As more and more students enter college campuses expecting the latest and greatest technology, faculty are often left to adjust to the changes with little to no guidance. This process is made even more strenuous when some faculty members actively oppose embracing new technology in the classroom.
When faculty or staff have a hard time adjusting to new technology, there are simple steps your university can take to help them acclimate on their own time and in ways that foster collaboration. Here are some of the ways you can develop a proactive approach when upgrading your university’s AV technology.
Involve Faculty in Choosing Equipment
Whether you’re incorporating digital signage throughout campus common areas, or enhancing a stairatorium in the classroom, the faculty that use them should assist in choosing which solutions work best for them. Gaining valuable feedback from faculty and staff can help eliminate intimidation they might feel and helps establish a better, more positive working relationship and culture.
Include Staff in Installation and Deployment
To the extent possible, allow faculty the opportunity to provide input on the layout and structure of the new AV technology. Because faculty members will use the equipment on a near daily basis, they will be able to provide an incredible insight to how the technology can be set up to best work for their needs. Whenever possible, be sure to collaborate with faculty and staff to see how they work best. For individuals who may struggle adopting new technology, perhaps a mix of traditional and high-tech solutions is the best way forward.
Offer Hands-On Training Exercises
Whether the new equipment is already installed or if you are still planning to have equipment installed, it’s always a best practice to dedicate time for training. For beginners and novices alike, new technology always spurs an opportunity to educate no matter the skill level of the user. Informed users will be able to better handle the equipment, thus building trust and protecting your investment.
Follow Up
It’s likely that faculty and staff will continue to have questions and feedback even after planning, installation, and training. Make it a habit to regularly check in with faculty to see how the new equipment is working. Collecting this feedback will ensure that faculty members’ voices are heard while also creating a system to find what’s working and what could be improved.
Choosing the right equipment for your faculty is critical to ensuring employee satisfaction and comfortability in their roles. Plus, with hybrid-remote options continuing to expand, faculty members will need to remain adaptable for the future. If the process seems labor intensive, that’s where IVCi steps in!
IVCi offers strategy, products, and training that ensure your university not only has the most up-to-date AV technology, but that your teams are equipped to adopt and use the technology effectively. We believe that nothing has a bigger impact on the success of the technology, than the team’s ability to work and thrive within it! Contact us to learn more!
https://ivci.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/fulllogosmaller-8.png00fishbathttps://ivci.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/fulllogosmaller-8.pngfishbat2022-04-04 14:00:242022-03-23 19:21:17Helping Faculty Adjust to New University Technology
One positive we have all discovered over the last few years is that we have digital capabilities at our disposal that can allow us to collaborate more than ever before. But with these enhanced collaboration tools comes more risk of technology failure, haphazard strategy, and potential cyberattacks.
As universities incorporate more hybrid or fully-remote positions, administrators must assess their collaboration tools and long-term procedures to ensure their remote employees are safe. Not sure where to begin? Here are a few simple steps to help get your college or university on a successful path to safe and secure remote work.
Step 1: Develop a Strategy
When universities suddenly went remote at the beginning of the pandemic, many schools did not have proper plans in place to address such a crisis. While we have learned a great deal in these two years, one certain lesson is that you can never be too prepared. If not already created, universities should develop a crisis management plan to detail each department’s role in the event of an emergency that causes extended periods of remote work. The plan should address certain expectations, guidelines, and procedures to ensure that if/when the time comes, everyone is ready to take action. The time you invest in developing a strategic plan will make for a smooth deployment and ease stress for faculty and students. A crisis should not compromise learning and growth. With a proper strategy in place, universities can minimize interruptions in the classroom.
Step 2: Improve Security Measures
After a deployment strategy is in place, universities should also consider improving security measures across the remote platforms they use. With more and more staff and faculty members working from home, that means more internet connections logging into university systems. This increase can mean the risk of potential hackers gaining access to sensitive files also increases. Assessing your university’s cybersecurity will help keep faculty, staff, and students safe. Not to mention, enhanced security measures will protect the university’s brand image from any public relations nightmares involved in cyberattacks.
Step 3: Modernize Remote Technology
As the demand for remote work continues to climb, universities will need to utilize systems with larger bandwidth and more advanced equipment. Universities must incorporate technology into their long-term security plans, from internet servers to file management software. Technology must withstand large numbers of students and faculty working from home. Modernized video conferencing allows instructors to provide students with more in-depth, interactive learning in a safe environment.
Planning for remote work takes careful considerations into strategy, security, and technology within higher education. But it’s vital to ensure that staff members feel safe and university systems are running smoothly.
