Markets /markets Customer Profiles /markets/customerProfiles/default.asp Coppin State University /markets/customerProfiles/CoppinStateUniversity/default.asp Coppin State University Baltimore, Maryland Education /markets/customerProfiles/CoppinStateUniversity/imgs/image_CoppinStateGraceHillJacobsBldgExterior.jpg /markets/customerProfiles/CoppinStateUniversity/imgs/image_CoppinStateWelcomeSign.jpg /markets/customerProfiles/CoppinStateUniversity/imgs/image_CoppinStateBobSandersWithLecternPanel.jpg /markets/customerProfiles/CoppinStateUniversity/imgs/image_CoppinStateLecternPanel-150x115.jpg /markets/customerProfiles/CoppinStateUniversity/imgs/image_CoppinStateUserInterfaceScreenShot-1.jpg /markets/customerProfiles/CoppinStateUniversity/imgs/image_CoppinStateUserInterfaceScreenShot-2.jpg /markets/customerProfiles/CoppinStateUniversity/imgs/image_CoppinStateMeetingManagerScreenShot1.jpg Coppin State University /assets/literature/Coppin.State.University.pdf /assets/literature/thumbs/edu_CoppinState.jpg PDF | 702 KB 2003 1 Fool-proof ease of use and rock-solid security measures. That's how Bob Sanders, Academic Computing Lab Coordinator and AV Specialist at Coppin State University, describes his experience with AMX's MeetingManager™ solution. Who can blame him? During the last four years, this campus of about 4,000 students located in the heart of downtown Baltimore, Maryland, has reaped the rewards of the university's ambitious plans to implement standardized AMX control system technology. “There has not been any theft since MeetingManager was implemented because the perpetrators can sense that something else, another line of security, is being used.” To date, Coppin State University has installed a total of 23 "smart" classrooms - each one using AMX NetLinx Integrated Controllers and monitored seamlessly over the school's local network by MeetingManager. Twenty-eight of these rooms reside in the university's Grace Hill Jacobs Building. The remaining five rooms can be found in other buildings on campus. There are also four rooms with legacy AMX Axcent3 controllers that were recently upgraded to the latest NetLinx systems and MeetingManager. "Coppin State University has sent a strong message to current and prospective students, as well as its faculty and staff, by making this kind of investment - it is deeply dedicated to using elite technology to further enhance education," said Matt deWitt, Project Manager at System Source, the systems integrator and AMX Dealer based in nearby Hunt Valley, that handled this multi-phase project. "By incorporating these automated classrooms and buildings, Coppin State successfully leverages the power of AMX and acts as an example of how today's higher education is rapidly evolving." "Our future plans include adding more smart classrooms and, in turn, more AMX control capabilities," said Sanders. For now, MeetingManager continues to provide the university a strong return on investment in a number of different ways. For starters, the software's rock solid security features have led to an immediate and significant drop in theft of expensive equipment, such as ceiling-mounted projectors and multimedia devices like DVD/CD players. Sanders noted one past example of a stolen projector that had been replaced, only to find a week later that the replacement was missing. MeetingManager has made an instant impact. "There has not been any theft since MeetingManager was implemented because the perpetrators can sense that something else, another line of security, is being used," Sanders said. Indeed, you won't find extra in-room surveillance cameras or additional campus police roaming the hallways. With MeetingManager, it's all happening quietly, yet extremely effectively, behind the scenes, over the university's network. From his desktop PC - or remotely from any network connection on campus, for that matter - Sanders can view every piece of connected equipment using a special "Hot List." In a matter of seconds, he has the ability to verify what technology is active in each integrated classroom and, more importantly, what appears off-line. This may indicate a maintenance issue or a possible theft in progress. "I'm able to look at each device to determine the problem and diagnose the situation before I even arrive in the room," Sanders said. "This saves me several valuable steps. I can take minutes instead of hours to respond, whether I'm in another building or off campus. The Hot List tells me exactly what is wrong in a specific room, and I can monitor all of this most of the time from the PC." As a back-up precaution, MeetingManager is also programmed to generate instant email notifications and pages to Sanders and other Coppin State University technicians should a device suddenly disconnect from the network, without authorization. This ensures that the university's smart classrooms and equipment remain safe and operational 24/7. "With MeetingManager, I will immediately get an email or page that something is wrong, and that allows us to respond fast," Sanders said. "Plus, having the remote functionality to check up on the system adds further value and importance in that we can cut down on the time it takes to respond to any situation, from theft to simply changing projector lamps." When Sanders says "fast," he means it. Just ask Joel Carroll, Systems Designer at System Source. During the initial phase of the university's installation, Carroll exited one of the classrooms without unplugging a particular device - one that should have been shut down according to the programmed settings in MeetingManager. A few minutes later, Carroll was greeted by campus technicians coming to the rescue. "This represents a huge step toward one central point of device management, making MeetingManager an attractive, cost-effective solution," Carroll said. Thanks to MeetingManager, Sanders and his technical support team can resolve issues, proactively maintain equipment and minimize downtime from one location. Sanders spearheaded Coppin State University's goal of incorporating AMX as the standard control system on campus. "During the four years we have used AMX, we have taken all the controls under one single platform (NetLinx)," Sanders said. "By standardizing the smart classrooms, we eliminated all the remote controls. The touch panel's user interface in each room displays the same on-screen buttons and navigation for operating the A/V equipment." Coppin State University professors simply press a single button to activate the DVD player, VCR player, document camera, cable television, desktop and laptop computing capabilities, ceiling-mounted projector, drop-down projection screen and volume. Two more button presses exit the system and prompt the connected devices to shut down. "In this kind of environment, the technology changes all the time," Carroll said. "AMX's NetLinx system allows the instructors to go from room to room and run each one seamlessly. MeetingManager provides the reassurance that everything is working as it should be.