"Parallels RAS makes it simple for our IT admins to support any device that students and teachers prefer to use and saves us hours of setup time. The Parallels RAS mobile client for iOS and Android enables our students and teachers to be truly productive on the go or at home."
Cambridge Judge Business School (CJBS) is one of the world’s most respected business schools.
Set in the heart of the University of Cambridge in England, the prestigious business school is consistently ranked among the top in the world by Bloomberg, the Financial Times, Business Insider, US News & World Report, and Forbes magazine.
In addition to education, CJBS plays a leadership role in research.
As a fully integrated department at one of the best universities in the world, CJBS can host one of the largest concentrations of interdisciplinary business and management research activity in Europe.
There are about 500 students and nearly 100 academic staff representing all continents at CJBS.
The Challenge — Improving and streamlining an existing BYOD program
Initially, CJBS used a straight VPN solution, but the IT team knew the institution should have Terminal Server access.
CJBS wanted to publish classic Windows desktop applications (such as Microsoft Excel and Word) and IBM SPSS software to enable more effective campus-independent teaching methods.
However, the IT staff spent a lot of time helping students configure certain programs on their devices.
Students and teachers at the business education institution were using PCs, Mac computers, iPad and iPhone devices, and Android tablets and phones as personal devices—and they wished to continue using their personal devices to access virtual learning applications.
This desire meant that the IT team required a virtualization solution that met the mobility needs of faculty and students.
The CJBS IT department needed a virtualization solution to create flexible, mobile-ready virtual learning workspaces and consolidate the IT infrastructure, making it easier to secure, scale, and maintain.
The Solution — Parallels RAS centralizes IT, simplifies access to learning applications
Upon deploying Parallels RAS at CJBS, Paul Miller, Head of IT, knew it was “the perfect solution.”
Using Parallels RAS with a VPN, the business school could provide secure, easy-to-use application publishing to their staff and students’ personal devices.
At CJBS, incoming students frequently have Mac computers and don’t want to buy a PC. CJBS now easily accommodates the school’s plentiful number of Mac users, delivering instant, reliable access to Windows desktop software from their laptops.
Not only that, but Parallels RAS has allowed the CJBS IT team to deploy a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solution delivering students and faculty access to easy-to-manage virtual machines hosted on the server.
The Result — Reduced IT hours, easy-to-deploy BYOD support with a great mobile experience
By using Parallels RAS, CJBS significantly reduced the hours required by IT staff to set up and support students and teachers who needed to access learning material on their devices.
Miller reported the IT team can now streamline the loading of applications for students with Mac computers.
Parallels RAS also allowed the school to extend bring-your-own-device (BYOD) support for more devices without needing to touch or interact with the operating systems.
In addition to the students, Parallels RAS helped the IT team provide simple, remote access for staff.
Importantly, students and faculty were impressed by the great mobile experience for phones and tablets, which made classwork easier and lowered stress levels daily.
Parallels RAS is an incredibly comprehensive, highly affordable application and desktop delivery solution that allows educational institutions to achieve a secure, mobile-capable campus for staff, students, and faculty.
It provides students and faculty on-the-go access to coursework, training environments, and educational applications from any device—even off campus.
How Parallels helps educational institutions like CJBS:
- Making educational Windows applications available on any device.
- A comprehensive application delivery solution with no need for third-party add-ons.
- Empowered learning through a mobile workspace.
- Protected student and staff data with encryption protocols and advanced filtering.
- Improved student and faculty productivity with on-the-go access to learning resources.