Let IVCi know how we can help your university plan for the unexpected. We offer modern collaboration tools and strategic solutions for the next generation of inspired learning.
https://ivci.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/fulllogosmaller-8.png00fishbathttps://ivci.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/fulllogosmaller-8.pngfishbat2022-03-26 17:00:132022-03-29 14:10:00Prep for Success: Developing a Long-Term Security Plan for Remote Staff and Faculty in Higher Education
As healthcare facilities continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, many find new ways to serve their patients more safely and effectively by improving their infrastructures. Improved healthcare facilities can increase health equity by minimizing or eliminating some barriers that stand in the way of individuals receiving the care they need.
Utilizing enhanced AV technology like digital signage and real-time video chats can serve more people by bringing the doctor’s expertise to areas far from the facility. Addressing health equity issues also allows people who may not have a means of transportation to still receive the care they require. Take a look at some key focus areas in strengthening infrastructures that can lead to better patient care.
Architecture
The flow of a building can have significant implications on how easily some individuals can move through them. In the case of hospitals and doctors’ offices, facility layouts should be accessible for people of all abilities. However, the primary focus should always be on the patient and the level of care they receive. And that process starts with analyzing where hospitals can make improvements. Regularly check your hospital infrastructure for faulty equipment, lapses in care, and any opportunities where an innovative solution could result in better care.
Technology
Incorporating more accessible accommodations is more than just architectural. For example, digital screens and AV technology can assist those with visual and hearing impairments. Screens and audio can make complicated medical situations easier to digest when put into mediums the patient is more comfortable using. Additionally, immunocompromised patients can use video chat technology to meet virtually with their doctors. This technology allows them to better socially distance themselves when they need care. Many patients can even connect to their physicians from the safety and comfort of their own homes!
Customization
Enhanced digital infrastructure also opens the door for improved patient care through customization. For example, AV technology in hospitals can allow language translation on-screen and over audio to accommodate a variety of patient backgrounds. Additionally, better digital capabilities in hospital rooms mean that patients can automate their comfort levels by using mechanical controls to adjust patient beds, or intercom systems to communicate more quickly with hospital staff. When patients need care, they shouldn’t have to worry about how to share their needs with a physician. Improved infrastructure in the form of interactive video and translation services can help bridge the healthcare inequity gap while giving patients confidence and added peace of mind.
When healthcare facilities improve their structural framework, they can serve more broadly and uniquely. Customized and robust infrastructures can increase health equity and patient care from architectural improvements to innovative technology.
At IVCi, we aim to streamline operations and preferred patient experiences through technology-backed solutions and support. Contact us today to see how you can build a stronger digital infrastructure for your healthcare facility.
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Spring is starting to bloom! And with the new season comes everyone’s favorite (or least favorite) chore: Spring Cleaning. So, as we dust off our homes and workspaces to invite a breath of fresh air, let’s also consider bringing new life into our business’s AV technology.
Here are a few simple steps we can all take to clean, declutter, organize, and upgrade our workspaces to ensure our technology is running with optimum efficiency.
Put in Some Elbow Grease
Whether you’re working in the office or remotely, it can be easy to let our computers, laptops, and other work equipment get a little on the dusty side. But, when dust collects in our technology, it can affect everything from keyboards to laptop fans and even microphone quality. Not to mention, if not properly sanitized, frequently used surfaces can harbor harmful bacteria that can make you and your coworkers sick.
Make the most of the time and money you invested into your business’s AV technology by scheduling regular cleaning, sanitizing, and maintenance of your work equipment. Also, be sure to read your device’s cleaning manuals for proper instruction. Don’t have the manuals handy? No problem! Reach out to us and we can help give you tips on the best (and safest) ways to clean your AV equipment, so it’s always running smoothly.
Declutter Your Workstation
Is your desk starting to look like a scene from a horror film? Or maybe the wires behind/underneath your desk looks more like an animal’s nest? Unfortunately, it’s common to set up your workspace and get into a routine where those organizational issues aren’t as big of a priority as the work itself and thus get placed on the backburner. But when desks are disorganized, or cables are tangled, the chaos can be more of a distraction, leading to lower productivity, distorted images on screens, unexpected dimness or static, and unbalanced volume controls.
Taking time to declutter your work and tech spaces can give you a fresh slate each day so you can jump right into the work without having to worry if your stack of papers is going to tumble off your desk. Additionally, by untangling and grouping the wires that power your devices, you are eliminating stress on the cables that impact the quality of your audio and visual components. The result is a more seamless, collaborative space for your teammates and clients to thrive.
Organize Your Files
Sometimes spring cleaning is more than just sanitizing equipment and decluttering your workspace. It’s also an assessment of systems and programs. It’s best practice to regularly review files and programs that power your systems and operations. We’ve all experienced the chaos of trying to find the correct folder to save a document or searching endlessly to find a folder you know was just there.
Save you and your team from the added stress of searching by scheduling time each month to review your files. If your organization manages files by department, give each department lead the opportunity to scan through their folders, delete unnecessary files, and regroup essential documents. Then, come together as a team to strategize the best way to work together to ensure proper folder maintenance.
