Rochester Institute of Technology Redefines IT Education with Big Assist from VMware

Sophisticated Virtualization Environment Helping University Attract Superior Students, Increase Marketability of Graduates, Expand Distance-Learning Programs

PALO ALTO, Calif. – VMware, Inc. (NYSE: VMW), the global leader in virtualization solutions from the desktop to the datacenter, today announced that Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), one of America’s premier universities for career-oriented education, is using VMware’s platform, including VMware Infrastructure, VMware Lab Manager and VMware Workstation, to enhance the curriculum of more than 30 courses in the university’s B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences.

Founded in 1829, RIT is an internationally recognized leader in scientific and technical education. Golisano College has a reputation as one of the most innovative computing colleges in the country, having graduated the first class of software engineers in the U.S. and broken new ground in game development while also educating students in network and systems administration, design, implementation and security. Golisano College added to its reputation as an innovator when it became one of the first schools to use virtualization as a core component of course content. The VMware platform allows students to work seamlessly across Linux, Unix and Windows operating systems, share files, and build temporary virtual machines for assignments and projects.
“VMware’s platform is suited perfectly to IT learning environments,” said Charles Border, coordinator of graduate programs for Golisano College’s Department of Networking, Security and Systems Administration. “Our students are able to see and do so much more thanks to virtualization. Having the flexibility to create and modify VMs without any financial or space limitations allows us to expand the breadth of our curriculum far beyond what is possible in a hardware-based teaching environment. Our goal is to give our students the skills and experience they need to be billable the day they graduate. VMware helps us achieve that goal.”

The Department of Networking, Security and Systems Administration has also partnered with the university’s Administrative Computing Group to bring virtualization to other academic departments. In addition, virtualization is helping Golisano College expand its distance-learning programs, allowing students to participate in classes online that formerly required attendance in physical labs. Today, roughly 35 percent of the students in the Department of Networking, Security and Systems Administration are remote.

“VMware is helping us expand our academic offerings and I think it’s inevitable that more universities will turn to virtualization,” said Border. “By enabling us to enrich our curriculum, prepare our graduates with a broader skill set, and extend our reach, VMware is having a profound effect on our ability to provide an outstanding educational experience and attract superior students. I applaud VMware, not only for its virtualization platform, but also for recognizing the value of virtualization in education and creating an affordable Academic Licensing Program that has made our work possible.”