Solution

”Taiwan Acts!” is a visual spectacle curated at the Architekturmuseum der TUM in Munich, Germany. This international exhibition showcases multiple architectural initiatives created after the devastating earthquake in Taiwan on September 21, 1999. The show aims to raise awareness about the role of architecture through social dialogue.

The curators of the exhibit needed to find a way to provide an easy and intuitive installation for an exhibition that will travel across the globe. They also wanted to bring Taiwanese art and culture to an international audience via advanced visual technology solutions.

The ViewSonic® LD135-152 is a 135” All-in-One Direct View LED Display Solution Kit that provides easy delivery, installation, and maintenance. The pre- assembled, modular design allows for easy setup within minutes from unboxing, while the movable flight case makes for easy transport. With 360° rotational mobility and a built-in motorized height-adjustable stand, this display effortlessly moves through different exhibit layouts, while elevating the curation experience to the next level.

With a huge, bezel-free 135’’ screen size, Full HD resolution, high brightness, and vivid colors, this solution kit meets and exceeds the high quality required within visual arts, creating an immersive atmosphere and engaging visitors on a deeper level, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The preassembled kit lowers the technical barrier for installers, making setup simple and efficient. With just a single click, the large 135” LED display is ready for instant use and comes with built-in power supplies, control systems and stitching machines.

With a built-in motorized floor stand, curators were able to easily adjust the height of the display up to a maximum range of nearly 24-inches with the simple press of a button. Up to four different sets of height preferences can be saved for convenient recurring use.

During the exhibit, various documentaries were played on the massive 135” Direct View LED Display. The museum saw over 30,000 visitors during the exhibit, each of them wowed by the impactful storytelling and immersive visual experience delivered by the ViewSonic display. Over 100 Taiwanese architectural projects were featured, each emphasizing social dialog and engagement including social, economic, humanitarian and cultural topics.

“We’re very happy to collaborate with ViewSonic to prepare this kind of large exhibition,” said Dr. Chen-Yu Chiu, curator of Taiwan Acts! “We used the 135-inch All-in-One Direct View LED Display Solution Kit to play documentary videos showing Taiwan’s urban landscape. It provided a breathtaking viewing experience and simplified the installation time to 10 minutes.”

Because the LD135-152 kit comes pre-assembled, it was quickly installed and allowed the museum staff to focus on the most important part of the exhibit: creating the best visual setup for its visitors. Experimenting with different height adjustments and angles, the staff customized the display according to the exhibit’s objectives and the unique museum space. The ideal position was secured and stabilized with the press of a button.

The Direct View LED Display was ready to go with a single cable plug-in. This reduced the need for multiple cables and provided a cleaner overall installation. Because the kit’s storage space could keep multiple digital files, it granted peace of mind to those managing such a large art event. No additional components or space was required either, maximizing the possible number of visitors. The intuitive use of the display also benefited the museum on a day-to-day basis, by giving operational ease for staff working different shifts.

“I think it made a huge difference compared to exhibitions we’ve done so far,” said Dr. Andres Lepik, Director of A.M. Architekturmuseum der TUM. “ViewSonic’s All-in-One Direct View LED Display Solution Kit really enhances the exhibition space. The audience gets the spirit of the event and is much closer to the artwork with the huge format of the immersive video display. I think that really makes a big difference.”

The CSUDH esports program began as a grassroots club in 2017 with three student participants. By 2019 it had grown to over 200 members, but lacked a consistent meeting place. For a time, a corner in the lower level of the Student Union became their home, until once again the organization (now known as the CSUDH Esports Association) was bursting at the seams. They needed more space, and they needed more equipment to accommodate growing interest in what has become over a 1.1 billion-dollar industry.

Logistical challenges around space and equipment notwithstanding, possibly the greatest challenge the esports program at CSUDH faced in its first few years was to nurture its growth in a way that would meet the core program tenets set by the administration: academics and research; community engagement; competition, and entertainment, in roughly that order.

“When people think about esports, they think competition and they think about having fun,” said Ruben Caputo, CSUDH Esports Academic Advisor and team general manager, “But esports offers so much more, and we wanted our program to reflect that. First and foremost, we wanted it to provide students with experiences they could readily translate into life skills and career opportunities. Equally important to us was that we spark engagement both within the program and the university, as well as the community at large.”