Upgrade Your Technology
Tech companies engineer newer and more updated equipment every year. With each upgrade comes new systems and better ways to serve your clients and customers. Touchless meeting controls, wireless screen sharing, digital signage for guidance and alerts, and digital office navigation can all be used to give your office space a much-needed digital makeover. Your employees and clients will thank you!
Choose the Right AV Partner
Maintaining your AV technology can be an effortless task, especially with a partner like us. IVCi can provide custom equipment that is easy to install, use, and manage. Plus, with our expert assistance every step of the way, spring cleaning can go from being a chore to being something to look forward to every year! Contact us today to see how your AV technology can be ready for the new season ahead.
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When it comes to the newest technology, Gen Z proves to utilize and adapt to new products and services faster than most generations. As more members of this age group enter college years, they begin to expect educational experiences that have fully embraced technology.
For higher education to cater to this growing population, colleges and universities must stay ahead of the curve. By upgrading your university’s AV technology, you can experience a range of benefits your students are sure to love. Here are just 3 of those benefits and how you can use technology to enhance the student experience.
Transform Education
In the world we live in, it’s nearly impossible to find some aspect of life where technology hasn’t improved or become a vital, functioning aspect. Education is no different. Students are accustomed to tablets, laptops, smartphones, and other gadgets in their daily lives. So much so that when students attend college, they come to expect the same AV technology that they experience in their personal lives.
By incorporating new or upgraded AV technology in the classroom, higher education institutions can enhance educational experiences with interactive and engaging technology that unlocks the potential of the learning environment. When classrooms and campuses are immersed in technology, students can thrive knowing that their educational capacity is limitless!
Create More Equitable Spaces
A major focus in higher education today is Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. University campuses are expanding their equity programs and creating new centers and facilities that aim to create spaces that foster acceptance through education.
In creating these accessible spaces, universities should utilize upgraded technology to collaborate effortlessly with easy-to-use interfaces for both professors and students. Improved technology allows students to make connections more easily with each other. By breaking down physical barriers, more students are afforded the opportunity to experience connection regardless of their abilities or location.
Increase Enrollment
Did you know, modern technology benefits on campus can increase applications by 35%? As the demand for video conferencing on college campuses continues to increase, students become more interested in universities with more modern, integrated technology that can keep up with their busy lives.
Universities can bring both functionality and a “wow” factor to campuses that have video walls, digital wayfinding for new students and guests, and interactive classroom AV tools. Incorporating some of these technology upgrades can make your institution more attractive to students, their families, and even recruiters working with high schools to find the best programs for their students.
Establish Solid Partnerships
Whatever your strategic goals may be, it’s always crucial to keep the student experience at the forefront of each new initiative. As this academic year wraps up, consider treating your students and faculty to upgraded AV technology that meets them where they are.
Not sure where to begin? Contact us today, and we will work together to build a strategy that fits the specific needs of your institution.
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Between informational messages, public service announcements, and general communications, healthcare practitioners and consumers are often bombarded with an information overload. For example, an individual could walk into nearly any healthcare facility and be met immediately with various posters, directional signs, or other media pulling their attention in multiple ways.
But how do we navigate various attention-competing elements clearly and crisply in a way that guides the user experience? Video walls can be a practical and cost-effective solution.
Using video walls in healthcare facilities allows:
Visitors to more directly engage with necessary information
Practitioners to demonstrate complex material in a more straightforward way
Administrators to update facility information in a more convenient and pleasing manner
Facilities to reduce the amount of paper/print costs
Whether you’re a patient or a visitor, a trip to a healthcare facility can be met with much unease and anxiety. Navigating the facility, finding the right contacts, and searching for important information can be overwhelming. A new or upgraded video wall in entryways, visitor centers, or information kiosks can help direct visitors more quickly to where they need to go. The walls can also educate visitors and patients about important medical reminders or promotions regarding new technology or services offered by the healthcare facility.
Not only can video walls assist guests, but medical practitioners can use video walls to enhance the overall patient experience. Video walls can allow practitioners to communicate more effectively with a broad audience. Improved AV technology is also an incredible way to market to young adults of the digital age, a growing population of young people entering the world of occupations and healthcare choices. Video walls can also help clinicians demonstrate complex medical phenomena to patients tangibly and more engagingly than traditional paper.
For healthcare administration, video walls can vastly improve traffic flow within a medical facility. Incorporating video walls can create more time for administrators and managers of facilities to focus on their organizational missions. Additionally, video walls offer enhanced platforms for emphasizing donor news, highlighting the facility’s history, or shining a light on community initiatives.
