How Fundación Universitaria del Área Andina centralized AV management to create a more connected campus experience

Background 

Founded in 1983, Fundación Universitaria del Área Andina was established to expand access to high-quality higher education in Colombia. Since then, it has built a flexible, innovative educational model with a presence in multiple cities and an academic offering that spans both in-person and virtual learning. The university’s mission centers on educating undergraduate and graduate students across a wide range of disciplines while advancing digital transformation, educational innovation, and institutional analytics.

As part of that broader transformation, the university launched RAUDA, its audiovisual network initiative, to modernize and unify AV experiences across campuses.

Goal 

Before Phase 1 of RAUDA, Fundación Universitaria del Área Andina faced a fragmented AV environment. Classrooms used touchscreens, while halls and reception areas relied on commercial displays for digital signage, but the systems were not centrally managed. Monitoring and support were decentralized, and the user experience could vary from one space to another.

The university’s National Directorate of Technological Innovation set out to address the lack of standardization across the AV environment. Key challenges included limited visibility into equipment performance, inconsistent academic experiences, and slow response times when issues occurred. The goal was to create a centralized, more efficient environment that would simplify control, strengthen real-time monitoring and support, and deliver a more consistent experience for faculty and students.

Solution 

To address those needs, Fundación Universitaria del Área Andina worked with Merge, the system integrator on the project, to implement Phase 1 of RAUDA across its campuses in Bogotá, Pereira, and Valledupar. The project connected classrooms, auditoriums, meeting spaces, and digital signage endpoints through a centralized AV over IP architecture.

At the core of the solution were Kramer KDS-EN7 encoders and KDS-DEC7 decoders, which enabled content distribution across the network, along with VIA GO 3 devices for wireless presentation and collaboration. To centralize management and control, the university also deployed KC Virtual Brain 5 and Panta Rhei, giving its teams greater visibility into system performance, monitoring, and support across multiple campuses. VSM on Cloud added centralized cloud-based management, while dedicated network infrastructure built around Netgear M4250 switches supported the overall deployment. TP-583TXR units were also included as part of the installation.

The solution also integrated LG 65UR640 commercial monitors for digital signage. Merge considered other vendors, but selected Kramer for the reliability of its AV over IP solution and the strength of its local support in Colombia. The system went live in February 2025 after an implementation process of approximately two to three months.

Value

The Kramer solution gave Fundación Universitaria del Área Andina the ability to manage its AV infrastructure and digital signage more centrally and efficiently. With real-time control and monitoring from a single platform, the university can now streamline support, improve visibility into system performance, and maintain a more consistent user experience across locations.

From an operational standpoint, the university reports benefits including reduced incident response times and fewer technical site visits, allowing staff to work more efficiently through centralized remote management. These improvements support lower operating costs, greater availability of academic spaces, and stronger continuity of service for faculty and students.

The deployment also enabled new capabilities that were not possible before. Most notably, the university can now manage digital signage in real time and distribute audiovisual messages to high-traffic spaces, making institutional communications more agile, targeted, and strategic.

The university especially values the ability to centralize and simplify management of all spaces from a single platform while maintaining reliability, real-time control, and a consistent user experience. It also described the solution as easy to use, with an intuitive interface that reduces the learning curve and helps users operate the system efficiently. According to the university, the system has proven stable and reliable, with minimal issues, and both IT staff and users have responded positively to the improved experience.

From Merge’s perspective, Kramer’s support was a major factor in the project’s success. The integrator said Kramer provided support from the design phase through deployment and final configuration, including assistance with Panta Rhei setup and control integration. Merge rated Kramer a five out of five as a supplier and partner and described the brand as a strong choice for AV over IP, reporting, and management platforms.