The objectives below the surface of these four tenets were ambitious.

Under the first pillar, program administrators sought to provide an environment that would promote and enable the development of multidisciplinary competencies, as well as extend their vision of education through esports to other educational organizations. Community engagement would entail fostering a compassionate, multigenerational community rich with community service.
To engage in competition, the program planned to welcome and coach gamers of all experience levels to become a new breed of elite gamers with an appreciation for diversity, healthy living, academic success and life balance. Even entertainment would not be purely for fun – students would directly participate in and develop capabilities around how to broadcast and host high-quality events. Throughout their engagement with these four pillars of the program, student members would develop interpersonal and technical skills.

In the pursuit of these objectives, Caputo and his team encountered both anticipated and unforeseen obstacles, including the pandemic, parental concerns, preconceptions about gaming, and at times the very nature of many gamers themselves. To grow the program as envisioned, Caputo would need to convince students and parents of the many social, academic and career-focused benefits of organized gaming. He would need to find sufficient space, technology and resources to support the group’s goals.

Looking back over the formative years that led to the CSUDH Esports Association’s third consecutive crowning as the NECC National Gaming Competition champion in 2021, Caputo reflects that the key has been to grow organically. To an outsider looking in, it’s clear that having a passionate advocate like Caputo, paired with strong administrative support, were also prime components of the organization’s success. In 2018, when CSUDH President Dr. Thomas Parham assumed leadership of the university, he and Caputo met to discuss the trajectory of the program, forming the four domains that would guide its ongoing development.

Dr. Parham recalled during a speech at the presentation of the first team jerseys that he had invited potential supporters to consider that, “…gaming…is a strategy not just an outcome. If we can create opportunity through gaming for our students to learn coding, there’s a transferable asset in there to get them through these courses and to get them into that workforce later on once they graduate,” said Parham, adding that, “[esports] is not simply competition, it is about ways in which we as an institution can enhance the lives of our students through gaming.”

The first step toward the program they envisioned, said Caputo, was to explore interest within the university community, which they found to be overwhelming. Next, he brought in faculty from diverse departments to join the Esports Association board and provide multidisciplinary expertise. These 20 individuals now enhance the Association with the unique perspective of fields ranging from computer science, design and communications to marketing, psychology and civic engagement.

The path from there included events and activities to foster dialog with families, community educators, and industry personnel. It was around this time that the organization reached 200 members and received its first official home in the student union, outfitted with a small amount of permanent equipment. The group became more organized, setting up its own Discord communication portal, holding regular meetings and hosting small, casual gaming events on campus.

“Before this, students brought their own equipment with them, lugging in consoles and even monitors,” said Caputo. “With the added stability of our own space, I started to think about how we could get these kids, who tend to be introverted and often shy and reserved, more involved in the processes around the esports industry; to get them problem solving, gaining transferrable skills
and gaining confidence.”

Much of the students’ growth came from the very act of belonging to the club; many had never participated in extracurricular activities and tended to spend their free time gaming alone from home. More learning came from the inherent problem solving and critical thinking required to excel at the games. Even more transformative education occurred as the Association expanded and the students learned to work together as teams, host large events, design promotional materials, program, broadcast competitions, and the many other activities related to the world of esports.

One unique project that Caputo facilitated with the group provided a notable springboard for learning and community building.

“At a group meeting we began talking about the barriers to entry into esports, which can be cost-prohibitive for many students,” said Caputo. “I asked them, how could we lower those barriers and pushed them to do some out-of-the-box thinking. We unpacked the problem without actually using any technology, just sticky notes and a whiteboard.”

Together they dove into the concept of design thinking, while enjoying some carryout pizza. The empty box became their inspiration.

“One student commented that at tournaments you had to bring your own controller, which usually cost around $60, and suggested the idea of making their own, making sure it conformed to the rules but was low cost,” said Caputo. “Another student jumped in and said, ‘Hey, pizza and gaming go together – let’s turn this box into a controller.’ ”

And so they did, market testing their unique controller and a branded model
by surveying fellow gamers. The pizza box won out – whether due to novelty or the added palm space students cited, we will never know. What is certain is that this project helped put the CSUDH esports program into the limelight.

