Proactive AV Management at Idaho State University
Located at Idaho State University, the L.S. and Aline W. Skaggs Treasure Valley Anatomy and Physiology Laboratories is a 22,000 square foot complex that stands at the forefront of health sciences education, research, and practice in Idaho and surrounding regions. The AV systems within these laboratories, integrated and supported by LightWerks, support a wide array of activities essential for preparing students for healthcare careers. Some of the cutting-edge AV components at Treasure Valley Anatomy and Physiology Labs include interactive boards, Shure microphones, Crestron controls, Aver PTZ cameras, and Biamp DSPs for superior sound processing. The cameras, strategically installed in surgical lights for precise cadaver examinations and in lab spaces for general presentations, are critical for interactive learning.
Additionally, all student stations feature routable computers that allow for content distribution across multiple outputs, enhancing the educational experience. Displays throughout the labs are provided by Sharp/NEC, ensuring high-quality visual output for both students and faculty. The technologies integrated are essential for sophisticated health sciences education.
The audiovisual technologies within Treasure Valley Anatomy and Physiology Laboratories are under the vigilant eye of LightWerks’ PlatinumCare, a subscription-based managed services plan which transitions support from reactive to proactive. This comprehensive monitoring ensures that any system issues are identified and resolved often before end-users are even aware, significantly reducing potential downtimes. Understanding the significant investment that organizations make in AV and security systems, LightWerks designed PlatinumCare to ensure AV systems function flawlessly, maximizing uptime and minimizing maintenance burdens. This service structure creates a predictable cost environment, relieving support staff from the stress of unexpected system failures. Monthly reports provide detailed insights into system performance and help plan future needs efficiently. PlatinumCare offers various levels of support tailored to specific needs, including 24/7 remote monitoring by skilled engineers, programmers, and technicians who are always ready to respond—either remotely or onsite—to any issues that may arise.
A recent interview with IT staff at the university highlighted a significant advantage of PlatinumCare, especially given the complexity and sophistication of the AV systems in the labs. These systems, composed of numerous interconnected components, can be daunting and time-consuming to troubleshoot when issues arise. PlatinumCare‘s ability to precisely identify the source of a problem without the need for extensive manual testing or guesswork dramatically reduces the time spent on troubleshooting. This capability not only saves valuable technical resources but also ensures that educational activities are not hindered by prolonged equipment downtime.
A notable example of PlatinumCare’s effectiveness was demonstrated when an issue with a microphone access point in one of the anatomy labs was quickly identified and reported. The access point merely required a reboot, a simple fix that, if unaddressed, could have significantly disrupted a lecture. Thanks to the alert from LightWerks, the IT department was able to identify exactly what the issue was and promptly resolve it before class was affected. Without this intervention, the instructor and remote participants would not have been heard, potentially straining their voice and diminishing the educational experience for students.
The preventative nature of PlatinumCare is invaluable in environments like the Treasure Valley Anatomy and Physiology Laboratories, which are not only educational spaces but also revenue-generating facilities. Regularly utilized as the main lab by Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine and offered to other outside universities, these spaces are crucial. When they are down, the University is at risk of losing revenue. By ensuring system problems are addressed proactively, LightWerks PlatinumCare provides revenue protection and assurance, acting as a financial safeguard that enhances the overall reliability of IT operations within the laboratories. This approach solidifies the educational infrastructure, ensuring that mission-critical systems are operational when most needed.