Finally, while video walls provide more flexibility, time, and freedom, they also offer an incredible investment value. Video halls hold the potential to broadcast multiple forms of media in a rapidly changing environment. The ability to quickly shift the messages displayed on the video walls allows healthcare facilities to save more on the bottom line as marketing and promotional materials will reduce or eliminate the paper and printing costs associated with updating physical signage. In addition, facilities can display images and videos quickly and efficiently to remain up-to-date, relevant, and visually appealing.
Video walls are quickly becoming a practical and cost-effective audio and visual solution for healthcare facilities of all sizes. Large-scale adoption is not a question of if, but when. If you’d like to explore product options, installation, and strategy, set up a meeting with IVCi to discuss your needs!
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Higher education continues to evolve, even two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rapid changes in classroom AV technology needs have led many colleges and universities to reevaluate how they connect with their students, staff, and communities.
As more institutions return to in-person learning, digital signage will prove essential in establishing a new campus environment with technology at the forefront. Let’s explore a few of the benefits of digital signing in classrooms and common areas.
Engagement
Using digital signage in classrooms and common areas gives students an additional layer of engagement in their academic life. Large format screens can help establish awareness for various campus events, announcements, or extracurricular activities. Extracurriculars help foster a sense of “belonging” for students. Giving students reminders of all the available benefits allows universities to create a better feeling of community within their campus culture.
Safety
Digital signage creates a safe, touch-free way to engage with different forms of media. In the era of the pandemic, health and safety are paramount for in-person connecting. Digital displays allow university students, faculty, and staff to display information from anywhere without installing posters or handing out informational flyers.
Expanding Education
In the classroom, digital signs and screens can dramatically improve the way students learn and engage with new material. In 2022, the typical college student is a member of “Gen Z”—a young group of innovative students who are no stranger to technology. Keeping classrooms up-to-date with the latest digital integrations provides a comfortable arena for young minds to flourish while learning about new concepts and world views.
Save Time and Money
Digital signage has many practical benefits as well, including lower operating costs. Screens with the ability to change messages and images at any given time mean that universities can share more information at one time. This way, multiple areas on campus can have their content displayed in high-traffic areas without ever having to print, ship, or install large and clunky banners or posters. Not to mention—the added benefits of digital signs being more environmentally sustainable, accessible, and adaptable to a variety of needs.
New Avenue for Marketing
Universities can also use digital signs to enhance their internal and external marketing. Classroom and common area screens can display awareness campaigns for various degree programs, new campus offerings, student wellness announcements, and so much more! Digital signage can also be used as a revenue generator. External campus partners can pay to host advertisements in campus buildings.
There are incredible social and practical benefits of digital sign integration in higher education. From engagement and learning, to safety and cost-effectiveness, IVCi’s digital enhancements in universities can increase adaptability and accessibility. Contact us today to see all the possibilities waiting for you!
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Whether you are in healthcare, higher education, government, or finance, you and your teammates deserve a hassle-free way to meet regardless of your industry. When the stress of AV technology is taken care of, your team has more time to create and discuss what matters most: driving your mission and purpose.
Effective AV utilization starts with thoughtful, strategic planning. Assessing your organization’s needs is critical, especially amid rapid change. So, how exactly can you plan for the unexpected?
Step One: Don’t Panic
Developing AV Strategy doesn’t have to be complicated. Starting the process can be as easy as making a one-sentence goal listing what you hope to achieve. Then, go from there! Develop a realistic plan to help give you and your team a clear vision of where you are and where you want to go.
Step Two: Evaluate the Basics
Once you’ve established your ideal vision and goal, assess where you currently are. It can be as easy as making a quick 5-minute list of the essentials: what basics do you need to complete your work efficiently and effectively? Establishing your needs against your organization’s capacity will help provide incredible insights into the type of tools and equipment that will best serve your collaborative space.
Step Three: Get Creative
Now that you’ve created a list of the basics you need, make a shortlist of what you wish you had. This wish list could be material: specific AV equipment you wish to integrate into your organization. Or it could be operational or strategic: what kinds of organizational practices would you like to implement? This step might take some additional thought and time, but putting effort into creating your “ideal” workflow will help you and your teammates address any current issues and will lay the framework for solid team expectations.
Step Four: Gather Feedback
While working in a team of many parts, gathering feedback regarding user operations is critical. Each team member experiences a unique user journey, possessing intimate knowledge about which practices and procedures work best for them and their teammates. Asking for their advice and opinion not only helps you assess your overall organizational needs, but also gives your team a sense of ownership. When they are involved in reinvigorating their own audio and visual experience, they become more invested in the company journey. Their voices are critical to a holistic strategic plan.
It cannot be stated enough—strategy does not have to be complicated. It can be as big or small as you need and customized to fit your specific goals. A few simple steps can put you and your organization on a path toward success.
But, if this still seems like a lot to digest, see Step One: Don’t Panic. Or… reach out to IVCi. We are an industry-leading AV company providing innovative solutions that help you see your ideal vision come to life. To set up a strategy session, contact us today!
