University College Birmingham – Creating a state of the art Cyber Security Lab
Cyber Security is a major issue in modern society which has driven a huge demand for new workers in this area. To meet demand, University College Birmingham (UCB) offer a dedicated Cyber Security course to open up a wide range of career opportunities for students.
UCB wanted to create a brand new dedicated Cyber Security Lab and were looking to refurbish a room located in the Camden House Campus. Due to the fact a lot of the course involves practical assignments and project work, they wanted to create a suitable space with state of the art computer facilities to allow students to apply their training in a controlled environment.
TOP-TEC were approached by Pooran Kumar (Assistant Director of IT) and Mike Fox (AV Manager) to see if we could work together and help find a suitable solution for the new space.
Key Project Criteria
◉ Create a dedicated cyber security lab where students could apply their learning and training in a controlled environment and undergo practical and project work.
◉ Provide students with a modern and professional space.
◉ Facilitate, secure and integrate the universities preselected AV/ICT equipment.
◉ Any furniture solutions must be able to accommodate power and data being fed from the ceiling.
Decision Process
Following several meetings between TOP-TEC and the team at UCB, we showcased some other Cyber Lab solutions that we had provided for Universities implementing a similar course. Having helped other customers design, create and install a number of Cyber Labs, UCB were confident that TOP-TEC would be the right partner for this project.
Our recent installation at Cardiff University really resonated with the university. They appreciated our Crucible solution where one screen was mounted above the other to help save worktop space whilst still having access to two monitors.
As a result of this, we developed a series of 2D room layouts featuring the Crucible, with its cluster style shape helping provide multi-screen IT workspaces for up to 30 students within the new Cyber Lab.
How Did We Help?
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“Create a dedicated cyber security lab where students could apply their learning and training in a controlled environment and undergo practical and project work.”
Each Crucible solution gave students access to two monitors whilst saving worktop space, maximising the number of users in the room. Ideal for project work, lecturers can either cast content to the top screen or walk around the open plan desk formation to monitor students during practical work and assignments.
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“Provide students with a modern and professional looking space”
Here at TOP-TEC, we pride ourselves on quality and dependable solutions and were able to provide UCB with a professional space that met their vision and give students the best possible experience in the new Cyber Lab.
The dark colour scheme helps emphasize the lighting within the space giving a real wow factor for students.
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“Facilitate, secure and integrate the university’s preselected AV/ICT equipment.”
As we design and manufacture of our solutions at our HQ in Birmingham, TOP-TEC were able to take all of the University’s preselected IT equipment and tailor our Crucible tables to help effectively deliver the technology.
By providing easy to use workstations customised for their equipment, we were able to provide a great end user experience.
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“Any furniture solutions must be able to accommodate power and data being fed from the ceiling”
Each unit features a centralised pole for cable management allowing power and data to be fed from the ceiling into the unit and down into the worktop and PCs. This allowed units to be placed in the open plan area without the requirement for floor boxes.
The Result
Since the installation, University College Birmingham have received some great feedback from students and faculty staff who are really enjoying the new space.
By offering a dedicated lab for Cyber Security, students can be immersed into project work and assignments and apply their training in a professional and controlled environment.
“The Cyber Security Lab is a new dedicated facility to teach our students real world digital skills within a sector that has increasing job opportunities and skill shortages. The lab will prepare our students with up to date real world digital Cyber skills, gain knowledge of the different types of Cyber Security threats and how to mitigate the threats.
The Cyber Security lab inspires the teaching and learning environment with students working within dynamic surroundings enhancing the learning experience.
The Universities commitment is to ensure our students obtain real life digital skills to enhance future employment opportunities with modern teaching facilities and resources.”
Pooran Kumar
Assistant Director – IT
University College Birmingham
