The Brilliant Basics
Working Stronger Together across colleges, departments, and campuses, three “brilliant basics”—One Network, One Identity, and One Security and Support Model—create a unified digital foundation.
One Network
Ohio State is creating a consistent, high-quality experience everywhere and a scalable, future-ready foundation by building a unified enterprise network architecture designed for research-scale demand, AI workloads and consistent connectivity across campuses. The effort will improve user experience, lower operational costs, simplify operations and provide secure support for clinical environments.
Verizon Stadium / Campus Connectivity Upgrade
Begin Date: October 2025
End Date: April 2027
Short Description: Ohio State will deliver stronger, more reliable cellular coverage at scale by also expanding its distributed antenna system and cellular infrastructure through its Verizon partnership at Ohio Stadium.
Status (Green/Yellow/Red): Yellow
Next 60-Day Action Items:
- Verizon focus on telecommunication room readiness, reviewing and increasing available power
- Planning is underway to target installation of radios and antennas post 2026 football season.
Measurable Outcome(s): Add one measurable outcome for leadership reporting, such as percentage of sites migrated, reduction in service complexity, or readiness for AI-enabled workloads.
Network Alignment Across Colleges and Units
Begin Date: October 2025
End Date: June 2028
Short Description: Ohio State is ensuring a simpler, more consistent network across the university by transitioning distributed college and unit networks into shared enterprise standards and managed services.
Status (Green/Yellow/Red): Yellow
Next 60-Day Action Items:
- Complete physical infrastructure transition for Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge (ERIK) and begin migration of endpoints into new IP networks.
- Begin planning phase for College of Pharmacy’s transition to Managed Network Services.
- Continue knowledge transfer with College of Engineering around existing network environment and Managed Network Services.
Measurable Outcome(s): Numbers of switches installed to support physical transition; Number of network infrastructure elements decommissioned; Partners migrated into Managed Network Services; Realignment of staff.
One Identity
Ohio State’s One Identity is focused on delivering a simpler, more seamless experience for every user and a stronger security with less complexity by creating one digital identity for every person. The initiative will enable seamless access across institutional boundaries, strengthen security and protection, reduce user friction and administrative overhead, and improve governance and compliance.
One Active Directory
Begin Date: February 2021
End Date: April 2027 (For in-flight scope of existing Managed IT Support (MITS) Units, Libraries, Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge (ERIK), College of Education and Human Ecology and College of Pharmacy)
Short Description: The Shared Directory and Endpoint Services (SDES) initiative will provide a consistent and secure device experience across the university by consolidating Active Directory environments into a unified enterprise directory.
Status (Green/Yellow/Red): Green
Next 60-Day Action Items:
- Begin final MITS customer migrations to One Active Directory (AD)/Shared Directory and Endpoint Services (SDES) with a goal of having 98% of endpoints on One AD/SDES
- Begin College of Arts and Sciences endpoint migrations
- Complete University Libraries migrations to OneAD/SDES with a goal of having 98% of endpoints migrated
- Complete re-imaging of lab and classroom environment for new MITS partners College of Education and Human Ecology and College of Pharmacy before start of fall semester
Measurable Outcome(s): The Shared Directory and Endpoint Services (SDES) project enables user devices to be joined to the enterprise directory via Managed IT Support (MITS) or with a partnership with their departmental IT support, allowing for the opportunity of standardization of the user experience in using their Ohio State owned device or within lab and classroom and research spaces. It enables Windows Hello for Business and biometric authentication and provides the opportunity to reduce duplication of effort for patching and software/application deployment by introducing shared patching and packages for SDES participants.
One Security and Support Model
The university’s One Security & Support Model is designed to create the highest and most consistent protection across academic and clinical environments. It emphasizes unified threat intelligence and monitoring, enterprise detection and response through aligned teams, improved resilience, and stronger incident response capabilities.
One Identity and Access Management System
Begin Date: April 2026
End Date: December 2027
Short Description: Ohio State is creating a stronger, more consistent protection across the university and faster, more reliable support and response by modernizing foundational Identity and Access Management (IAM) systems, processes and tools.
Status (Green/Yellow/Red): Green
Next 60-Day Action Items:
- Validate the target identity governance model
- Develop project roadmap and rollout plans for Identity Governance Administration (IGA), new guest processes, the Buckeye Digital Identity Vault, and the unified login experience
- Publish Request for Proposal (RFP) for implementation consultant team and complete software purchases
Measurable Outcome(s): The One IAM project improves user experience by introducing unified login, improves security through advanced user identification features, and decreases business continuity risks by moving Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions from aging and deprecating solutions to new, modern solutions.