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Helping Faculty Adjust to New University Technology
NewsAs more and more students enter college campuses expecting the latest and greatest technology, faculty are often left to adjust to the changes with little to no guidance. This process is made even more strenuous when some faculty members actively oppose embracing new technology in the classroom.
When faculty or staff have a hard time adjusting to new technology, there are simple steps your university can take to help them acclimate on their own time and in ways that foster collaboration. Here are some of the ways you can develop a proactive approach when upgrading your university’s AV technology.
Involve Faculty in Choosing Equipment
Whether you’re incorporating digital signage throughout campus common areas, or enhancing a stairatorium in the classroom, the faculty that use them should assist in choosing which solutions work best for them. Gaining valuable feedback from faculty and staff can help eliminate intimidation they might feel and helps establish a better, more positive working relationship and culture.
Include Staff in Installation and Deployment
To the extent possible, allow faculty the opportunity to provide input on the layout and structure of the new AV technology. Because faculty members will use the equipment on a near daily basis, they will be able to provide an incredible insight to how the technology can be set up to best work for their needs. Whenever possible, be sure to collaborate with faculty and staff to see how they work best. For individuals who may struggle adopting new technology, perhaps a mix of traditional and high-tech solutions is the best way forward.
Offer Hands-On Training Exercises
Whether the new equipment is already installed or if you are still planning to have equipment installed, it’s always a best practice to dedicate time for training. For beginners and novices alike, new technology always spurs an opportunity to educate no matter the skill level of the user. Informed users will be able to better handle the equipment, thus building trust and protecting your investment.
Follow Up
It’s likely that faculty and staff will continue to have questions and feedback even after planning, installation, and training. Make it a habit to regularly check in with faculty to see how the new equipment is working. Collecting this feedback will ensure that faculty members’ voices are heard while also creating a system to find what’s working and what could be improved.
Choosing the right equipment for your faculty is critical to ensuring employee satisfaction and comfortability in their roles. Plus, with hybrid-remote options continuing to expand, faculty members will need to remain adaptable for the future. If the process seems labor intensive, that’s where IVCi steps in!
IVCi offers strategy, products, and training that ensure your university not only has the most up-to-date AV technology, but that your teams are equipped to adopt and use the technology effectively. We believe that nothing has a bigger impact on the success of the technology, than the team’s ability to work and thrive within it! Contact us to learn more!
Prep for Success: Developing a Long-Term Security Plan for Remote Staff and Faculty in Higher Education
NewsOne positive we have all discovered over the last few years is that we have digital capabilities at our disposal that can allow us to collaborate more than ever before. But with these enhanced collaboration tools comes more risk of technology failure, haphazard strategy, and potential cyberattacks.
As universities incorporate more hybrid or fully-remote positions, administrators must assess their collaboration tools and long-term procedures to ensure their remote employees are safe. Not sure where to begin? Here are a few simple steps to help get your college or university on a successful path to safe and secure remote work.
Step 1: Develop a Strategy
When universities suddenly went remote at the beginning of the pandemic, many schools did not have proper plans in place to address such a crisis. While we have learned a great deal in these two years, one certain lesson is that you can never be too prepared. If not already created, universities should develop a crisis management plan to detail each department’s role in the event of an emergency that causes extended periods of remote work. The plan should address certain expectations, guidelines, and procedures to ensure that if/when the time comes, everyone is ready to take action. The time you invest in developing a strategic plan will make for a smooth deployment and ease stress for faculty and students. A crisis should not compromise learning and growth. With a proper strategy in place, universities can minimize interruptions in the classroom.
Step 2: Improve Security Measures
After a deployment strategy is in place, universities should also consider improving security measures across the remote platforms they use. With more and more staff and faculty members working from home, that means more internet connections logging into university systems. This increase can mean the risk of potential hackers gaining access to sensitive files also increases. Assessing your university’s cybersecurity will help keep faculty, staff, and students safe. Not to mention, enhanced security measures will protect the university’s brand image from any public relations nightmares involved in cyberattacks.
Step 3: Modernize Remote Technology
As the demand for remote work continues to climb, universities will need to utilize systems with larger bandwidth and more advanced equipment. Universities must incorporate technology into their long-term security plans, from internet servers to file management software. Technology must withstand large numbers of students and faculty working from home. Modernized video conferencing allows instructors to provide students with more in-depth, interactive learning in a safe environment.
Planning for remote work takes careful considerations into strategy, security, and technology within higher education. But it’s vital to ensure that staff members feel safe and university systems are running smoothly.
Let IVCi know how we can help your university plan for the unexpected. We offer modern collaboration tools and strategic solutions for the next generation of inspired learning.
