With over 10 years of partnership with the University of East Anglia in Norwich, INTO helps hundreds of students from around the world every year to achieve their dreams of attending top universities in the UK and fulfilling their potential. INTO University of East Anglia aims to provide the best educational experience for international students, with their excellent teaching and modern facility. Therefore INTO needed a technology provider they could rely on, so Sharp was called in.
The challenge
By working so closely with young people, a continuous concern for INTO was remaining at the forefront of educating with technology to ensure that the tech-savvy generations working their way through the university would be fully immersed in it.
Aggravating this, the 26 short throw interactive whiteboards in lecture rooms were becoming increasingly unresponsive, slow, and failing to fulfil their original purpose of creating interactive learning spaces. When considered with the clunky ceiling-mounted projector system, lectures were appearing less cohesive, and student attention was in danger of drifting.
Furthermore, the photocopiers used by university staff were frequently breaking down, which took staff away from managing the needs of the student body.
The solution
Sharp’s first solution was to get INTO set up on its comprehensive managed print services. This would firstly give the university access to the very latest, most innovative print equipment, and secondly, preventative maintenance measure built into Sharp’s managed print solution would drastically reduce the likelihood of breakdowns.
Additionally, to make teaching spaces more state-of-the art, 70” Sharp interactive BIG PAD touchscreens were proposed, and after a successful trial with one device in multiple locations around the university, 26 screens were rolled out.
In place of the failing projector screens, a 9-screen video wall solution was proposed to provide an instantly updatable platform compatible with newer devices like laptops and tablets.
The result
Technology has transformed teaching. INTO now enjoys a massive rise in uptime because of Sharp’s managed print services. Preventative maintenance, and access to the very latest photocopiers and production printers means that devices are more advanced, less likely to breakdown, and much faster.
Additionally, Sharp’s audio visual equipment has revolutionised the university. Because the BIG PAD was installed on a trial basis, staff were confident that the technology was right for them, and were able to use the devices properly before official training was provided because of their simplistic features.
Since the video wall installation, the orientation and layout of the room where the screens resided was changed, so Sharp accommodated for the business’ new requirements by reducing the number of screens to 4, and repeater screens were fitted either side to ensure that students could still view the immaculate crystal-clear display no matter where their seat.
Sharp’s solution has been so positive that INTO now plan on mirroring the solution at other sites across the UK, including: Newcastle, Manchester, Stirling, and London.
