NEC Display Solutions Client Installation Education

VIENNA UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMIC SCIENCES

PROJECTION SOLUTIONS FACILITATE LEARNING

Seeking support for remote monitoring and control alongside high reliability, support and value for money; Vienna University of Economic Sciences choses to equip its campus with NEC projectors to facilitate its learning programmes.

The Challenge

With around 23,000 students, the Vienna University of Economic Sciences is the largest university of pure economic sciences in the German-speaking area. Alongside 25 Master’s programmes and Executive MBA courses, the University is renowned for its international orientation. The university utilises a wide range of NEC projection solutions across campus in support of its wide range of learning programmes.“It started with the construction of a new campus with 120 lecture halls and ten high-quality event rooms,” says Stefan Jester, Head of Support Centre, IT-Services, at the Vienna University of Economic Sciences, recalling a particular project about three years ago. According to the IT professional, the first issue was to compare the efficiency of LED displays versus projectors, in order to make a decision for the facilities of the new premises. “At the time the project started, projectors were far superior to screens in terms of price/performance - especially for display sizes of 70 inches or larger,” says Jester.

The most important criteria required the projectors to be reliable and controllable via IP address, whilst offering a good price/performance ratio. On top of that was the requirement to obtain a homogeneous overall system for all premises to aid efficient technical support. “In particular, the highest possible degree of availability and reliability of the devices was important to us, for we have a very heavy booking situation.” Due to a highly efficient booking system in operation at the new campus, there are limited windows of time for service and maintenance tasks. “Our rooms are occupied from 8:00 to 21:00 hours daily. During this time, our service team cannot access the devices. Therefore we wanted to minimise the likelihood of problems right from the start,” explains Jester.

The extensive evaluation process took place together with the Viennese consultancy firm officeMEDIA. Jester: “We have carried out a test phase and tender and finally decided for the tried and tested.” According to the IT manager, the University of Economic Sciences in the Austrian capital was already able to gain excellent results in the past with many small, mobile NEC projectors. “NEC had the best comprehensive package. Furthermore, we also knew that the programming of the surveillance and monitoring system would work in conjunction with the control elements.”

The NEC Solution

Different projectors for specific applications

The bulk of the installation is made up of 108 x ultra-short throw projectors able to project large images even in small meeting rooms without casting shadow or producing glare. Thanks to the integrated 3D capability and DLP Link technology, the projectors are equipped for future innovations. Larger rooms across campus are equipped with 49 projectors from the PA range offering high luminosity and mounting flexibility. Special inorganic panels, long lamp life of up to 4,000 hours and new filters minimise maintenance costs. P, PA and PX Series projectors in medium-sized and large classrooms deliver high-luminosity and advanced connection capabilities plus the option of wired or wireless monitoring, a feature of particular interest to the university. Five HD projectors from the PA range are in operation, characterised by a 4K interface enabling teaching staff to display several images on one screen.

The Result

“We are highly satisfied with the projection solutions,” sums up Jester. “Everything is running to our complete satisfaction. Minor problems such as lamp failures during the warranty period are rectified quickly thanks to the NEC support.”Well equipped, the renowned University of Economic Sciences looks to the future: “A new building with another five rooms will also be equipped with NEC in the next year. This will include an increasing number of HD projectors and devices with laser technologies.”