Classroom collaboration gets an upgrade at the University of Denver using Kramer VIA solutions

Background

Founded in 1864, The University of Denver (DU) is a private university spread across 125 acres just south of downtown Denver, Colorado. The school offers over 100 undergraduate programs and more than 120 graduate and professional programs. With approximately 11,600 students, DU was ranked among the top 100 universities by U.S. News and World Report. Kiplinger’s Financials ranked the school 64^th in the nation in 2015 for the best value in private education. In addition to its academics and affordability, the university is also committed to environmental conservation and sustainability efforts. It is the largest wind-energy buyer among Colorado colleges and universities. The university has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2050.

Goals

University of Denver’s Digital Media Services department wanted to provide its instructors with an intuitive classroom presentation system that had both wired and wireless connectivity. The university wanted to upgrade 46 classrooms at the same time. The technology had to be easy to use and easy to support, yet robust enough for heavy classroom usage.

Franklin Jackson, Digital Media Services Manager for the University of Denver, says that DU not only needed a wireless collaboration system but also needed to define best practices and efficient workflow. According to custom audio-video integrator Lenny Marko-Franks at CCS Presentation Systems, DU had been searching for a solution for some time when they discovered VIA Collage at the AV Expo. He adds that one of the biggest challenges was how to gradually introduce the system.

Value

The VIA solutions addressed the university’s needs and have become the standard for its AV installations on campus. Recently, additional VIA Collages were installed in two new classroom buildings. “Results have been overwhelmingly positive,” according to Franklin. “It’s new technology on our campus and folks were slow to adopt it initially. But now that word has spread, VIA Collage and VIA Connect PRO are in high demand campus-wide”.

The excellent performance was followed by an excellent evaluation and installation experience. “Kramer sales and tech support teams have been stellar,” says Franklin. “This project would not have gone as smoothly as it has without their support. Our Kramer regional sales manager was especially instrumental during the introduction and evaluation of the products and has been a pillar of support throughout the entire process.”

Franklin adds that “the team from Kramer has been a pleasure to work with. They are quick to respond with timely and meaningful solutions. I’m excited about the future partnership with Kramer and building a solid customer/manufacturer relationship.”