First, a student who worked at Pizza Hut showed the team’s social posts to
their manager, who shared them with the corporate office. This led to a community partnership with Pizza Hut in 2020 that led to the creation of a locally aired commercial.

“The students had the opportunity to participate in the entire process,”
said Caputo. “They worked up the concepts, created the storyboards,
and earned pizzas and pizza boxes to use for more controllers. It was our first mentorship program.”

Next, the pizza-box controller became a showpiece at an alumni event, which was attended by hundreds of parents. It was here that barriers between the Esports Association and families began to crumble, as parents gained clarity about the program and its benefits, recognizing that it was a way for their children to develop passions and skills with a high probability of leading them to job opportunities. From the parents whose children were already participating in CSUDH esports, Caputo heard repeated comments like, “I have never seen my son/daughter be this social before,” and, “They’ve been so much happier since joining the club.”

As the program continued to flourish, its multidisciplinary structure enabled it to add components like health and wellness support, a mentorship program serving local high school students, and professional development curriculum for educators. The program’s efforts and unique focus caught the attention of monitor manufacturer ViewSonic.

“ViewSonic approached us after seeing our social media posts highlighting
the ways in which we’re using esports as a student success strategy,” said Caputo. “Our mentoring program with Compton Unified School District convinced them that CSUDH would be a like-minded partner in developing esports.”

Initial conversations led to a partnership, with ViewSonic serving as the official monitor sponsor for the CSUDH Esports Association, and providing technology and support for career-building opportunities and activities.

It couldn’t have happened at a better time. Concurrent with the ViewSonic- CSUDH Esports Association discussions, the university was in the process of implementing several facilities expansions, including an Esports Incubator Lab. ViewSonic agreed to outfit the new lab with gaming monitors, large screen digital displays, and an interactive whiteboard, as well as to fund team jerseys and other apparel.

“I couldn’t be happier with the ViewSonic team, they are terrific to work with,” said Caputo. “Their vision parallels ours. In addition to their generous product and apparel support, ViewSonic is working with us to develop an internship pipeline for CSUDH students, which will allow them to begin to transfer the skills they’re learning in esports to the workplace. That’s exactly how we want to be supporting our students.”

As the CSUDH Esports Association continues to organically take shape, the Incubator Lab, set to open its doors in the spring of 2022, is destined to become the creative epicenter for the cultivation of ideas, the promotion of student projects, and a showcase for competitive gaming. Caputo looks forward to finding new ways to engage students in the enriching world of esports.

“I’ve had the great joy of seeing so many kids build confidence and competencies through their participation in esports,” he said. “Even those who were once incredibly shy, or had parents who were wary that ‘video games’ are a waste of time. The esports narrative is so much more complex than that. I am thrilled to be a steward of this amazing program.”

Located in the Huamanga Ayacucho District, the Mariscal Caceres School was looking for modern and interactive collaboration and presentation solutions to transform their traditional classrooms into powerful hybrid classrooms. The school also wanted to boost its faculty’s abilities to present content via interactive displays. With that in mind, they contacted the regional government of Ayacucho and requested their support for this sizable investment.

The school has 118 classrooms and was looking to equip them all with interactive displays, including hardware and software, while also developing an advanced training program for their faculty of over 200 members.

Along with 18 ViewBoard® interactive displays purchased in 2020, a total of 118 ViewBoard IFP7550 interactive displays were installed. Students were able to enjoy more modern classrooms equipped with video collaboration tools that support hybrid learning. The new platform allowed teachers to teach using interactive content through remote, hybrid or fully in-person sessions.

The ViewBoard displays delivered a major upgrade with 4K Ultra HD, or 3840 x 2160-pixel, resolution, which is 10-times as high as the resolution of the XGA projectors that were traditionally used in class (1024 x 768). These displays provided an enhanced surround sound experience in the classroom thanks to their integrated speakers and sub-woofer configuration.

The myViewBoard™ digital whiteboard software allows for the creation of multimedia content through interactivity, artificial intelligence, cloud-based integration and a built-in browser for downloading videos, images and/or text, which enables collaboration and also promotes student acceptance and engagement.