One Help / AI Concierge
Begin Date: November 2025
End Date: June 2027
Short Description: Ohio State will deliver a faster, 24/7 support experience by launching an AI-enabled Connection Center that will transform the contact call center into a unified, multi-channel support experience for students, faculty, staff and other stakeholders.
Status (Green/Yellow/Red): Green
Next 60-Day Action Items:
- June: Select the optimal vendor solution and secure leadership alignment
- June: Complete procurement and contract preparations with the selected vendor, ensuring all compliance, legal and risk requirements are addressed
- June/July: Kick off IT Service Desk implementation planning with chosen vendor and internal teams, focusing on phased rollout that addresses scalability, integration and risk mitigation. Establish the blueprint for execution and early successes to build momentum
Measurable Outcome(s): Enhanced student, faculty, and stakeholder satisfaction by providing faster, 24/7 support across voice & digital channels, leading to improved service quality. Improved operational efficiency & productivity by automating routine inquiries and optimizing workflows to speed up service delivery. Scalable, resilient service that maintains responsiveness during peak demand periods (e.g. enrollment, registration) without performance degradation. Consistent, high-quality service across all channels and departments, with standardized knowledge and accurate information delivered to users.
From Many Systems to One Digital Ecosystem
Begin Date: February 2026
End Date: June 2027
Short Description: Ohio State is creating a more connected, efficient digital experience by moving from many disconnected systems to one digital ecosystem — a system that better serves the university’s missions of teaching, research, clinical care and service.
Status (Green/Yellow/Red): Green
Next 60-Day Action Items:
Define the target-state digital ecosystem roadmap, including priority systems, integration needs, governance structure and sequencing for the first implementation wave.
Identify pilot opportunities and stakeholder groups to validate the future-state user experience, reduce duplication and establish standards for a more connected digital environment
Accomplishments and Completed Initiatives
Stronger Together is turning strategy into results. These accomplishments highlight meaningful progress toward a simpler, more consistent and secure digital experience across Ohio State.
Ohio Stadium Wi-Fi / Network Upgrade
Short Description: Ohio State modernized and expanded Wi-Fi and network infrastructure at Ohio Stadium to provide a reliable, high-capacity game day experience, improving fan connectivity, operations and event-day performance.
Status (Green/Yellow/Red): Green – Completed
Completed Action Items:
- Replaced existing Wi-Fi access points and switches.
- Completed core drilling and wiring installation to support additional Wi-Fi access points and expanded coverage.
- Partnered with HPE and Verizon to certify HPE Juniper Mist Wi-Fi for use with Passpoint, enabling automatic network connections for users with Verizon smartphones.
Measurable Outcome(s): Modernized Ohio Stadium’s Wi-Fi and network infrastructure to expand wireless coverage and capacity, improve connectivity for fans and support reliable stadium operations during high-demand events to:
- improve the fan experience;
- support mobile ticketing and concessions;
- improve public safety and event operations;
- increase network capacity;
- protect critical infrastructure at a marquee university venue; a
Student Email Simplification
Begin Date: January 2026
End Date: December 2026
Short Description: Ohio State has simplified student email by moving students to a single primary email address: lastname.#@osu.edu. The change provides fewer logins, less confusion and a more consistent email experience.
Status (Green/Yellow/Red): Green – Completed
Completed Action Items:
· IdM business logic changes implemented
· Communications completed for pre-fall migration groups
· Communications completed for post-fall migration groups
· Technical and partner migration planning completed
· Student mailbox migrations completed
Measurable Outcome(s): The project successfully established a simpler, more modern Ohio State email identity for students while supporting a more consistent university experience and brand.
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- More than 90,000 active-student/admitted-applicant 1 accounts were migrated.
- Phase 2 migration moved another graduated students and any missed active students, totalling 27,000+.
- The project addressed the considerably more complex dual-account population, who have both employee and student accounts.
- Student data was preserved and consolidated and students ended up with one identity for Microsoft 365. Following transition, students used lastname.#@osu.edu to access Ohio State Microsoft 365 services, while mail addressed to the former BuckeyeMail address continued to reach the osu.edu mailbox.