Kramer AVoIP offers flexible educational experiences to Akvarelli School

The new Akvarelli multipurpose center in Forssa uses AVoIP technology from Kramer to create interactive learning spaces and experiences, inspiring and flexible in 25 classes.

At the range of Kramer AVoIP solutions has been chosen to revolutionize the teaching and learning experiences of students in the 25 classrooms of the new Akvarelli school in Finland.

Situado en Forsa, a small Finnish municipality with a population of about 16.500 inhabitants, Akvarelli is a new multipurpose learning center, that supports more than 600 students of 3 a 16 years, from preschool to secondary education, plus a range of other extra-curricular leisure activities. Replacing an old site, the construction of the new center focused, to a large extent, in creating more stimulating spaces and learning experiences.

Since the education sector and teaching future generations is one of the most rewarding ways to use today's technology, Akvarelli's AV/IT team needed a solution that would address the challenges of education and teaching both today and tomorrow..

Requirements include ease of use, the coherence in the 25 classrooms and flexibility for teachers. The objectives were also to create flexible learning spaces, give educators the flexibility to move around the classroom while teaching, Provide teachers with a unified, stress-free experience so they can focus on teaching and not managing technology, and ensure smooth and consistent user experiences in all classrooms with audiovisual equipment.

To meet your requirements, Akvarelli's team turned to Advania, specialist in integration of audiovisual and computer systems, and Kramer's range of AvoIP solutions, along with local company assistance.

At first, Forssa was looking for a solution with a standard HDMI connection to accommodate the numerous projectors and smart boards that the old school building already had.. However, with a larger school in the Akvarelli center, more smart boards would have been needed and, after interviewing the teachers, It became clear that the benefits of these outdated tools were not being taken advantage of.. As a result, An AVoIP solution was chosen as the new direction.

“We wanted to create flexible classrooms where teachers could move around and, at the same time, offer them a stress-free environment; have the same configuration and solution in all classrooms with the same functions, so that their time is dedicated to teaching and not working with complicated technology”, comment Niko Sutinen, IT director of the Forssa City Council.

After numerous tests, tests and demonstrations, in the existing school building, final solutions included hardware platform KC-Brainware-25 Kramer, scalable and flexible, to control almost any device over an Ethernet network in the 25 classes.

Used by some of the world's largest organizations, Kramer BRAINware It is a software application, easy to use, which allows users to execute all actions directly from a computer, like climbers, video screens, audio amplifiers, Blu-ray players, sensors, screens, blinds, door locks and lights.

Besides, One hundred devices have been used in the project KDS-6, one of Kramer's most advanced AvoIP streaming solutions transmitting 4K@60Hz video and audio, with an encoder KDS-EN6 and two decoders KDS-DEC6 installed in each of the 25 classes.

To ensure maximum ease of use and eliminate all the complexity of technology, have been installed 25 Kramer touch panels KT-107 Wall and table mount in every classroom. The multi-touch panels of 7 inches and resolution 1,280×800 pixels, supporting wired PoE and advanced WiFi connectivity, Provide tutors with seamless one-touch access and near-zero latency (10 milliseconds) to all connected devices available in the room.

With Kramer's K-Touch Control cloud-based software, Tutors can even securely mirror the dashboard interface directly to an existing iOS or Android auxiliary device, like a smartphone or tablet, adding more flexibility and freedom in how and where they decide to present during a class.

The configuration - including panels and all technology- is identical and uniform in all classrooms, so tutors are always competent and comfortable using technology, helping to eliminate potential confusion or delays.

Kramer's AV solution is used for multiple purposes beyond classes at Akvarelli, since school administrators use the screens in the “opening ceremony” of 10 minutes each morning to make announcements and share messages. For security reasons, The system can also send warnings through a silent alarm, that can be located immediately in an exact location.

“It is a big step to change solutions for teachers, so you have to do it right”, affirms Niko Sutinen. “Now, con AvoIP, They can present anywhere in the classroom and do not depend on any connection. Classes can open. Be a few steps ahead of other schools. Y, ultimately, help Akvarelli become a stimulating learning environment that responds to the challenges of education, today and in the future”.

Working closely together, Kramer and Advania overcame several obstacles to ensure the success of the project, including completion in half the originally allotted time, as a result of delays in building construction. An obstacle that would not have been overcome without the on-the-ground availability of Kramer's Finnish-speaking team, which proved to be invaluable.

Other schools in Forssa are evaluating the solution with a view to a possible expansion in the future.