Page 20 - Campus Technology, October 2017

AV SMARTS
tablets, laptops and even smartwatches with e-mails, text messages and tweets. We don’t write personal letters anymore, we communicate via Facebook or Twitter and connect professionally via LinkedIn. People are expecting and demanding that information come to them immediately where they are and not vice versa. This is the genesis of the new wave and expanded view of communication and uses of digital signage.
Why are the education community, colleges and universi- ties leading the way? It comes down to the concept of necessity being the mother of invention, with some innova- tion thrown in. First, consider the university in a new light: By its very design it is a full-fledged, encapsulated and con- trolled community (for the most part), with most services that the outside world utilizes collected in one spot. It is an eco- system unto itself. It is an ideal lab to be used as a test bed for expanded communication using digital signage. There are classrooms spread about, administration buildings, stu- dent unions, cafeterias, dorms, athletic facilities, stadiums, healthcare, maintenance facilities, public areas, roads and signs, and even power plants. The common denominator in all this diversity is the need to connect these disparate areas to one another in some manner and do so with the ability to centrally manage the flow of information with a high degree of security. The perfect solution to this is digital signage.
There are numerous examples of digital signage areas where the educational community has been at the forefront
The world of education is becoming the incubator of AV technologies and digital signage applications, design and acceptance in the market.
for some time. Take the emergency notification networks that are mandated by nearly every state, for instance. There must be a way to get emergency warnings throughout the campus. This must be managed in a central location, but with the abil- ity to access it at other predetermined spots (with proper security and administrative approval levels). Another example is wayfinding: Think about how complex many campuses are, with all the facilities we mentioned earlier that need to be included as part of finding a path to a location, room or a service in a building. Things like interactivity, accessibility and ADA compliance also need to be considered, as does the security of the interactive display itself against theft and van- dalism. Environmental concerns are also part of the equation on most campuses, from outdoor to indoor with temperature extremes both cold and hot, as well as dirt and debris that might affect the operation of the network, and addressing the impact of high ambient light and the ability to read a display.
We can wrap up the hardware side of this by mentioning two recent applications of digital signage. As we all know, the financial well being of educational institutions is critical, and most depend upon donors to make charitable contributions
to fund projects of all types. The inclusion of what is known as “honor walls” is a trend at many campuses. This grouping of displays gives credit to those who step up to donate or provide leadership in other significant ways. When one department gets theirs, it is only a matter of time for the next one to demand time in the limelight for their VIPs. The second and most significant wave of technology adoption is the inclusion of portable devices connected wirelessly to the digital signage networks on campus. Whether it is near field communications (NFC) or some other wireless form of connectivity such as beacons, students, administrators, faculty and visitors can get information on their personal devices instantaneously no matter where they are.
On the software side of things, the education community is now leading as well. Once again it is the diversity of applica- tions within higher education institutions that stretches the envelope. From the ability to segment by applications, depart- ments, locations or even functions, all the way to dayparting information in an area, it is the ability to control, distribute and manage information that is making innovation a reality. Add to this central management the ability to set administrative approv-
20
CAMPUS TECHNOLOGY | October 2017