How Okan University Turned Technology into a Mission-Driven Success

Every growing institution faces the challenge of scaling its IT infrastructure. For a university serving thousands of students and staff, these challenges grow exponentially. The real question is: can technology go beyond keeping the systems running and actually drive the institution's core mission?

Okan University, known as “The Closest University to Business Life,” proves that the answer is yes. Its digital transformation journey demonstrates how the right strategy can turn technology into a growth engine. Here are four strategic lessons from their success story.

Mission First: Technology with Purpose

At Okan University, every IT decision is guided by one principle: “How will this help prepare our students for business life?”

From the first year, students join the Career Preparation Program, connecting them to the job market. This requires a fast, reliable, and always-on IT infrastructure—because a slow system or an error during a job application would immediately break the promise of being “closest to business life.”

Small Design, Big Impact

Sometimes success lies in the details. The university adopted HP dc7100 Ultra-slim desktops, where every part can be replaced without a single screw.
On a campus with thousands of computers, this simple design saves time in maintenance, accelerates upgrades, and lowers costs. A “small” technical feature becomes a major operational advantage.

From Fragmentation to Centralization

Instead of relying on disconnected systems, Okan University centralized critical functions—network, security, backups, student automation, and more—on HP servers.

This move boosted performance, improved stability, and gave the IT team flexibility to support new faculties and thousands of additional devices without disruption. As IT Director Celil Çakmak notes:

“With Fibre Channel storage, we manage and scale data centrally, and backups are easier than ever.”

Digitizing the Mission with CRM

To bring its vision into the digital world, Okan University implemented Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

Students and alumni upload CVs, companies access applications instantly, and the Career Center manages events, budgets, and ROI through CRM's campaign module. This is not just software—it is the digital heart of the university's mission.

Conclusion

Okan University's story shows that technology leadership is not about buying the latest hardware. It is about aligning IT with the mission, working with the right partners—like Bilgi Birikim Sistemleri (BBS) and HP—and ensuring 24/7 excellence.

By treating technology as a strategic investment rather than a cost, Okan University has transformed its philosophy into a measurable reality.

So, how well does your institution's technology strategy support your core mission?

Armağan Temur
Corporate Sales Manager

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