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When it comes to purchasing new technology, making the wrong decision can be a costly move – especially for financially strapped schools. For example, a district’s upfront cost when purchasing a device can be just a fraction of what they’ll pay if they buy the wrong device, which impacts both budget and resources.

ViewSonic has advice for educators on how to future-proof their classroom projector purchases, while making the best initial selection for their budget. Purchasers should first answer this simple list of questions to significantly lower total cost of ownership (TCO) to guide them in their decision-making:

1. Does the projector have a lamp? If so, what’s the expected lamp life?

Replacement lamps are not cheap; on average they can run $200-$300 per lamp. Look for the projector with longer lamp hours and a lower replacement lamp cost. Similar to the printer market, also be careful of projectors with a “too good to be true” price point. Often times, they will come with high replacement supply costs.

2. What sort of time requirements does the projector require of my staff?

Know whether your projector selection will require filter cleanings and replacement. This is usually the case with 3LCD projectors. These maintenance costs can add up over time, so to avoid filter costs completely, shop for a DLP projector.Look for top-loading projectors as well to avoid needing someone from the union to come out to change the bulb.

3. What sort of hidden costs might there be?

Installation and servicing can be expensive. Before you buy, talk with a servicer/installer who will answer your questions. Find one who will offer your school the best services for a good price. This can make a huge difference. The electricity costs of operating projectors can be more than you might think, so look for projectors with energy-saving features such as ECO mode (dims brightness by 20 percent) and DynamicEco™ (dims brightness by 70 percent). As an added bonus, these features will extend your lamp life too!

4. Warranty information can be confusing. What do I need to know? What is considered a good warranty?

Some projector companies offer seemingly longer warranties that exclude the more vulnerable moving parts and labor costs. Be weary of projectors that only ensure the chipset. This part of the projector hardly ever goes bad. To protect your investment, look for projectors with longer labor warranties (2+ years) to guard against costly repairs. A 1-year lamp warranty is also ideal in case the expected hourly lamp life isn’t meeting expectations. As most schools require 5-year warranties on the projector hardware, be sure to research which projector brand has the best price on extended warranty options.

To share hard numbers with your district heads on the savings your school can expect to achieve, check out our DLP projector TCO calculator. Still have questions about your next projector purchase? Ask us here!

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) tradeshow has come and gone once more. Over the course of four days, more than 1,800 exhibitors and tens of thousands of attendees met to mold what the future will look like for the restaurant, foodservice and hospitality industries. Following this week’s show, we wanted to share what, in our opinion, were the most notable technological advancements and trends that will change the customer experience within these industries.

The standout technology at this show was digital menu boards. Restaurants are increasingly showing nutritional information and digital boards can help them make updates quickly and without additional costs. Whether wanting to easily switch from morning to evening menus, or advertise the new special of the day, it’s clear that eateries now have significant opportunities to promote their menus in a brand new way.

A trend popular at NRA this year was the use of tablets within restaurants to make the customer experience more seamless. Tablet implementation examples include the wait-staff using the devices to take orders, turning the tablet into a POS system to manage the front of house, or even placing tablets on tables to enable patrons to place their order themselves. It’s great to see that due to their mobility factor, the possibilities for tablets within dining establishments are nearly endless.

What technological advancements do you see impacting the foodservice industry? Have you experienced any of these above examples in your own dining experience? Did you like or dislike it? Share your thoughts with us!

Have you heard of the flipped classroom teaching model? It is a teaching technique that is gaining steam across the country. The idea is that students do their homework during classroom time, and lectures are done outside of the classroom via the Internet. This allows for classroom activity to remain centered around student and teacher collaboration.

The argument is that with traditional teaching models, students can be overrun by homework assignments. When students don’t fully understand the lesson plan, completing homework at home can be difficult. For students who lack structure and guidance in the home, or a quiet place to study, completing assignments outside of school can become a nightmare.

In a recent article, Tech Decisions shared an interesting case study about Clintondale High School near Detroit. Clintondale spends most of class time giving students help rather than classroom lectures. Additionally, multimedia presentations and video conferencing with other classrooms around the world have become part of the school day for a more interactive environment.