The casting feature can be used to wirelessly stream and present multimedia content from any device (notebook, tablet or smartphone) to the main display through the school’s WiFi or LAN networks. This makes it easy for students to share and present content on the displays from their desks or even from home, thus transforming classrooms into true hybrid platforms.

Tecnologia y Creatividad, an integrator of ViewSonic® visual solutions, trained a total of 209 teachers and assistants in the use of the myViewBoard software. Training focused on topics such as toolbars, templates, the Magic Box, browser and content search, insertion of videos and images, Artificial Intelligence (AI), myViewBoard Clips, original content and more. The goal was for teachers to use myViewBoard as their main platform for content and lesson creation in hybrid learning settings.

The school’s principal, Felix Valer Torres, said that as students gradually return to the traditional classroom setting, this upgraded equipment will be key to encouraging their engagement in both the education process and the development of social skills. “This undoubtedly helps the process of completing a robust academic, moral and emotional training so that students can achieve personal and professional success in today’s rapidly changing society, in which technology plays a critical role,” he said.

Alex Carlos, ViewSonic Territory Manager for Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, expressed his enthusiasm for boosting digital interaction in Peruvian classrooms.

“It is very important for us to have cities that prioritize their investments in education, as is the case of Ayacucho, a modern region that now also recognizes the value of technology in its education proposal,” said Carlos. “We are confident that with our ViewBoard and myViewBoard platform, teacher training programs, and the natural ease with which today’s young people embrace new technologies, will all help to create genuine 21st century learning environments.”

Torres, who managed and led this project, claimed that “This educational institution has become the most technologically equipped school nationwide with the deployment of ViewSonic IFP7550 displays and ViewSonic myViewBoard digital whiteboard software.”

The motor on the projection screen in the president’s boardroom had broken and it was the last straw. For years, GMC’s president, William B. Caldwell IV and the staff responsible for setting up his meeting space had been dealing with an unsatisfactory boardroom display. With a projector mounted 30 feet from the screen, images and text were often grainy and difficult to make out even under the best of conditions.

Depending on the time of day or ambient light, visibility could be slightly better or much, much worse.

“The projector had aged and become dimmer and this room has challenges with ambient light,” said Brian Milner, GMC Director of Technical Support Services, “Besides providing a large image, it never really fit what they wanted, although it was the best choice at the time it was installed.”

What’s more, said Milner, the projector had turned into a time-consuming hassle for the support staff, who wasted time every day focusing and refocusing the projector in an attempt to clearly display calendars and spreadsheets.

The death of the screen motor coincided with a visit by President Caldwell to a neighboring university, where he was impressed with a colleague’s boardroom display. This, said Milner, set off the hunt for a suitable new solution.

Initially, said Milner, President Caldwell was interested in a 98” LCD display - the prevalent technology at the time for this type of installation. Milner and his team began researching various manufacturers and options before turning to long-time partner ViewSonic for pricing and advice.

“We’ve been standardized in all our classrooms with ViewSonic® ViewBoard® IFP8650 interactive displays and ViewSonic CDE8600/8620 commercial displays for about three years,” said Milner. “We initially looked at them because of ViewSonic’s reputation for making great monitors as well as their warranty and we ended up being very impressed with their digital signage and ViewBoard displays.”

On a visit to the conference room, GMC’s ViewSonic rep Ben Pearson confirmed the installation challenges and Milner expected him to recommend ViewSonic’s 98-inch 4K commercial display. Instead, Pearson suggested the latest ViewSonic technology that had launched in Q3 of 2020: Direct View LED displays.

“We turned on the projector and Ben measured the image out at 163 inches,” said Milner. “He said he could offer a Direct View LED wall of the exact same size that would be bright enough to let us keep the lights on and blinds open all the time.”

The benefits of the Direct View LED (DVLED) display didn’t stop there. With an ultra-fine pixel pitch, small text was more legible than ever. And as an all-in-one solution with built-in software, the DVLED display could connect wirelessly to mobile devices and enable multiple users to easily share screens and collaborate. With greater energy efficiency than LCD technology, the DVLED display would be less costly to operate than the proposed 98” display. Fast, easy installation of pre-calibrated panels would also reduce costs compared to a typical wall-mounted LCD installation. Finally, the new technology offered the best color accuracy and refresh rates of any display type currently available.

