CT Industry

• 10/01/08

:: NEWS

SMART LEARNING STUDIO. The Ohio State University's Digital Union now features an array of products from Smart Technologies, intended for the use of faculty and students conducting highlevel research with education technology. The Digital Union's Learning Collaboration Studio flexible learning environment is equipped with a Smart Board 680i interactive whiteboard, Sympodium interactive pen display, Air- Liner wireless slate, and Smart Notebook software.

NEW PROJECTOR PLAYER. Vivitek has announced its entry into the signage, visual display, and professional presentation market. The company's projector line is equipped with Texas Instruments' DLP technology, while its digital signage products will utilize LCD technology only. Vivitek's first projectors, the D326MX and D326WX, feature energy-saving rapid start-up and shutdown features, reflecting the company's commitment to environmentally responsible and sustainable products.

ZIPPING AROUND. A fleet of Zipcars is now available to faculty, staff, and students at the University of Miami. The car-sharing program allows members to reserve cars online, via phone, or via mobile device, for an hourly rate of $8 that includes gas and insurance. Members also pay an annual fee of $35. Encouraging Zipcar participation: For the first time this fall, UM's resident freshmen are not allowed to have their own cars on campus.

INCREASED SUPPORT. Perceptis has expanded its partnership with Pima Community College (AZ) from initially providing after-hours help-desk support, to now providing 24/7 IT support for students and faculty. The company's IP-based call centers will provide help via phone, e-mail, and chat; Pima students and faculty also will have access to SmartiPantz, Perceptis' online self-help tool.

LED ALERTS. Virginia Tech is deploying 220 wall-mounted OnAlert LED displays from Inova Solutions, for emergency notification in classrooms and common areas. Visible from over 100 feet, the displays are powered by existing network connections using standard power over Ethernet technology, and are centrally networked and managed.

EXTENDING 10GBE. Ferrum College (VA) has chosen to replace its campuswide legacy Cisco Systems network infrastructure with Juniper Networks switching, network access control, and firewall/virtual private network solutions. The college chose the new equipment after deciding to extend 10 Gigabit Ethernet throughput across the network in support of advanced voice over IP, by fall 2009. Read more here.

GREEN ACTION. Colleges and universities are taking energy-saving and environmentally conscious steps when it comes to technology on campus, according to the latest survey from the Association for Information Communications Technology Professionals in Higher Education. Sixty-five percent of attendees at ACUTA's July annual conference said their schools have bought new equipment, launched distance learning and online education programs, instituted policies, and are otherwise moving to reduce energy usage and go green.

MOBILE STUDENT RESPONSE. AT&T has announced the certification and availability of mobile student response technology on AT&T-powered wireless devices. The browser-based application for real-time polling (from Turning Technologies can work within a traditional classroom environment, or remotely for distance learning, via AT&T's third-generation (3G) and Edge wireless data networks.

:: PEOPLE

MICROSOFT VET TO JUNIPER. High-performance networking vendor Juniper Networks has named Kevin Johnson as chief executive officer. Johnson joins Juniper from a 16-year tenure at Microsoft, where he most recently served as president of the Platforms and Services Division.