Samsung SDS wins Seoul National University next-generation network overhaul contract

Samsung SDS has won a contract to overhaul Seoul National University's network infrastructure, the company announced Monday, positioning the project as a showcase of its large-scale AI infrastructure and network capabilities.

The project — formally titled a next-generation network platform transition for an intelligent campus — will upgrade the wired and wireless network serving 243 buildings and approximately 50,000 users across the SNU campus. The university plans to migrate to an 800 Gbps ultra-high-speed, high-bandwidth network environment capable of rapidly transferring the large volumes of data required for AI research.

The upgrade will also introduce software-based network segmentation to strengthen security and automate network operations, improving both stability and management efficiency.

Under the new setup, students will have access to a stable network anywhere on campus — in classrooms, research labs and libraries. Faculty and researchers will be able to transfer large-scale AI training and research data quickly and reliably.

IT administrators will see their workload reduced through automation of repetitive tasks such as device authentication and network service provisioning. An intelligent management environment capable of detecting network faults and anomalies will also be put in place, allowing a lean operations team to manage the sprawling campus network more stably and efficiently.

Samsung SDS plans to apply expertise gained from deploying software-defined networking, or SDN, across 13 global sites serving more than 80,000 users to the SNU project.

SDN moves away from the conventional approach of configuring and managing individual network devices, instead using software to centrally control and operate the entire network. It allows network policies and service configurations to be managed from a single point and automates network setup in response to user requests.

Samsung SDS will also apply software-based network segmentation to raise the campus network's security level. By separating networks used for research, administration and education — each with distinct characteristics and requirements — the system will restrict unnecessary cross-domain access and minimize the risk of a security threat in one area spreading to others.

Alongside the SDN rollout, Samsung SDS will introduce a user-facing network automation portal. The portal will let users submit requests directly — such as IP address issuance and lookup, device registration, and applications for new research networks — that were previously handled manually by administrators. Network configurations will then be applied automatically in accordance with predefined policies and procedures.

Samsung SDS plans to continue expanding its next-generation network business, drawing on its large-scale network operations experience and SDN and automation capabilities to support AI transformation at companies, public institutions, and education and healthcare organizations.

"We are delighted to be selected as the innovation partner for Seoul National University's AI-native campus," said Lee Jeong-heon, head of Samsung SDS's strategic marketing division. "Drawing on our large-scale SDN design, build and operations capabilities, we will create a stable and convenient intelligent campus environment that can serve as a standard model for universities around the world."