On paper, the DVLED solution seemed ideal, with outstanding specs and benefits, said Milner. He recommended it to President Caldwell, saying “From what I’ve seen and heard, you’re going to love it.” Caldwell signed off on the purchase and a short while later, GMC had its very own 163” ViewSonic Direct View LED display.

Milner’s prediction was right on the money. As soon as the installation was complete, Caldwell commended the tech team and began sending photos to friends and colleagues.

“He has a group chat with university and college Senior VPs and directors and right away he texted them photos and told them how amazing the screen was,” said Milner. “He told us the images are even better than he expected, and he loves to brag about it.”

With its powerful brightness, seamless images and stunning resolution, it’s easy to see why.

“The resolution and clarity are amazing and it only extends from the wall 1.4 inches. It’s very sleek and high-end looking, which is great for impressing visitors,” said Milner. Plus, it’s so bright, we’re no longer fighting sunlight and ambient light throughout the day.”

The office staff are equally pleased, according to Milner, with an intuitive display solution that’s easy to use and requires virtually no set up or adjusting.

In every way, the ViewSonic DVLED display has met or exceeded expectations. The enormous screen is just as large as the previous projection screen. Text on documents, spreadsheets and calendars is clear, crisp and easily legible in all circumstances. And images stay clear without having to close the blinds or lower the lights.

“We wanted something document-friendly and this solution is definitely that and so much more,” said Milner. “In addition to how great the display is, working with ViewSonic has been a pleasure, as always, and the president now has leading collaboration technology in his boardroom that easily connects to laptops.”

What could be better than exceeding all expectations? The “WOW” factor, of course. “Other college presidents are going to be jealous and want one, we’re sure of it,” said Milner.

The Colegio y Liceo José Artigas wanted to implement a number of different IT solutions and new instructional tools that allowed for interactive learning.

To cater to the current reality of their students, the Colegio y Liceo José Artigas decided to replace their outdated blackboards and whiteboards with interactive displays that facilitate the development of a more streamlined, dynamic, interactive and current learning experience.

Acting as a Certified Reseller, SSI Ltda. introduced the ViewSonic ViewBoard® interactive flat panel displays to the school’s representatives, performing demos for both executives and the middle managers of the institution. SSI Ltda. highlighted the characteristics and benefits of both the hardware and the myViewBoard™ software solution.

The Colegio y Liceo José Artigas initially ordered a total of 11 ViewBoard IFP7550 units and two ViewBoard IFP6550 units.

According to Leonardo Isola, acting member of the school’s Board of Directors,
the ViewBoard interactive displays helped achieve several goals:

• Enhanced engagement: The myViewBoard software suite, along with ViewBoard® Cast 4-way split screen content sharing, enhance students’ attention through interactive classes, while creating dynamic learning sessions for both the teacher and their students.

• Effective remote learning: With the creation of digital content and the planning of digital tasks, teachers and students can interact with lessons from any location.

• Easy installation and setup: Upgrading firmware, installing each display on mobile mounts, updating and setting up all of the software on the slot-in PCs was all simple and straightforward.

• Trained faculty: Teachers participated in training courses led by ViewSonic-certified instructors. These courses use a combination of theory and hands-on learning to train teachers on how to effectively implement interactive learning solutions. Participants must be present for all hours of the course and take a final test to become certified. Course topics range from addressing all aspects related to using ViewSonic products to learning about the latest features in the myViewBoard software solution.

• Ongoing support: Technical assistance is readily available to answer any questions about both solution deployment and equipment installation, as well as questions on the training of the school’s teaching staff.

“The children just love it! They are already very acquainted with the displays and that makes the teaching and learning process more interesting,” said Isola. “And we can no longer imagine having a classroom without this kind of support.”

The Colegio y Liceo José Artigas saw an immediate and positive impact on the teaching/learning process for both teachers and students.

“We chose ViewSonic because of their robust, reliable products, as well as their top quality guidance and support. As a Certified Reseller, SSI Ltda. was entrusted with the training of all teaching staff during long-hour sessions,” said Isola.

