For SUNY Old Westbury CIO Marc Seybold, that is a tall order. He is dealing with many different devices, with many different types of users. He also strives to allow students to have almost-constant use of bandwidth, both for study and after-hours recreation, while still ensuring faculty have the bandwidth they need during class time.

These goals recently prompted Seybold to change to a different model to protect students, faculty, and the network itself. Seybold explained to CSO why he decided to switch from an agent-based control system to a policy-based approach for security and bandwidth control at the school.

One thing that is unique from a college perspective, as opposed to a business, is that we have very little control over the devices that people bring on to the network. We don't mandate, we don't own, we don't control the devices that students use. Students can bring anything from a laptop, to an iPad-type device, an Android, whatever is on the market right now, as well as smart phones, which are trying associate with Wi-Fi networks. So they are bringing those things back and forth.