University Leverages Hyperconverged Infrastructure to Provide IT Resources to HBCUs as More Enable Remote Work and Digital Transformation

 

Nutanix (NASDAQ: NTNX), a leader in enterprise cloud computing, has announced that Alabama A&M University (AAMU) selected the company to deliver a scalable and flexible private cloud infrastructure to support the University’s digital transformation, something that is even more important now as more functions and education are moving online in response to COVID-19.

Founded in 1875 and a member of the historically black college and university (HBCU) community, AAMU functions as a teaching, research and public service institution. Like many other higher educational institutions, AAMU’s infrastructure did not support its changing digital needs. This is especially true among HBCUs, many of which have struggled as a result of the student loan crisis and federal budget cuts, and are now dealing with a reality where remote work and education have become the norm.

Dr. Damian Clarke, AAMU’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) and computer science faculty member, saw the increasingly important need to modernize the university’s IT infrastructure, not only at AAMU but other HBCUs, as well.  To address this problem, he envisioned a consortium of peer universities sharing resources and providing support.

To bring this vision into reality, AAMU partnered with Nutanix to deliver a private cloud solution that was secure, flexible, and scalable so it could easily adapt to AAMU’s needs, as well as those of other universities. The Nutanix Hyperconverged Infrastructure (HCI) platform offers a flexible solution that gives IT teams the freedom of choice to work with the technology that best suits their academic and administrative needs.

"For us, flexibility is among the top benefits of Nutanix," said Dr. Clarke. "We don’t want to be boxed in to using a specific solution; we want people to have options. For example, with Nutanix we can run multiple hypervisors, instead of being stuck with a proprietary product. We selected Nutanix AHV for our institutions, but can also offer other universities the flexibility to choose the best vendor for their needs."

In addition to Nutanix HCI software and AHV, the university also selected Xi Leap, the company’s cloud-based disaster recovery solution, to provide business continuity during this uncertain time. In light of COVID-19, AAMU also deployed Xi Frame, Nutanix’s Desktop as a Service solution, to quickly and securely deliver remote working capabilities to high priority users, including business and finance departments, legal departments, IT, and administrators.

"When Dr. Clarke shared his vision with us, we knew that Nutanix would be the perfect IT solution to deliver it," said John Pellettiere, senior director and sales lead for state, local and education at Nutanix. "A private cloud solution to modernize AAMU’s aging IT infrastructure, while also supporting other HBCUs, needs to be resistant and secure, but also easily scalable and flexible. Nutanix provides the choice that allows AAMU to deliver a flexible solution that meets other HBCUs’ various IT needs."

AAMU deployed its solution with scalability in mind, and the University is already considering new Nutanix solutions to extend its capabilities. For example, with Nutanix Flow, AAMU can further simplify its network and policy management to support multi-tenant offerings; with Nutanix Calm, they can enable application automation and lifecycle management across multiple cloud environments.

Nutanix is a global leader in cloud software and a pioneer in hyperconverged infrastructure solutions, making computing invisible anywhere. Organizations around the world use Nutanix software to leverage a single platform to manage any app at any location at any scale for their private, hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Learn more at www.nutanix.com or contact Lia Bigano at (408) 708-1003, ext. 12636.