For this school and many others like it, the individualized attention is working. Chronic failure rates have dropped dramatically, while college readiness scores have more than doubled to nearly 29 percent. The best part is that this new approach requires a very minimal investment in technology upgrades, and no alterations to existing network infrastructure. It’s a great approach for schools experiencing a decrease in financial resources. In Clintondale’s case, they needed to purchase five PCs with powerful CPU capacity to support the increase in PowerPoint presentation creation, a few USB microphones so teachers could record themselves for lessons, and two tablets for greater mobility options.

Students vary in how they learn best. That calls for leaders in education to be open to evaluating new strategies for helping students grow, both personally and developmentally. It’s great to see students achieving impressive levels of success because teachers are taking better notice of their needs.

We’d like to hear from educators whose students have seen academic gains with this method or another alternative educational model. Share your results with us, or tweet your tips to @ViewSonic.

When should I upgrade my projector? This is a great question posed by CNET in a recent article on how to know when it’s time to upgrade, from a home cinema perspective. This got us thinking about the similarities and differences between consumer and business-focused projection offerings, so we’ve put together this guide to help businesses know when they are ready for a projector refresh. See how your company’s hardware stacks up:

1. Resolution within Reach – To avoid image distortion, make sure your projector has a matching aspect ratio to that of your content and/or source device so images stay in their native format. Most online content today is in wide format, as are many IT devices such as laptops, tablets and smartphones, etc. Companies will benefit from a widescreen WXGA projector with 1280x800 or 1920x1080 (1080p) resolution. Note however that for 4:3 format support, you’ll want a matching aspect ratio like an XGA with a 1024x768 resolution for ideal image projection.

2. Bigger Brightness – For corporate environments like meeting rooms and boardrooms, it’s important to use a projector with at least 2700 ASNI lumens brightness to compensate for space size without having to turn out the lights. Does the room you’re projecting in have windows and a high amount of ambient light? Then you’ll want to make sure your projector has a minimum brightness of 3000 ANSI lumens to compensate. And for an even larger space like a lecture hall, make sure you have at least 4000 ANSI lumens for optimal image quality.

3. Compare Connectivity – There’s a lot to consider when it comes to making sure a projector has the right connectivity options for your needs. Know the number of devices that will need to connect to the projector before you start shopping to make sure it has enough inputs. For instance, two computers will need two VGA/RGB inputs on the projector. If you need a digital connection, then you’ll want a DVI and/or HDMI input. As for use with a DVD or VCR, you’ll need S-Video and/or composite video connection, and it’s all about HDMI when it comes to Blu-ray/DVR players. And with these multimedia needs, multiple audio inputs are a must. Does your office have a LAN network? Would your company benefit from being able to control, manage and monitor the projector from a PC? Then a model with an RJ-45 port with a built-in web-based setting configuration menu may also be of interest.

4. Rev up ROI – If you evaluate the above points prior to purchase, you can expect to use a projector for at least 2-3 years prior to considering a replacement. And while the cost of projectors themselves have gone down considerably, there are other factors you’ll want to take into account to maximize ROI, such as product warranty, lamp cost and hours, as well as maintenance costs like filter replacement. To protect your investment, look for projectors with longer labor warranties (2+ years) to guard against costly repairs. Replacement lamps can also be an unforeseen expense at a street price of $200-$300 a pop, so make sure you’re informed about the lamp warranty (1-year is ideal), and the expected hourly lamp life. With this information in hand, a more expensive projector unit may end up saving you in the long run.

Did your company recently upgrade its projector setup? What’s your favorite new projection advancement?

Posted in Corporate News

Have you noticed a reduction of paper used in your own doctor's office? According to the CDC, 57 percent of office-based physicians have been using electronic medical record / electronic health record (EMR/EHR) systems as of 2011, up from just 18 percent in 2001. To this trend, research firm, MarketsandMarkets forecasts that Electronic Medical Record and Electronic Health Record industries are expected to reach $6 billion by 2012 in the US alone.

There is no denying that digitizing medical records has the potential to keep patient documents safer and improve overall quality of patient coordination and care. However, this is only true if healthcare professionals have the right tools to help them effectively access these records. For the health industry, the implementation of tablet devices can offer the benefit of true mobility when it comes to showing patient information and making changes in real-time, while cutting costs for paper and the associated hassles of hard-copy records.

