INDUSTRY SCENARIO: To transform virtual machine infrastructure with the goal of providing students and teachers with fast and accessible computing systems.
Key Benefits:
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Transformed legacy systems into high-speed computing infrastructure
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Enabled access from any device, eliminating the need for expensive equipment
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Standardised experience across all sites with automatic cloud backup
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Made system-wide software updates deployable within minutes
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Seamless on/off-campus access via Raspberry Pi infrastructure
Belgium Campus iTversity rebuilt and transformed legacy architecture, transforming slow, underperforming systems into agile, speedy and efficient computing systems that were easily accessible for students and educators in collaboration with Braintree.
Belgium Cmpus iTversity offers a range of high-level IT qualifications designed to equip students with the skills they need to thrive in the ever-evolving technology industry. The education institution wanted to modernise its existing infrastructure as it wasn’t meeting the high-speed, high-demand needs of the institution and its students. However, as Christiaan Els, IT Manager at Belgium Campus iTversity, explained, they wanted a Microsoft partner that could handle the unique complexities of their infrastructure to assist them with implementing their vision.
“We were running on VirtualBox on Dell 710 servers, which was the equivalent of working with bricks and stones to make things work,” he said. “I could not find the right partner to solve our problem – I called companies from Egypt to London, to Mauritius and New York and eventually was directed to Braintree. After talking to them, we realised we had the right partner to work with us in transforming our small scale idea into a large scale implementation.”
The challenge was interesting. Belgium Campus iTversity wanted to shake up its existing solution, using one image on a virtual machine (VM). This would allow teams to add and change software as required by the modules and for anyone with any device to access it quickly and easily. The reason behind this need was simple – computer equipment is expensive, and not all students have access to the right technology, so the solution had to be something anyone could use. The answer was to develop accessible virtual machines.
Simple, Speedy and Accessible: Solving for Real-World Compute
“We started out by solving the problem ourselves with a normal VM server with 200 GB RAM and 64 core CPU. The problem was that it was too small and slow to handle our growing requirements,” explained Els. “It had to be faster, more secure, and more accessible and capable of scaling up, which is why we ended up working with Braintree. We brought the idea, they brought the collaborative insights required to expand the project to the right size.”
In January 2024, Braintree and Belgium Campus iTversity together reimagined the company’s infrastructure. Using Raspberry Pi devices as the backbone for the infrastructure, the environment was expertly configured to provide students with easy access to online classes on or off campus. Every student now has exactly the same experience with no issues around licensing or computing speed, they can now access the learning environment from any device – Android TV, an older laptop or even a tablet. Students still use the latest technology – the institution can load software onto the system and it’s available to everyone within minutes – and students’ work is automatically saved in the cloud, so it is protected in the event of power failures or downtime.
“It was an unbelievably challenging exercise, but it is the most rewarding solution, and I can’t thank the Braintree team enough for helping us make our vision a reality,” said Els. “The team was always on hand to solve problems and help us manage complexities, and without them (and Microsoft Azure), we would not be sitting with a state-of-the-art solution for our students.”
For Belgium Campus iTversity, the hands-on approach offered by Braintree made all the difference. The team would visit the site, work with the Belgium Campus iTversity team in person to resolve challenges and pay attention to building a strong relationship that would allow them to solve problems collaboratively.
“The commitment and energy we received from Braintree was something else,” said Els.
Education: Reimagined
“Initially, it took time for us to get everyone on board with the new system as we needed to show them how it worked and how it would improve classes and the student experience,” said Els. “Today, the feedback we have received from students and educators is overwhelmingly positive.”
As Dr Jan Mentz, said: “Our goal is to provide students with access to the latest and greatest technology which means there is a regular update and upgrade cycle across all our equipment. The hardware limitations made it difficult to guarantee a certain quality of service for our students, and things were slow. Now, the system is easy to update, we have the same image across all our sites, and the student experience has been transformed. They have stability and access regardless of their location or technology.”
Overall, the solution has delivered exactly what Belgium Campus iTversity needed to reimagine its education access for its students and its ability to deliver high-end, high-quality academic training on next-generation technology. Belgium Campus iTversity had a clear vision and worked closely with Braintree to achieve this vision successfully. As Chris Badenhorst concluded: “This solution wouldn’t have been possible without Belgium Campus iTversity’s clear vision, smart solution and commitment to ensuring students and educators get the full value from their technology.”
