Moorabool Shire simplifies growing connectivity needs with Juniper Mist

Moorabool Shire is one of the fastest growing areas in Victoria, Australia. The semi-rural community offers plentiful opportunities to enjoy the outdoors and a developing arts and culture scene.

The Moorabool Shire Council, the local administrative authority, chose a Juniper Mist wireless and wired network to deliver better digital experiences to both its staff and the public while simplifying IT support.

Overview


Company Moorabool Shire Council
Industry Government and Non-Profit
Products used AP43AP63EX2300Wireless (Wi-Fi) AssuranceWired Assurance
Region APAC
Moorabool Shire Council Image
Customer Success At-a-glance

95%

Reduction in Wi-Fi-related trouble tickets in a year

12

Sites with Juniper Mist networking

850

Client devices connect to the Council’s network every day

Challenge

Modernize the network for a cloud shift

“We are transforming our IT systems, moving away from an on-premises model to the cloud, as the Council serves our growing community,” says Garry Pugh, IT systems coordinator for Moorabool Shire Council.

Moorabool Shire’s population is expected to double in the next 20 years. The Council is investing in capital projects to build infrastructure and economic development programs to attract businesses. It also oversees building planning, permitting, health and family, waste management, emergency, and other services.

As the Council’s applications moved to the cloud, the IT team also wanted to decommission on-premises wireless LAN controllers at its locations and refresh its wired network as its current switches aged.

A proof-of-concept test of two cloud-managed network solutions demonstrated that Juniper Mist wireless and wired access networking would be simpler to deploy, manage, and support.

Moorabool Shire Council Challenge
Solution

Cloud-managed network empowers lean IT team

The Council deployed Juniper Mist networking at 12 sites across the 2,100 square kilometers of Moorabool Shire, including its administrative offices, service centers, and libraries.

Juniper AP43 and AP63 Access Points and Juniper Networks EX2300 switches work in conjunction with the Juniper Mist cloud, driven by Mist AI, to continuously optimize network user experiences. Juniper Mist Wi-Fi Assurance, Wired Assurance, and Marvis Virtual Network Assistant provide visibility into both the wireless and wired network, speed troubleshooting, and automate everyday operations.

“The Juniper Mist tools help catch small configuration errors when working in a small team on tight timelines,” says Daniel Williams, network security and systems specialist at Moorabool Shire Council. “They provide a good set of bumpers for when something has gone wrong.”

Moorabool Shire Council Solution
Outcome

Scalable connectivity for a growing community

The Juniper Mist network connects 700 council-managed devices, and 150 people use the free Wi-Fi at council sites every day.

Unpredictable Wi-Fi performance and the hassles of managing wireless LAN controllers across an expansive area are a thing of the past.

“Our Wi-Fi usage has grown substantially and the user experience continues to be good,” says Williams. “I can’t remember the last time we had a Wi-Fi ticket.”

The Moorabool Shire Council can easily expand connectivity to new sites. “Deploying Juniper Mist is seamless,” says Williams. “When we need to network a new site, we can just plug the configuration details into the template in the Juniper portal and off we go.”

Moorabool Shire Council Outcome
“The smarts and simplicity of a Juniper Mist network allow IT to deliver fast, reliable network services to support the prosperous growth of our community.”
Garry Pugh IT Systems Coordinator, Moorabool Shire Council

Published November 2023