Life made easier for lecturers by University-wide AV service

University IT Services has started a service for audiovisual (AV) aids and videoconferencing equipment for the entire University. The AV service is staffed by Leif Kullberg, service specialist, Emil Lundell, service specialist, and Thomas Johannesson, system administrator.

AV aids is an umbrella term for screens, projectors and audio systems. The AV service also provides equipment for videoconferencing, often intended for teaching contexts. Uppsala University uses the same system for videoconferencing as the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), and the two universities work together on the operation and administration of this system. The AV service also provides basic equipment for e-meetings, for example for Zoom meetings.

Lecturers first

With clearer coordination and formalising of the technology, ordering procedures, support and skills associated with this type of equipment, the idea is to give lecturers in particular better conditions for the teaching situation. Systems currently vary from campus to campus and even on the same campus.
“You could say that the target group for this work is all lecturers,” says Leif Kullberg, e-service specialist. “For the lecturers, this means that the interface is as uniform as possible from room to room and from campus to campus.”

Those with budgetary responsibilities are also a target group for this work.
“Our supplier agreements for equipment and services, which we signed in autumn 2020, make it easier for those with budgetary responsibility to more accurately forecast costs.”

Saving money

The idea is also, of course, to make life easier for the Campus Managements, as they no longer have to procure equipment and services and can get advice and support from the AV service. But another goal is for the University to optimise its investments in conferencing equipment, while future-proofing the technology.
“The projects we have worked on to date have saved money through the procurement process and through avoiding consultant costs.”

Different systems for AV and videoconferencing

One question they investigated was whether the same control system can be used for AV technology and videoconferencing equipment. In principle it’s possible, but they found that it is not sustainable in the long run.
“As soon as one of the suppliers’ systems is updated, the common system has to cope with that and in this situation the various suppliers have a tendency to blame each other. And then we find it difficult to provide a good, functioning control system. So we decided it was better to keep the two different control systems.”

How will support be provided when a lecturer wants to give a lecture and nothing is working?
“Business-oriented support has been provided and will continue to be provided by the Campus Management at each campus. I worked on the Gamla Torget campus for a long time myself, and know how important business-oriented support is.”

Leif Kullberg also says that they are working on ways of operating the control systems remotely. This would mean that support could monitor the systems and provide support remotely.