Lightware Visual Engineering, a manufacturer of connectivity solutions for the professional integrated systems market, has recently secured a series of high-profile projects with prestigious educational institutions across the USA, Europe and the Middle East.
An example of Lightware’s transformative impact can be found at the Emory University School of Medicine campus, in Atlanta, USA.
Recognising the unparalleled potential of Lightware’s state-of-the-art AV technology, the institution has adopted Lightware’s Taurus UCX solution, setting a standardised precedent for unified connectivity on their mobile professional AV carts.
The School of Medicine started utilising the atriums of its buildings during the pandemic as they provided ample space for active collaboration, designing special mobile AV carts to work in the technology-free, wood-panelled spaces.
With a requirement to be operational within 10 minutes no matter the setting, it meant that the School required an operational solution that was effectively plug-and-play.
“While we considered a standard USB cable, it would require users to select the appropriate camera, microphone and speaker from the computer.
“It would be a tedious process and require some experience. We wanted to utilise USB-C to streamline the connectivity once users plug in their device,” commented Jon Hamilton, Audiovisual Manager for Emory University School of Medicine.
Taurus UCX is also in use on the other side of the Atlantic at Tilburg University in The Netherlands, where its AV-IT engineers were looking to set USB-C functionality as the core technology of the medium and large-size lecture halls that service the campus’ 20,000 students.
Following a successful demo project to assess the functionality of Taurus UCX in 2021, an initial 28 medium and large-size lecture halls across the campus of Tilburg University were rolled out with Taurus UCX-4×2-HC30 connectivity.
Since then the project has evolved further and the University now has 60 units in place, with plans to deploy a further 70 before the end of the year.
“There are a lot of solutions on the market, of which some do power, some do video, some do both, but the full functionality that we needed in our university, where teachers put their laptops on the desk and then they have everything through one cable, was missing.
“That is why Lightware product stands out,” commented Cees Vaandrager from the Library and IT Services AV of Tilburg University.
In the Middle East, 170 units of TAURUS UCX were installed in just four weeks in the University of Sharjah (UoS), the largest university in the United Arab Emirates, proving its outstanding ease of deployment, and covering the needs of the academic community after the challenges brought by the COVID pandemic.
Teachers needed touchless control, seamless connectivity, and a simple solution, while the IT team was looking for the technology that would keep the instructors’ devices powered and running for hours.
Taurus UCX enhanced hybrid classrooms with touchless intuitive control for instructors with the QR code via authenticated WIFI access on personal devices.
It also enabled the use of classroom peripherals like cameras, microphones, keyboards, and mice.
“Lightware was like 10 years ahead of the competitors, very intelligent, very powerful, and not too expensive,” said Mr. Khaleel Ahab Dajani, Sr. AV Officer of the University.
Apart from these specific projects, the company launched its Lightware Education Audiovisual Developer (LEAD) program in April of this year, which aims to deliver exclusive benefits tailored specifically for higher education institutions like extended warranty, advanced technical support, training and many more.
To further accelerate its momentum in the education space, the new LEAD program provides education facilities with all the resources they require to create a standardised, campus-wide solution.
“The education sector has faced many challenges in recent years, from the pandemic to supply chain issues and now inflationary pressures,” said Roger Takacs, Vice President, Education for Lightware Visual Engineering.
“We hope that the LEAD program and independent projects like those with Emory, Tilburg and Sharjah universities will promote the adoption of standards required for campus-wide integration.”