“We are very pleased to have provided the solution the school was in need of, especially in terms of comprehensively deploying both our ViewBoard displays and related accessories, and also our myViewBoard solution in all of the school’s classrooms,” said Marcos Paredes, ViewSonic’s Territory Sales Manager for Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. “Also, we are very happy to see a quick adoption by teachers and students. With all the teaching staff trained in the use of myViewBoard as an interactive, collaboration tool, a more emotional and dynamic learning process is accomplished, both in-person and remotely.”

The school’s administrator is now considering further project expansion by adding more displays and providing frequent training in order to keep teachers up-to-date and motivated. Based on his experience, for these types of solutions to truly pay off, equipment should be available in all classrooms so that teachers and students can seamlessly integrate it into their way of working.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began closing schools in the spring of 2020, Langston University quickly shifted its resources online to support a remote learning initiative. Although plans to upgrade their aging technology infrastructure were already in the works, the university was still working on defining their needs and creating timelines for implementation. That’s when Langston University turned to ImageNet Consulting for a consultation.

“We’ve worked with Langston for many years, providing a wide range of products and services,” said Ian Ramsey, ImageNet audio & video sales specialist. “Our senior solutions consultant for Langston, Monica Nichols, has built a great relationship with them.”

Thanks to funds from the CARES Act and additional grants, the university selected ImageNet as their partner to assess and solve their remote learning challenges. Langston’s dean of business, Joshua Snavely, and the President’s chief of staff, Theresa Powell, teamed up to spearhead the process within Langston. Working with key personnel throughout the university as well as university president Kent Smith, the team defined the project’s multiple goals:

• To install professional-grade technology that would enable instructors to connect via Zoom or other videoconferencing platforms.
• To enable teaching using an interactive touchscreen.
• To implement a new system without changing existing programs and platforms.
• To enable students to see both their instructors and content on the board.
• To implement a standardized solution that would be consistent across all classrooms.

Together the ImageNet and Langston teams walked through the main campus to assess the spaces.

Nichols and Ramsey quickly recognized some hurdles that would need to be addressed during installation. Due to the unusual configurations in many classrooms and variety in classroom shapes and sizes, a full teardown and installation would be difficult. And because there was no existing technology that could be integrated into a new solution, this would have to be a blank slate deployment.

The ImageNet AV team put their heads together and recalled a previous solution they had considered for another client – a basic conference room AV setup on a rolling cart. Langston wanted a system that delivered more complexity, including more robust functionality and longer-lasting professional-grade materials.

“We asked ourselves whether we could create a mobile rolling cart that would be everything they needed,” said Ramsey. “We had never done that but thought it was possible. The critical factor would be delivering an outstanding user experience and for that we would need the right equipment.

“With all the chaos going on with COVID, we didn’t have time to waste. It came down to our relationship with ViewSonic. We knew that they make a great product and our ViewSonic reps have always been great – their support has been second to none for us.”

This, he said, along with ViewSonic’s history of being on the mark with pricing and inventory, makes it easy to put the ViewSonic product line in front of clients.

The right product for Langston University, said Ramsey, turned out to be the ViewSonic® ViewBoard® IFP7550 75” 4K interactive flat panel display, combined with the ViewSonic VPC15-WP-4 Slot-In PC and a just-released beamforming microphone, mounted on a ViewSonic VB-STND-001 Mobile Trolley Cart.

Based on a wish list that the Langston University team had put together, the AV team built a proof-of-concept model and placed it in the president’s office. After testing and putting the demo unit through its paces, the trial run was deemed successful and the project was given the green light.

The trolley units were a success. Both teachers and students reported outstanding user experiences and the university was able to rapidly equip their learning spaces with a fully functional professional-grade solution at a very reasonable price point.

The university ordered 50 mobile cart solutions over the summer of 2020. By the end of October, they had ordered another 27, for a total of just over 75 solutions across three campuses.

“LU named them ‘CTUs’ for ‘Classroom Technology Unit,’” said Ramsey, adding that at ImageNet they like to think of them as Conference Technology Units for the broader possibilities. “It’s been an incredible solution for them.”