When determining the right tablet solution for medical industry professionals, it is crucial that resellers consider the following points:

Security: Clearly, security is a huge concern for professionals and patients alike. Windows-based tablets are an answer, as they include features such as built-in firewalls and data recovery settings. Third-party software and services can also further enhance device security and it is important to note that the Windows platform supports more of these features than the typical mobile operating system.

Image quality: Ultrasound imaging solutions manufacturer Interson Corporation is using our ViewPad 10 as part of its latest ultrasound solution to display images and data from its propriety ultrasound probe. As your customer will also likely be using the tablet for the review of critical client X-rays and other medical scans, excellent display quality is critical for an accurate diagnosis.

Processing power: For medical imaging needs, a higher quality processor may be required to handle a hospital's various software programs. Also consider that since FDA approval of the first mobile medical app in 2009, the use of medical apps will continue to grow and become more widely accepted, meaning tablets will need not only a great processor but also extensive storage options to support these applications.

What trends are you seeing in the medical field when it comes to the digitalization of client records? How do you feel the introduction of tablets into the medical profession will change the way patients receive treatments? Share your thoughts with us here on the blog.

Adoption of EMR/EHR systems by office-based physicians has increased.

Thin client computing offers significant benefits over traditional PC deployments. In fact, IDC found that thin client users (when compared to full PC users) experience a decline in hardware and software costs of 40 percent and a reduction in IT operations costs by 29 percent. In addition, IDC concluded that a thin client computing setup increases IT worker productivity by 56 percent due to a reduction of troubleshooting and repair needs, when compared to traditional PCs.

For organizations wishing to save acquisition and operating costs, enhance security and manageability, and promote green IT and sustainability, ViewSonic’s MultiClient solution puts thin client computing in reach for cost-conscious districts and SMBs.

Following its unveiling at ISTE 2011, ViewSonic is announcing new product bundles and software support today for the company’s MultiClient computing offering. This cost-effective, scalable solution lets educators and businesses easily create and manage their own private cloud computing environment. Enabling up to 20 independent user stations (with monitors, mice and keyboards) to be powered by just one host server, MultiClient significantly lowers the cost per seat, reduces energy costs and virtually eliminates compatibility issues and IT management needs.

Now two additional energy-efficient zero client VMA Series adapters are available, each with four USB ports, so users can connect their preference of peripherals. We enable users to select their preference of software licensing between Userful MultiSeat Linux 2011™ and Microsoft® MultiPoint® WMS2011 for true customization.

To get started with a MultiClient setup, educators and businesses just need to connect the MultiClient Adapter box to a monitor with keyboard and mouse, and then plug into the host server. For more MutliClient information, click here.

Are you a thin client believer? What sort of benefits have you seen? We’d love to take your questions about thin client deployments within your organization. Share your experiences with us here!

With the surge in flexible work schedules and telecommuting in the workplace comes an increase in the use of mobile devices. From smartphones to tablets, the lines of personal and professional property are becoming more and more blurred. In fact, the occurrence of employees brining their personal devices into the workplace for professional use has been named ‘Bring Your Own Device”, BYOD for short (also known as IT consumerization). With this BYOD craze comes many questions, including those around intellectual property and device-related expense and company responsibility.

However we think a recent CNET article raised an interesting, less obvious point about what will happen to the use of traditional PCs within the workplace as BYOD continues to go mainstream. According to a recent global workforce survey conducted by Forrester Research, about 74 percent of information workers have used two or more personal devices for work purposes, and 52 percent had used three or more. Of these devices, 25 percect were mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

Although BYOD is definitely on the rise, there is also evidence that the workforce still prefers to use work-provided devices. In fact, IDC found that only two out of 10 employees want to use their own device for work and personal use. However, this is likely due to the fact that employees don’t want to feel like they have to use their own personal devices within a corporate setting from a financial perspective. In other words, it looks like CNET’s article has answered the question of what will happen to the PC as BYOD becomes more mainstream – as long as BYOD means turning a company expense into a personal one, the workforce will continue to support the use of business PCs.

Do you bring in your own personal devices into the workplace? Does your company have a BYOD program or policy? Does your company offer its employees business tablets? Let us know your thoughts around the growing trend of BYOD here.

