March 1 2008

Leading North East business provider Knowledge I.T. is fast building a reputation for excellence in designing and delivering advanced solutions in the education sector. The firm has completed work on installing the I.T. infrastructure for a new Catholic high school – a blueprint for similar I.T. services at other same faith education sites.

The £1.7 million installation was a major coup for Knowledge I.T. and involved the Washington-based firm designing, supplying and installing a campus wide high performance wireless network for the recently opened Cardinal Hume Catholic School in Gateshead.

More than a 1,000 desktop and laptop PCs have been supplied as part of a deal to ensure that all of the School’s 980 eleven to 18 year-old pupils have access to computers and other technology such as email and broadband internet services.

Formerly St Edmund Campion Roman Catholic School, the secondary school for the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle has been relocated from Rugby Gardens in Wrekenton to a new £24 million purpose built site on the Old Durham Road.

It was opened in a special ceremony by the most senior Roman Catholic priest in the UK, His Excellency Archbishop Faustino Sainz Munoz last October. He is the Apostolic Nuncio – the Pope’s official diplomatic representative in the UK.

Cardinal Hume Catholic School was awarded ‘Specialist College’ status in 2006 for mathematics and computing, and is the only school in the region that has benefited from a direct pathfinder grant from the government for its building and I.T. programme.

In conjunction with Cardinal Hume’s grant, the government’s ‘Building Schools for the Future’ programme will see many other schools, including over 15 Catholic secondary schools,  equipped with the most advanced I.T. systems and equipment to meet the future teaching and learning requirements of pupils and staff.
The Knowledge contract has already seen the implementation of a new network infrastructure to deal with the demands of the School’s current and future expansion – it will eventually cater for 1,200 students.

Wi-fi access has been installed throughout the 10 acre site by Knowledge together with hardwired computer facilities, integrated PowerPoint projector systems, satellite TV and broadband access in the classrooms. Dedicated areas within the School have also been equipped with the latest ICT hardware and software, video production and music equipment to improve access to all levels of study from key stage III up to A Level study.

Knowledge I.T. worked in close partnership with builders Miller Construction, building services contractors Haden Young and GWK Architects to deliver a versatile IT solution that has the education, welfare and comfort of students and staff at the core.

Cardinal Hume School head teacher Nick Hurn said: “Technology lies at the heart of the school, with every department relying heavily upon intuitive and stable IT systems. The new IT network and equipment is superb and helps to provide students with the best possible learning environment throughout their time with us.

“Knowledge I.T. has provided a durable and cost effective solution that meets our immediate needs, while providing a flexible platform that can be added to as our needs change in the future.

“All involved with the School have been extremely impressed with the first class levels of consultation, dedication, expertise and the high quality of day-to-day support provided by the excellent team at Knowledge. They truly have whole heartedly embraced and honoured their commitment to us as a valued partner in this leading edge project.”  

Knowledge I.T. utilised the latest hardware and software technology to design and build a solution based around a Cisco network management system.

The initial installation was completed ahead of the School’s official opening. This included the set up of Windows 2003 AD domains running on a new network infrastructure, and the procurement and installation of three servers, hundreds of PCs and several printers.

Knowledge I.T. will be providing an on-going technical support and back-up service as part of the deal to ensure systems are continuously available and on-line.

George Sanger, Knowledge I.T’s sales and marketing director, said: “We spent a lot of time understanding both the wider education sector and specific strategic long term needs of Cardinal Hume School.

“We have created a package that meets the needs of individuals and the School, showing the way forward for other similar education projects. We will continue to assess its needs to ensure that we are providing the best fit-for-purpose ICT solution to meet any challenges they may encounter. “

Knowledge offers a range of communications technology to businesses throughout the North of England, including IP telephony, ICT, data storage, internet services and disaster recovery. It was the first North East service provider to unite all business communications into one package, allowing companies to replace multiple suppliers with one provider and just one bill.

Having won the 2006 regional technology award at Sunderland’s Portfolio Business Awards, Knowledge’s thriving customer base now extends to 250 of the biggest firms and organisations across the region. These include Durham City Council, The RVI Hospital, Mamas and Papas, Spark Response and County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue.

For more information please call us on 0845 142 0020 or CLICK HERE to complete our online information request form.