NEC Display Solutions Client Installation Education
AQUINAS COLLEGE
RICH MEDIA INFRASTRUCTURE LINKS ENTIRE CAMPUS
Aquinas College have moved into a brand new state of the art premises, benefiting from an IT infrastructure capable of running multiple applications and rich media services linking all departments within the College. An investment in the future with NEC’s commercial grade displays providing total assurance of longevity, lifecycle continuity and reduced cost of ownership.
The Challenge
TO CREATE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SEE THE COLLEGE STRIVE WELL INTO THE FUTURE
With the gloomy prospect of government spending cuts affecting the future development of schools and colleges, it is heartening to hear of one College which has benefited from a complete rebuild. The start of the Autumn term saw Aquinas College in Stockport settling into a brand new state-of-the-art educational facility.
Aquinas College are extremely proud of their strong reputation and continuing high achievement of students and it was critical that the new build reflected and supported the College’s current status and future aspirations as a provider of high quality care and education. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to create the infrastructure which would see the College thrive well into the future, so early on in the project the College’s IT team were keen to engage with an experienced technology partner. Andy Moss, IT Manager at Aquinas College commented ‘York Technology Group became a trusted advisor, bringing them on board at an early stage ensured that we made the right decisions at the right time. Their close association with suppliers such as NEC enabled them to be fully informed about what was achievable.’
Wanting to get the most out of this unique opportunity, the College’s requirements were complex, so York Technology looked to software vendor Tripleplay to provide the means to manage a comprehensive TV, Video on Demand and Digital Signage system. The core architecture design allows the college to run multiple applications and services from a single platform thereby maximising their investment and minimising implementation costs. The entire campus has been networked allowing fast, interactive rich media services for students, staff and guests through digital signage, IP TV and Video on Demand installations.
The NEC Solutions
‘WITH NEC AS A TECHNOLOGY PARTNER WE WERE CONFIDENT IN PROVIDING THE COLLEGE WITH THE ULTIMATE SOLUTIONS TO SATISFY THEIR IT NEEDS WELL INTO THE FUTURE’
With the infrastructure plan in place, York Technology looked to the face of the installation. Two hardware vendors were shortlisted and presented to the College. An excellent representation from NEC Display Solutions demonstrated its strong offering of reliable large format LCD displays supported by a comprehensive warranty and support package. The College IT department were convinced that a commercial large format product offered a more robust solution than a consumer TV. Strong advantages included greater lifecycle continuity and a larger array of inputs. These advantages allowed for greater versatility and the option to add to the estate in the future. This being a once in a lifetime opportunity for Aquinas College, it was critical to invest for the future. Further important considerations, particularly in view of the new build status, was to demonstrate a strong environmental consideration. The Total Cost of Ownership was important from a budget and environmental perspective.
NEC was able to exhibit strong eco-conscious elements in their product presentation and the College was particularly interested in the unique carbon footprint meter allowing tangible measurements in terms of carbon savings. NEC was able to demonstrate extremely low failure rates and even more reassuring was the solid supporting warranty process, a consumer brand could not compete with NEC’s advanced unit exchange guarantee. NEC’s reputation and experience in the education sector reassured the college that the NEC solution would provide longevity in support of the IT infrastructure. Still working from plans at this stage it was anticipated that a total of 14 screens would be sufficient to connect the entire campus with the state-of–the-art communication and rich media solution.
With the building complete, the final stages of the fit-out were taking place. With a high level of activity going on within the building, timing was critical to ensure the safe installation of the screens at a point in the fit-out programme which would not compromise their performance. It would have been highly inappropriate for the screens to be installed before the painters arrived! York Technology worked closely with NEC to optimise delivery schedules and eight 42 inch and six 46 inch NEC Multisync® LCD displays were installed providing a superior quality image at the interface with College staff and students.
The Result
With the entire campus fully networked, students, staff and guests from every department are linked together in such a way that they are fully integrated with each other reflecting the values held so highly within the College. With a team of managers and administrators from IT, library studies and senior staff, communications are constantly updating and evolving. Students also have input via a system of user groups and the College is aligning the new technologies in support of study programmes.
Aquinas College is planning to add to their digital display assets with further installations around the campus at locations where further coverage would be beneficial. Angela Percival of York Technology Group commented ‘We have a strong and open relationship with the IT team at Aquinas and have been able to advise the client from an early stage of their project. With NEC as a technology partner we were confident in providing the College with the ultimate solution to satisfy their IT needs well into the future.
