Implementation manager for NEN trial extension joins REANNZ
REANNZ is excited to welcome Laurence Zwimpfer as the Implementation Manager of the National Education Network trial extension.
NEN Implementation Manager appointed
The National Education Network (NEN) took a step forward today with the appointment of an Implementation Manager. Laurence Zwimpfer has joined the REANNZ team to manage the expansion of the NEN trial from the existing 20 schools to 200. Laurence is an education technology consultant who has spent the last 25 years helping schools and other education organisations deploy information and communications technologies.
REANNZ has been operating a NEN trial connecting schools to KAREN since 2008. Late last year the Government announced an expansion of the trial to 200 schools over the next 18 months.
Laurence is excited to have the opportunity to help lead this next phase in the development of a National Education Network, that he hopes one day will reach all schools. He has been chairing The Wellington Loop, a cluster of Wellington secondary schools connected by a gigabit fibre network, for the last three years, and the NEN project will allow many more schools to benefit.
The first priority will be a series of workshops, to be held in February, to brief suppliers and others interested in providing network services for the expanded trial. Schools close to existing fibre infrastructure will also be identified, as the NEN trial extension will not provide for new fibre infrastructure.
“We are aware that the Government’s $1.5B ultra-fast broadband programme will progressively provide high speed connectivity for all schools, but the opportunity we have with the NEN extension is to do something with the fibre already in place,” said Laurence.
“Our experience in connecting 200 schools will ensure that good implementation models are in place as the fibre networks reach the remaining 2000+ schools.”
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