Enhancing Patient Care with Stronger Infrastructures
NewsAs healthcare facilities continue to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, many find new ways to serve their patients more safely and effectively by improving their infrastructures. Improved healthcare facilities can increase health equity by minimizing or eliminating some barriers that stand in the way of individuals receiving the care they need.
Utilizing enhanced AV technology like digital signage and real-time video chats can serve more people by bringing the doctor’s expertise to areas far from the facility. Addressing health equity issues also allows people who may not have a means of transportation to still receive the care they require. Take a look at some key focus areas in strengthening infrastructures that can lead to better patient care.
Architecture
The flow of a building can have significant implications on how easily some individuals can move through them. In the case of hospitals and doctors’ offices, facility layouts should be accessible for people of all abilities. However, the primary focus should always be on the patient and the level of care they receive. And that process starts with analyzing where hospitals can make improvements. Regularly check your hospital infrastructure for faulty equipment, lapses in care, and any opportunities where an innovative solution could result in better care.
Technology
Incorporating more accessible accommodations is more than just architectural. For example, digital screens and AV technology can assist those with visual and hearing impairments. Screens and audio can make complicated medical situations easier to digest when put into mediums the patient is more comfortable using. Additionally, immunocompromised patients can use video chat technology to meet virtually with their doctors. This technology allows them to better socially distance themselves when they need care. Many patients can even connect to their physicians from the safety and comfort of their own homes!
Customization
Enhanced digital infrastructure also opens the door for improved patient care through customization. For example, AV technology in hospitals can allow language translation on-screen and over audio to accommodate a variety of patient backgrounds. Additionally, better digital capabilities in hospital rooms mean that patients can automate their comfort levels by using mechanical controls to adjust patient beds, or intercom systems to communicate more quickly with hospital staff. When patients need care, they shouldn’t have to worry about how to share their needs with a physician. Improved infrastructure in the form of interactive video and translation services can help bridge the healthcare inequity gap while giving patients confidence and added peace of mind.
When healthcare facilities improve their structural framework, they can serve more broadly and uniquely. Customized and robust infrastructures can increase health equity and patient care from architectural improvements to innovative technology.
At IVCi, we aim to streamline operations and preferred patient experiences through technology-backed solutions and support. Contact us today to see how you can build a stronger digital infrastructure for your healthcare facility.
Tips for Giving Your Business’ AV Technology a Spring Cleaning
NewsSpring is starting to bloom! And with the new season comes everyone’s favorite (or least favorite) chore: Spring Cleaning. So, as we dust off our homes and workspaces to invite a breath of fresh air, let’s also consider bringing new life into our business’s AV technology.
Here are a few simple steps we can all take to clean, declutter, organize, and upgrade our workspaces to ensure our technology is running with optimum efficiency.
Put in Some Elbow Grease
Whether you’re working in the office or remotely, it can be easy to let our computers, laptops, and other work equipment get a little on the dusty side. But, when dust collects in our technology, it can affect everything from keyboards to laptop fans and even microphone quality. Not to mention, if not properly sanitized, frequently used surfaces can harbor harmful bacteria that can make you and your coworkers sick.
Make the most of the time and money you invested into your business’s AV technology by scheduling regular cleaning, sanitizing, and maintenance of your work equipment. Also, be sure to read your device’s cleaning manuals for proper instruction. Don’t have the manuals handy? No problem! Reach out to us and we can help give you tips on the best (and safest) ways to clean your AV equipment, so it’s always running smoothly.
Declutter Your Workstation
Is your desk starting to look like a scene from a horror film? Or maybe the wires behind/underneath your desk looks more like an animal’s nest? Unfortunately, it’s common to set up your workspace and get into a routine where those organizational issues aren’t as big of a priority as the work itself and thus get placed on the backburner. But when desks are disorganized, or cables are tangled, the chaos can be more of a distraction, leading to lower productivity, distorted images on screens, unexpected dimness or static, and unbalanced volume controls.
Taking time to declutter your work and tech spaces can give you a fresh slate each day so you can jump right into the work without having to worry if your stack of papers is going to tumble off your desk. Additionally, by untangling and grouping the wires that power your devices, you are eliminating stress on the cables that impact the quality of your audio and visual components. The result is a more seamless, collaborative space for your teammates and clients to thrive.
Organize Your Files
Sometimes spring cleaning is more than just sanitizing equipment and decluttering your workspace. It’s also an assessment of systems and programs. It’s best practice to regularly review files and programs that power your systems and operations. We’ve all experienced the chaos of trying to find the correct folder to save a document or searching endlessly to find a folder you know was just there.
Save you and your team from the added stress of searching by scheduling time each month to review your files. If your organization manages files by department, give each department lead the opportunity to scan through their folders, delete unnecessary files, and regroup essential documents. Then, come together as a team to strategize the best way to work together to ensure proper folder maintenance.
