RAD equipment since I plugged it in,” Foster noted. Advice to others faced with a similar challenge? “It really pays to investigate your options. RAD’s Optimux-T3 had every feature that we needed plus more. We could have ended up spending a lot more money to get these same features.