Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1472963
July/August/September 2022 I 17 CONCLUSION AV over IP allows the university to leverage its existing network cable plant to easily combine or separate the AV stand systems across rooms as class sizes and social distancing requirements change. Peter Midgley, sales director for the integration contractor and responsible for managing the project, noted that "A project of this scale utilizing traditional AV switching and transmission technologies would have been impossible to complete within the two-week window. AV over IP enabled rapid initial rollout and makes ongoing reconfigurations quick and straightforward." According to NTU's Bagley, "we decided on a one size fits all custom solution to achieve expedited deployment with a predictable per-unit budget. Timely delivery, established partnerships, and strong support were key factors when selecting the system integrator and the suppliers of system components." Reflecting on the success of the project upon sign-off, Midgley praised all those involved. "The university is incredibly pleased with the streamlined commissioning thanks to the utilization of AV over IP technology. There is always a risk when integrating new technology. But the design quickly demonstrated reliability, allowing on-time handover of every room containing the new AV stands with high confidence that they were ready to play their role in delivering quality multimedia in support of the university's teaching mission." Since their debut in classrooms in Fall 2020, the AV stands have been in daily use delivering multimedia lesson materials. Affirming the success of this groundbreaking project, NTU's smart AV stands were nominated for "Education Project of the Year" at the AV Awards 2021, 1 an event organized by UK-based AV Magazine. AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY: Anthony Cortes is the director of sales and marketing, Education Classroom Systems, for Extron. He is the key individual in the development and execution of classroom system programs and has spent the last 15 years focused on the education market. Anthony's extensive work with universities and education resellers gives him a unique perspective on the current state and future direction of classroom AV systems. He can be reached at acortes@extron.com. REFERENCES: 1. "2021 Shortlist," AV Awards, AV Magazine, 2021, https://avawards.com/avawards2022/en/ page/2021-winners-and-shortlist. KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING. GIVE YOUR CAREER AN RCDD BOOST! RCDD CERTIFICATION