Well before 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic taking hold, connectivity played an important role in university life. Universities are hotbeds for ideas and innovation—and also have a nearly insatiable need for connectivity. In recent years, however, connectivity shifted from a mere convenience to a lifeline for students and universities. As these institutions built and expanded online remote access for their students, many from scratch, their IT departments were forced to shift their focus from on-campus networking to supporting a distributed global network to meet the new normal of education.
