Situation:

Thunderbird School of Global Management was looking for a communications tool that would inform students, faculty and staff of campus events, as well as alert them to potential issues as part of the emergency broadcasts system. As a priority, the Board of Trustees asked the I&IT department at Thunderbird to find a multimedia solution for emergency broadcasts to the community. The solution had to be graphical, auditory and quickly implemented in case of an emergency. The campus had also been looking for a solution to informing the campus community of the multitude of cultural, business and special speaker event that happen on campus through out the year. Any solution that would be acceptable, would have to be flexible enough to design different looks for different departments that would want the system in their campus locations.

Solution:

As a solution, with the help of Norvision, the Thunderbird community decided on the SCALA digital signage system. This system allows for animated graphics, video and audio to communicate various information throughout a networked system of LCD displays on campus. Each display is has it's own player engine that allows for an individual script to be played in locations that require departmentalized display of information. As well, the system allows for a player to be attached to a web stream that gives students, staff and alumnus the ability to view the system from off-campus. Finally the system can be set up for a one click display of emergence alert information, and can be tied into the campus audio system for auditory cues along with graphical directions.

Initially Thunderbird decided to locate the displays in three high profile places. The first being our Executive hotel lobby. This location gives visitors to the campus a sense of events, news, and school history. The second location was in the schools Media building. Here the signage greets students as they enter the technically enhance classrooms that allow for some of the schools distance learning programs. The third location is outside of the schools flagship auditorium. Here the signage displays special guest-speakers, school seminars, as well as the normal school information displayed in the other locations. From these location the digital signage has made a high profile debut on campus, and encourage the discussion of locating the technology in other locations throughout the campus. With the administration of the signage software performed by a graphic designer, we have been able to incorporate the schools brand, philosophy, and mystic in a graphically pleasing way. They response has been very encouraging.