Recent advancements in display technologies have made their mark on the television viewing experience. It’s hard to believe just how far we’ve come since only a few decades ago during the times of black and white TV. Over the years, TV sets have become larger in size, while becoming slimmer and sleeker in profile and overall appearance. Paired with display advancements such as a Full HD picture, “smart” Internet connections and LED backlighting, TV has never been more exciting – for both commercial applications, such as the hospitality industry and sports bars, as well as home entertainment.

However, with this new TV technology comes more inputs and hookup ports. For someone that’s not up on the latest technology, all these new shapes and types of connectors can be quite confusing. We think a recent New York Times article did an excellent job decoding today’s 21^st Century television with easy-to-understand descriptions and useful corresponding pictures to help you feel confident in hooking up your new television:

1. USB:  A data connection, often used to connect a wireless “dongle” that can get your TV onto your home’s Wi-Fi network. Once that’s in place, your TV can become a “smart TV,” pulling in Internet content (Netflix, Facebook) that you can access directly on the screen.

2. Optical Audio:  Also known as Toslink, this standard uses fiber optic cables to transmit high-quality audio from the display to a soundbar, home theater system or an amplifier. Some audio components have moved to the HDMI standard, but there are still many products old and new that use this cable.

3. HDMI:  The current standard for high-definition video and audio connections. HDMI cables carry high-definition video and surround-sound audio in one cable. The content is transmitted digitally, so there’s little to no signal degradation, even over long distances.

4. Component:  Before HDMI, this was the only way to send high-definition video from a device to a display. Component cables are divided into three plugs — red, green and blue — each carrying a part of the video signal. Component cables are video-only, so you still need an audio connection to hear anything. HDMI is rapidly replacing this standard.

5. Composite:  The most basic — and lowest in fidelity — video connection. Good for connecting older equipment like camcorders or game consoles that lack the newer, more capable standards. Composite video is often located next to stereo outputs (not to be confused with Component plugs).

6. Audio Out:  Also known as RCA jacks, these ubiquitous ports are either red or white, to represent the left and right channels of a stereo signal. They provide low-fidelity audio connections, in that they do not support surround sound.

7. LAN or Ethernet:  A connector that looks like a telephone cable, but is a little bigger. Used to connect to wired local area networks (aka “a home network”), the LAN jack is what you would use if you did not have Wi-Fi.

8. Ex Link:  Available on some TVs, the ex link connection allows you to adjust the angle of certain wall-mounted TVs by using your existing TV’s remote control.

9. Antenna In:  Also known as a coaxial cable connection. This threaded connection is used to attach an external antenna (to receive over-the-air broadcast signals) or, sometimes, a cable set-top box. Modern set-top boxes usually have HDMI or component connections for a higher-quality connection between devices, so it is unlikely you would use this port.

10. PC In:  Also known as a VGA connector, this is a way to connect a laptop or other personal computer to a television. This connection is video only, so you would need to set up an additional audio connection to hear whatever was coming out of your computer.

Did your TV set up confuse you? Would this guide have helped you keep all the new technology straight? Or are you planning to put this article to use in an upcoming television installation? Tell us about it here on the blog.

Images Sourced from:  http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/03/21/technology/personaltech/hooking-up-a-new-tv-which-cable-goes-where.html

1. Turn Technology Off: Ensure that electronics and lights are turned off at the end of the school day, as well as when they are not in use. This includes computers, overheads, projectors, etc. Remember lights are used in some less obvious areas as well, such as hallways and bathrooms. Also consider replacing lights with more energy efficient bulbs.

2. Don’t Let Energy Get you Hot Under the Collar: A big cost for schools can be proper heating and cooling of educational spaces. To keep heat and air conditioning in rooms to maintain temperatures, keep all classroom and office doors closed. Be sure to turn the heat down after school and on weekends as well. If heating and cooling bills are still higher than desired, consider the impact a little landscaping can make. Pinpoint the rooms that get the most sun each day, and try planting trees to shade the windows from the direct rays.