Upgrade Your Technology
Tech companies engineer newer and more updated equipment every year. With each upgrade comes new systems and better ways to serve your clients and customers. Touchless meeting controls, wireless screen sharing, digital signage for guidance and alerts, and digital office navigation can all be used to give your office space a much-needed digital makeover. Your employees and clients will thank you!
Choose the Right AV Partner
Maintaining your AV technology can be an effortless task, especially with a partner like us. IVCi can provide custom equipment that is easy to install, use, and manage. Plus, with our expert assistance every step of the way, spring cleaning can go from being a chore to being something to look forward to every year! Contact us today to see how your AV technology can be ready for the new season ahead.
3 Benefits of Upgrading Your University’s AV Technology
NewsWhen it comes to the newest technology, Gen Z proves to utilize and adapt to new products and services faster than most generations. As more members of this age group enter college years, they begin to expect educational experiences that have fully embraced technology.
For higher education to cater to this growing population, colleges and universities must stay ahead of the curve. By upgrading your university’s AV technology, you can experience a range of benefits your students are sure to love. Here are just 3 of those benefits and how you can use technology to enhance the student experience.
Transform Education
In the world we live in, it’s nearly impossible to find some aspect of life where technology hasn’t improved or become a vital, functioning aspect. Education is no different. Students are accustomed to tablets, laptops, smartphones, and other gadgets in their daily lives. So much so that when students attend college, they come to expect the same AV technology that they experience in their personal lives.
By incorporating new or upgraded AV technology in the classroom, higher education institutions can enhance educational experiences with interactive and engaging technology that unlocks the potential of the learning environment. When classrooms and campuses are immersed in technology, students can thrive knowing that their educational capacity is limitless!
Create More Equitable Spaces
A major focus in higher education today is Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. University campuses are expanding their equity programs and creating new centers and facilities that aim to create spaces that foster acceptance through education.
In creating these accessible spaces, universities should utilize upgraded technology to collaborate effortlessly with easy-to-use interfaces for both professors and students. Improved technology allows students to make connections more easily with each other. By breaking down physical barriers, more students are afforded the opportunity to experience connection regardless of their abilities or location.
Increase Enrollment
Did you know, modern technology benefits on campus can increase applications by 35%? As the demand for video conferencing on college campuses continues to increase, students become more interested in universities with more modern, integrated technology that can keep up with their busy lives.
Universities can bring both functionality and a “wow” factor to campuses that have video walls, digital wayfinding for new students and guests, and interactive classroom AV tools. Incorporating some of these technology upgrades can make your institution more attractive to students, their families, and even recruiters working with high schools to find the best programs for their students.
Establish Solid Partnerships
Whatever your strategic goals may be, it’s always crucial to keep the student experience at the forefront of each new initiative. As this academic year wraps up, consider treating your students and faculty to upgraded AV technology that meets them where they are.
Not sure where to begin? Contact us today, and we will work together to build a strategy that fits the specific needs of your institution.
Taking Engagement to the Next Level: Benefits of Video Walls in Healthcare
NewsBetween informational messages, public service announcements, and general communications, healthcare practitioners and consumers are often bombarded with an information overload. For example, an individual could walk into nearly any healthcare facility and be met immediately with various posters, directional signs, or other media pulling their attention in multiple ways.
But how do we navigate various attention-competing elements clearly and crisply in a way that guides the user experience? Video walls can be a practical and cost-effective solution.
Using video walls in healthcare facilities allows:
Whether you’re a patient or a visitor, a trip to a healthcare facility can be met with much unease and anxiety. Navigating the facility, finding the right contacts, and searching for important information can be overwhelming. A new or upgraded video wall in entryways, visitor centers, or information kiosks can help direct visitors more quickly to where they need to go. The walls can also educate visitors and patients about important medical reminders or promotions regarding new technology or services offered by the healthcare facility.
Not only can video walls assist guests, but medical practitioners can use video walls to enhance the overall patient experience. Video walls can allow practitioners to communicate more effectively with a broad audience. Improved AV technology is also an incredible way to market to young adults of the digital age, a growing population of young people entering the world of occupations and healthcare choices. Video walls can also help clinicians demonstrate complex medical phenomena to patients tangibly and more engagingly than traditional paper.
For healthcare administration, video walls can vastly improve traffic flow within a medical facility. Incorporating video walls can create more time for administrators and managers of facilities to focus on their organizational missions. Additionally, video walls offer enhanced platforms for emphasizing donor news, highlighting the facility’s history, or shining a light on community initiatives.
Finally, while video walls provide more flexibility, time, and freedom, they also offer an incredible investment value. Video halls hold the potential to broadcast multiple forms of media in a rapidly changing environment. The ability to quickly shift the messages displayed on the video walls allows healthcare facilities to save more on the bottom line as marketing and promotional materials will reduce or eliminate the paper and printing costs associated with updating physical signage. In addition, facilities can display images and videos quickly and efficiently to remain up-to-date, relevant, and visually appealing.
