4⃣,0⃣0⃣0⃣ public sector buildings are now part of the govroam network pic.twitter.com/MJ1pU5Krjl
— Jisc (@Jisc) May 17, 2019
By Martynas Tovarovas, Wi-Fi NOW Staff Writer
Four thousand buildings in the UK are now connected to the rapidly expanding govroam service enabling Wi-Fi access for public sector organizations in the UK. Staff can use the same credentials to auto-connect to Wi-Fi from any device at multiple locations and in this way access home network content and other resources.
Public sector staff from the NHS, council workers, the police, librarians, schools, and universities now automatically connect to Wi-Fi every time they visit one of the 4000 buildings. Launched in 2017 govroam was specifically created for the public sector by Jisc to provide easy Wi-Fi access without the hassle of multiple registrations.
“Since the launch, we have been pleased to see enthusiastic uptake of govroam, particularly by the NHS, but also by local authorities and the emergency services. The 4,000th public services venue to join the network is a bit of a landmark – and one we have reached sooner than expected, ” says Mark O’Leary, Head of Network Access at Jisc.
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Since its introduction govroam has been widely adopted across the UK, most notably by the public services network for Kent and the Yorkshire & Humberside regions as well as in parts of London. The service is also available in Scotland and Wales where national networks SWAN and PSBA have adopted govroam on behalf of their members.
Govroam allows the identity of visitors to be authenticated by their home IT organizations making sure that Wi-Fi visitor credentials are validated in real time against their employers’ database records. This is achieved without requiring additional network infrastructure or changes to Wi-Fi guest network design, Mark O’Leary explains.
“Anyone who has to travel to different offices and buildings regularly as part of their job will understand what a pain it can be to swap to different Wi-Fi networks at every new destination. Identifying the correct network, sourcing the password, and actually logging on all takes time and effort. With the roll-out of govroam, we can remove these difficulties and help public sector staff to work more efficiently,” says Mark O’Leary.
Venues connected to the govroam network include St James’s University Hospital in Leeds, Camden Council in London, Tonbridge Castle in Kent and the Welsh Pembrokeshire Command, Fire, and Rescue service as well as many universities such as King’s College London and Aberdeen University.
/Martynas