University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) has modernised its core IT infrastructure with the Nutanix Cloud Platform solution, strengthening its ability to deliver reliable, flexible learning experiences and support future technology needs.
With campuses in Toowoomba, Springfield, and Ipswich, and more than 25,000 students studying on-campus and online, UniSQ has long been a leader in flexible education.
Supporting this model requires highly reliable, scalable digital infrastructure to ensure consistent access to learning platforms, academic systems, and student services.
In late 2024, UniSQ undertook a strategic review of its virtualisation environment to ensure it could continue to meet growing demand and evolving expectations across teaching and learning.
Rather than pursuing a like-for-like replacement, the University chose to invest in a modern, integrated platform to improve performance, simplify management, and support future innovation.
“Changing something as fundamental as our virtualisation platform is a major decision and we approached it with a clear focus on long-term capability,” said Stephen Payne, associate director of Hosting Infrastructure at UniSQ.
“We wanted to strengthen the foundations of our environment – improving reliability today while giving us the flexibility to evolve as our needs change. Nutanix provided a platform that aligned with that direction,” said Payne.
Working with Nutanix Professional Services, UniSQ implemented the Nutanix Cloud Platform, including AHV hypervisor, to streamline its infrastructure and accelerate deployment.
“We’ve achieved our migration on deadline,” Payne said.
He added that the university migrated its test and development environment (500 VM) and production environment (around 300 VMs and appliances), including business-critical applications, such as the Moodle-based learning and teaching system, uConnect student and staff portal, and PeopleSoft ERP system. Its Oracle databases now run on NCP.
“We had a clear timeframe to work to, and the combination of platform capability and implementation support allowed us to move quickly while maintaining confidence in the outcome,” Payne said.
“Equally important was ensuring we had the right architecture and documentation in place to support future initiatives, including containerisation, cloud integration, and new digital services,” he added.
Since adopting Nutanix, UniSQ has reduced its infrastructure footprint by 52% based on UniSQ’s internal assessment, consolidating workloads while maintaining strong performance and improving operational efficiency.
“Previously, managing performance and capacity required significant manual effort across multiple systems,” Payne said. “Now we have a more streamlined environment where resources can be managed proactively, helping us maintain consistent performance for both students and staff.”
The new platform also enables UniSQ to mitigate potential disruptions during maintenance and upgrades – critical in an environment where teaching and assessment occur continuously throughout the year.
“When you’re supporting students studying across different modes and timeframes, downtime isn’t really an option,” Payne said. “The ability to manage and update systems while mitigating potential disruptions is a significant step forward for us.”
Michael Alp, managing director of Nutanix A/NZ, said the university is positioned to adapt quickly to future needs and innovate without complexity or compromise.