Video walls are quickly becoming a practical and cost-effective audio and visual solution for healthcare facilities of all sizes. Large-scale adoption is not a question of if, but when. If you’d like to explore product options, installation, and strategy, set up a meeting with IVCi to discuss your needs!
Benefits of Digital Signing in the Classroom and Campus Common Areas
NewsHigher education continues to evolve, even two years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Rapid changes in classroom AV technology needs have led many colleges and universities to reevaluate how they connect with their students, staff, and communities.
As more institutions return to in-person learning, digital signage will prove essential in establishing a new campus environment with technology at the forefront. Let’s explore a few of the benefits of digital signing in classrooms and common areas.
Engagement
Using digital signage in classrooms and common areas gives students an additional layer of engagement in their academic life. Large format screens can help establish awareness for various campus events, announcements, or extracurricular activities. Extracurriculars help foster a sense of “belonging” for students. Giving students reminders of all the available benefits allows universities to create a better feeling of community within their campus culture.
Safety
Digital signage creates a safe, touch-free way to engage with different forms of media. In the era of the pandemic, health and safety are paramount for in-person connecting. Digital displays allow university students, faculty, and staff to display information from anywhere without installing posters or handing out informational flyers.
Expanding Education
In the classroom, digital signs and screens can dramatically improve the way students learn and engage with new material. In 2022, the typical college student is a member of “Gen Z”—a young group of innovative students who are no stranger to technology. Keeping classrooms up-to-date with the latest digital integrations provides a comfortable arena for young minds to flourish while learning about new concepts and world views.
Save Time and Money
Digital signage has many practical benefits as well, including lower operating costs. Screens with the ability to change messages and images at any given time mean that universities can share more information at one time. This way, multiple areas on campus can have their content displayed in high-traffic areas without ever having to print, ship, or install large and clunky banners or posters. Not to mention—the added benefits of digital signs being more environmentally sustainable, accessible, and adaptable to a variety of needs.
New Avenue for Marketing
Universities can also use digital signs to enhance their internal and external marketing. Classroom and common area screens can display awareness campaigns for various degree programs, new campus offerings, student wellness announcements, and so much more! Digital signage can also be used as a revenue generator. External campus partners can pay to host advertisements in campus buildings.
There are incredible social and practical benefits of digital sign integration in higher education. From engagement and learning, to safety and cost-effectiveness, IVCi’s digital enhancements in universities can increase adaptability and accessibility. Contact us today to see all the possibilities waiting for you!
Don’t Panic: Uncomplicate your AV Technology Strategy
NewsWhether you are in healthcare, higher education, government, or finance, you and your teammates deserve a hassle-free way to meet regardless of your industry. When the stress of AV technology is taken care of, your team has more time to create and discuss what matters most: driving your mission and purpose.
Effective AV utilization starts with thoughtful, strategic planning. Assessing your organization’s needs is critical, especially amid rapid change. So, how exactly can you plan for the unexpected?
Step One: Don’t Panic
Developing AV Strategy doesn’t have to be complicated. Starting the process can be as easy as making a one-sentence goal listing what you hope to achieve. Then, go from there! Develop a realistic plan to help give you and your team a clear vision of where you are and where you want to go.
Step Two: Evaluate the Basics
Once you’ve established your ideal vision and goal, assess where you currently are. It can be as easy as making a quick 5-minute list of the essentials: what basics do you need to complete your work efficiently and effectively? Establishing your needs against your organization’s capacity will help provide incredible insights into the type of tools and equipment that will best serve your collaborative space.
Step Three: Get Creative
Now that you’ve created a list of the basics you need, make a shortlist of what you wish you had. This wish list could be material: specific AV equipment you wish to integrate into your organization. Or it could be operational or strategic: what kinds of organizational practices would you like to implement? This step might take some additional thought and time, but putting effort into creating your “ideal” workflow will help you and your teammates address any current issues and will lay the framework for solid team expectations.
Step Four: Gather Feedback
While working in a team of many parts, gathering feedback regarding user operations is critical. Each team member experiences a unique user journey, possessing intimate knowledge about which practices and procedures work best for them and their teammates. Asking for their advice and opinion not only helps you assess your overall organizational needs, but also gives your team a sense of ownership. When they are involved in reinvigorating their own audio and visual experience, they become more invested in the company journey. Their voices are critical to a holistic strategic plan.
It cannot be stated enough—strategy does not have to be complicated. It can be as big or small as you need and customized to fit your specific goals. A few simple steps can put you and your organization on a path toward success.
But, if this still seems like a lot to digest, see Step One: Don’t Panic. Or… reach out to IVCi. We are an industry-leading AV company providing innovative solutions that help you see your ideal vision come to life. To set up a strategy session, contact us today!