3. Computer Labs Can Be Consuming Culprits: Not surprisingly, a school’s computer labs can be a huge energy expense. The heat generated by 30+ computers and CRT or LCD monitors can generate expensive air conditioning bills, and older computer monitors can be big energy consumers as well. Consider a computer lab makeover – ViewSonic’s MultiClient solution for example enables up to 10 individual monitor stations to share a single computer, helping schools reduce overall Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) by as much as 60%. For additional energy savings, Energy Star certified LED displays make a significant impact – up to 60% compared to an equivalent LCD monitor.

4. Saving with Solar: Another approach to reducing electricity consumption is by installing solar panels. Take Huntington Beach City School District for example. The district has slashed its electric bills in half and expects to save more than $15 million over the next 25 years in electricity costs. There are plenty of incentives and rebates out there to help your district with the upfront costs of panel installation.

Chances are, you are likely using an LCD monitor setup for your home and business computing needs. You’ve recognized the benefits of replacing your antiquated CRT device to get up to speed with your desktop technology. But you might have only just started the battle.

Great benefits can be achieved by upgrading your current LCD setup for an LED monitor instead. If you’re not convinced, check out this list of the top five benefits an enterprise can expect from taking its monitor technology to the next level with LED:

1. Improved performance: Is your current monitor giving you eye strain? Are you getting headaches by the end of the day? With LED monitors, users experience even better flicker reduction over LCD for a practically flicker-free image. That means less computer eyestrain and vision fatigue.

2. Reduced power consumption: Even further reduction of power consumption over LCD, up to 60% in some cases, results in significant energy cost savings. In addition, up to 90% of the energy consumed by the average monitor is released as heat. That means powering an LED monitor will result in a long-term electric bill savings as well.

3. Improved image quality: Through LED backlight technology, monitor manufacturers are able to deliver noticeable color improvements over LCD, as well as impressive contrast ratios to achieve a brilliant picture quality. This means darker blacks and brighter whites for a wider color gamut and better color accuracy.

4. Greater environmental benefits: Even more environmental benefits from reduced emissions and hazardous materials include the elimination of mercury. A mercury-free monitor means a greener, healthier planet, and that’s great for everyone.

5. Cost savings: Still not convinced that LED is the way to go for your business? Give our TCO calculator a try. By filling in the number of monitors used in your workplace, the hours each device is in operation per day and the number of days per week, you’ll determine the money your company will save by making the switch.^[1]

Are you planning to purchase a new LED monitor? What benefit are you looking forward to enjoying most from your new display?

Honored again as the Top Vendor in the Flat Panel Displays Category

You may have sat at your desk, staring at your computer screen thinking, “It sure would be nice if I had two monitors.” In the following few words, we aim to give you irrefutable evidence to share with your management team about why adding another monitor to your desktop will increase workplace productivity.

Several studies have concluded that dual-monitor setups take productivity to the next level, including one done by researchers at Microsoft, who found that second monitor can boost productivity by up to 50% when it comes to tasks like copying and pasting[1]. A Jon Peddie Research survey also found that an extra monitor boosts output between 20-30%[2].

With a single monitor, every time a new window is brought up on the screen, your eyes and brain need to reorient themselves. These seconds of mental processing can add up. In fact, The University of Utah determined that workers could save up to 2.5 hours per day when using larger (24”) or dual monitors[3]. That means in an 8.5-hour workday, your employer will benefit from over an extra day of productivity per week from you, while you’ll enjoy more screen real estate and easier working. It’s a win-win.

Consider having your email up on one screen and a document you are working on up on the other. Do you IM a lot with coworkers about projects? Try reserving a screen for chats so you can still check email simultaneously. Or try using one screen to pull up websites or other documents you need to refer to, eliminating the need to print out materials. Simply sweep the mouse and files move from one screen to the other, enabling maximum efficiency.

If your boss won’t go for the argument that a dual-monitor set up will make you a happier, more productive employee, then suggest going with a larger screen next time your company is ready to upgrade. For instance, a 24” monitor is ideal for side-by-side dual document editing and viewing, and delivers about 50% more screen area than a single 19” model provides.

Are you using a dual-monitor setup at work? How do you feel it has impacted your productivity?

HAMILTON, N.Y. (1/27/12) – The Colgate women's hockey team will partner with Autism Speaks, ViewSonic and Goals for Good in its 2012 Autism Awareness Project.

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n the wake of HP’s failed webOS initiative, ViewSonic holds true to its tablet strategy