School AV Product Overview: FrontRow
As you walk through school buildings and pass several classrooms, making work more manageable is continually at the forefront of your mind. You can’t help but think about how teachers can be more efficient as you witness many teachers struggling to turn on the projector and connect it to the computer, which seems to not have any sound. Aside from the teachers, we know your tech department is constantly spending time trouble-shooting, managing and maintaining your AV systems. As you witness these situations on a more frequent basis and get many help calls related to them, you’ve realized exactly how much these technological difficulties are disrupting the classroom and delaying learning. Not to mention, it is frustrating for you to constantly be interrupted by the same technical issues over and over again.
With the reoccurrence of this problem, you have looked into several different options as a solution for school communications and are probably astounded by all of the different selections available for in-classroom options such as projectors and whiteboards. You’ve most likely spent countless hours researching how each system will work together, how it will improve work and which one has the better return on investment. At this point, have you looked into an all-in-one solution? If not, we’d like to focus your attention on one that is truly all-inclusive, and could help solve all of your problems as it redefines school communications.
The FrontRow ezRoom is a single solution that integrates multiple AV sources in the classroom. With ezRoom, teachers control everything, from interactive whiteboards to projectors, with an Encore Networked Virtual Control Panel on their PC or by use of a touch screen control panel. Each control panel will allow ease of access to all in-room sources so they won’t be calling you about trying to figure out where to turn the projector on, how it’s connected to the computer or how to manage the sound. The Networked Virtual Control Panel is a user interface that works both through an IP address or serial ports and through FrontRow network controllers. Not only do both control panels make components easily accessible, there is a minimal learning curve in regards to learning successful operation.
While easy operation is important, it is also important to have a good experience with the audio equipment being used. This is why the ezRoom often includes a conductor-ready networked amplifier/controller, which is a single audio control solution for media in the classroom. This single piece of hardware gives an enhanced sound within the classroom and is the most efficient choice for audio amplification. This hardware helps the teacher operate the audio, as well as regulate the quality of audio to give a consistent performance without AV intervention. In addition to turning things on, you don’t want to be called upon to help with the horrible sound. This component of the ezRoom will help better the audio experience and decrease the amount of support calls you get about the audio equipment.
Additionally, installation and maintenance of the ezRoom is simple in both new and old construction. Our AVG staff is fully trained to install the ezRoom platform and will provide training to you for continual expansion. An entire classroom can be set up in a single day, which of course results in nominal interruptions for teachers and students. In regards to maintenance, your trained techs can perform immediate or scheduled actions for all components integrated within the system remotely, including updates.
What’s even better is that the benefits of FrontRow technology don’t stop there. You can have one global schedule for all of your systems including paging, page override, bells/alerts and intercom systems and of course let’s not forget the ezRoom system too. By integrating these systems, maintenance costs are reduced, learning curves are shortened, and continual maintenance of many different systems becomes a thing of the past.
So, what does ezRoom look like in operation? Let’s say a teacher forgets to turn off the AV system in their classroom. The teacher, as well as a technologist, can manually turn off the system without even being on school premises. You have the option to set all systems on a schedule, by using a Maestro management software, so that they automatically turn off at a certain time of day to really have a set-it-and-forget-it AV solution. This system also contributes to cost savings too as you won’t be constantly changing out burnt bulbs, and have machines running when not in use. The Maestro system is a fundamental part of the ezRoom as it allows for your department to monitor hundreds of projectors, displays, audio and video conferencing systems, audio amplifiers and more across several locations. Imagine how effortless your work would seem with all of the school systems integrated in an easily managed and easily accessible remote management system. The system integration would not only reduce direct costs but it would increase efficiency of all teachers and the tech department allowing for a more interactive and productive learning environment and of course a decrease in your workload.
After reading this article it will come as no surprise that you want an effortless all-in-one communication system for your school. To learn more about how a FrontRow system can benefit you, contact the Audio-Video Group at 301-668-4448 or visit our website at www.audiovideogroup.com.