Dynamic Digital Signage Hits the Campus Nanyang Technological University Broadcasts Campus News with ChannelNTU
Singapore – The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) became one of the first educational institutions in Singapore to deploy its very own in-house network channel to serve as a dynamic visual communication platform for internal publicity and announcements within the campus.
Nanyang Technological University first to deploy network channel on campus
Implemented in June 2005 and named ChannelNTU, part of the mobile learning initiative, aNTUna, this flexible and efficient communications system is based on the Scala InfoChannel platform. The network is managed and maintained by a small team comprising 3-4 staff in the Center for Educational Development (CED). One staffer oversees the technical deployments, another staffer handles the design and content authoring while another manages the scheduling. A fourth member is expected to join the team to manage the content coordination.
Scala InfoChannel solution became the tool-of-choice for NTU’s network
The multimedia content for the channel is developed and managed using Scala InfoChannel Designer, with InfoChannel Network Manager scheduling the transmission that is currently broadcast to seven plasma screens around the campus. The CED team creates multimedia rich content that is channelled to the strategically positioned plasma screens located in high traffic areas in seven locations with three screens in the cafeterias, two in the administrative building and the rest are placed in the film school and café.
ChannelNTU provides students, staff and visitors with informative and entertainment rich content that include prime time news and headlines extracted with the RSS feed technology (currently in the experimental stage). The integration with the NewTek Tricaster Pro provides additional feature for the solution for the broadcasts of live events such as graduation ceremonies and freshmen orientations.
Intranet streaming is made possible with the addition of the Windows media encoder that also provides live web casts of distinguished speakers or visitors, and internet video casts. Student publicity announcements and trailers like Singapore Idol are also played on ChannelNTU. The channel also flourishes as a platform for NTU and students’ productions to be aired and viewed.
The remarkable infrastructure for this solution includes an audio compressor for audio normalization, an FM transmitter to manage noisy locations as well as remote software monitoring client to assess playback.
ChannelNTU is controlled and centrally hosted from the Center for Educational Development using fiber networks that connect the plasma screens throughout the vast campus that spans about 200 hectares with more than 50 buildings. The channel operates for approximately 11 1/2 hours daily from Monday to Friday, all year round.
The deployment of the ChannelNTU network was implemented with the help of Click Grafix, Scala Certified distributor and system integrator for the South East region.
The Scala InfoChannel solution became the tool-of-choice for NTU’s digital signage network in view of its powerful authoring capabilities and advantages. Mr. Goh Wee Sen, Instructional Design Manager of CED, compliments the solution particularly for its features that provide them the ability to accept many varied formats and the smoothness of playback.
“Click Grafix has been a good partner who is willing to help extend the solution to meet our needs”, says Mr. Goh. The NTU team is looking forward indeed more advantages with the new Scala InfoChannel 5.
About Click Grafix Sdn Bhd
www.clickgrafix.com
Established in 1995, Click Grafix has firmly established itself in the South East Asia and Middle Eastern market and industry as a premiere provider and system integrator for digital video, animation and multimedia hardware, software, solutions and services. The company is the appointed regional distributor for NewTek Inc. and also holds the distributorship for Scala multimedia and visual communication products, as well as Realviz, Anark, Curious Labs Inc. Bauhaus Software and Qarbon products in Malaysia. Currently, Click Grafix is represented in Singapore, Thailand, Philippines and India.