School system adopts new UC solution

Trying to keep a large group on the same pages can become difficult and in no place is this seen more often than in a school system. With multiple buildings and thousands of individuals to keep informed, education institutions have tried many things to keep everyone connected. Technology is now offering a new solution in unified communications (UC) that can solve some of the big concerns.

The Red Clay Consolidated School System in Delaware has implemented a system and was profiled by Digital Signage Today. The K-12 organization is made up of 28 buildings and more than 15,000 students and officials have expressed the difficulty they faced in effectively communicating.

The system consists of a 22-inch touch screen housed on top of a stand to create a centralized communication kiosk. One will be located in each building. All of the cabling is located within the base. The devices, which are interactive, can be remotely managed and updated so the entire network can be updated in real-time. This allows all parties to be reached in the case of an emergency or safety situation.

According to Nancy Crawford, the Web content specialist for Red Clay, the system was picked as much for its software and remote management capabilities as it was for the hardware. She called the system a great way to have a constant and friendly message available 24/7.

“A project similar to Red Clay’s would be beneficial to any school district,” Jeff Goldstein, the VP of the solution provider said. “Information such as class schedules, sports schedules and school events can be displayed on the kiosks using existing websites and other content. By utilizing the existing content, districts will save time and money on the application setup.”

Spreading communication across multiple locations and devices can get messy and leaning on email chains or voicemails can be unreliable. A centralized communication strategy can be the best solution. School systems in Ohio that are considering investing in a unified communication solution would be wise to partner with an IT consulting firm.