The Connected Classroom

CHALLENGE

Staying current with technology to adequately equip instructors is essential in the K-12 market. The Houston County School System in Georgia, which is comprised of 38 schools serving 27,100 students, was approved for a technology upgrade in 960 classrooms. One of the key requirements was simplicity for the teacher and the installer. Teachers requested a reliable, easy interface to unify the technology. For the integrator, it was mandatory that the interfaces and cabling system was cost effective and easy to install in a short period of time. 

SOLUTION 

Unified AV Systems was selected to secure the right solution that met the requirements of the instructors, plus addressed the need for a timely and cost effective installation. “After seeing the ‘Complete Connected Classroom’ at C2G’s Connectivity Conference, I knew it was the exact solution for Houston County Schools. It met their key criteria in the classroom—a reliable and easy-to-use interface for instructors—with the ability to support future technology upgrades. But just as critical was the cabling system which needed to be easy to install and cost effective for the installers. RapidRun was ideal for this application. Typically, this would have taken hours to install, but with RapidRun it only took minutes to complete,” said Unified AV Systems Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Keith Taylor.

As the Houston County School System upgraded their technology platform, the “Complete Classroom Connectivity Solution” easily accommodated the whiteboard, projectors, and other additional multimedia equipment. Installing the A/V Controller—with its customizable eight button control panel, front USB port, and USB On-The-Go functionality, allowed for easy programming and updating options. Plus, it seamlessly integrated with the Audio Amplifier, providing maximum sound dispersion. Uniquely designed for flexibility, RapidRun was the perfect cabling solution—supporting multiple signal types over a single runner such as VGA, Composite Video, S-Video, Component Video, or HDMI and DVI video.

RESULTS

With the “Complete Classroom Connectivity Solution”, Houston County Schools are in a better position to manage their technology investments with current and future updates plus support their instructors with a simple, easy-to-use interface. Added benefits were the significant installation time and cost savings for both the installer and school system. “We installed over 900 rooms and I was thoroughly impressed with the ease of installation. More importantly, was the consistent reliability of all the units—truly a plug and play solution,” said Tim Lumley, Unified AV System’s project manager. 

ABOUT UNIFIED AV SYSTEMS

Unified AV Systems (UAVS) provides design, engineering, installation, and maintenance services for audio-visual and video communication systems to corporate, education, government, and religious entities. Areas of expertise include corporate boardroom A/V presentation systems and training room solutions— as well as audio and video conferencing / telepresence rooms. Unified AV is also experienced in engineering and in creating collaborative meeting spaces, emergency operations center displays, council chamber rooms, and dynamic digital signage messaging systems.