The units have met the critical need to connect remote students and gone beyond even that, noted chemistry professor Dr. Nisa Ganewatta, who uses the CTUs in all her classes:

“The CTUs are very useful in teaching subjects like chemistry and physical sciences, which have lots of calculations that need to be explained and worked out on the board to support student understanding of the materials. All the content, visualizations and videos are clearly visible and audible to both the students who join via Zoom and the students who attend classes in-person,” said Ganewatta, adding that “The myViewBoard app in these CTUs is tremendously helpful in the above tasks. Powerful speakers, microphones, and the camera in the unit completes its job!”

The university has so much faith in their ViewSonic-powered CTUs that they now use them for everything, including connecting remote participants for their Board of Regents meetings, said Nichols.

Department of English Professor, Wonderful Faison, points out the ViewSonic ViewBoard display’s central role in remote learning:

“The CTUs give instructors a more realistic face-to-face classroom feel during remote learning. The size of the display lets instructors see their entire class, which makes the lecture more organic. Other CTU functions also allow instructors to write notes and highlight specific material to focus student’s attention on specific ideas or concepts.”

Biology professor, Dr. Julia Reed, praised the ViewSonic CTUs for their ability to share lab class content with remote students.

“I use a CTU for every Human Anatomy class, and they’re critical for lab classes,” said Reed. “The wide-angle camera enables my virtual students to see the bones, models and other objects that I present to the students that are present in class. I can walk around the classroom and students at home can see exactly what I’m doing.”

Not only does the innovative solution meet and exceed instructor needs, but its unique form also allowed the university to deploy it in time for the freshman class re-entry for the 2020-2021 school year.

“If we had gone the traditional route of renovating and installing custom solutions for each type of classroom, we might still be in implementation stages,” said Nichols. “With this fully commercial-grade system on a cart, we were able to equip all 75 lecture halls and classrooms within 6 months. We are very grateful to President Smith, Mrs. Powell, and Dean Snavely for their hard work, diligent efforts and prowess – and most especially for their partnership and trust to award ImageNet such an exciting and monumental project!”

The only thing a room needs, added Ramsey, is a wall outlet and available Wi-Fi. Outside of that, the mobile cart is an entire professional, commercial-grade videoconferencing system on a rolling platform.

“We’re thrilled that Langston has been so happy with it,” said Nichols, noting that they’ve already had interest in the solution from other clients. “The ViewSonic ViewBoard IFP7550 75” 4K interactive flat panel display with slot-in PC alone gives clients an entire computer and with all the controls built-in on the cart.”

Despite the speed of deployment, Ramsey noted that this in no way represents a compromise in quality.

“There are some great ‘icing on the cake’ outcomes from this solution as well,” he said. “Langston University got all the upgraded professional-grade technology that they needed at an excellent price point. This increased the number of units they could place and assures them a long-term return on investment, with a high-quality product that will be long lasting and adaptable.”

What’s more, he added, these commercial-grade mobile technology units could be easily transformed into stationary, professional wall-mounted solutions at any time, for just the cost of additional labor.

“If Langston ever wants to create a clean, seamless, wall-mounted environment in any of the rooms, we can do that with a few ancillary parts,” said Ramsey. “On the other hand, the cart solution will never be useless. This solution represents a big value to all education sector clients with ‘technology on wheels.’”

In 2018, UNT became the first public university in the state to launch a varsity- level collegiate esports program. A year later the university became the first in the state to offer esports scholarships to current and incoming students. The program’s rapid growth resulted in the need for added facilities.

“When the program began, the university opened a practice space called The Nest inside the Media Library,” said Dylan Wray, Esports Coordinator. “It’s a great space, but it’s open to anyone who enjoys gaming, or who wants do game design, multimedia work or 3D immersion. It’s not dedicated for our use alone.”

For the program to continue to expand, it needed more space and leading technology to support its players.

With ongoing support from UNT President Neal Smatresk, the esports program was granted space within the University’s POHL Recreation Center to renovate and call its own. The build-out and hardware was funded by the UNT Esports operational budget, with added support from UNT Division of Student Affairs.

Opened in December 2019 and given the moniker “the Eyrie,” (definition: a large nest of a bird of prey, especially an eagle), the space provides a home to varsity esports members and coaches.

“Our collegiate spirit animal is an eagle, and we wanted to maintain the theme begun with the Nest facility” said Wray, “It’s a fantastic space – glass-enclosed, like a fishbowl, and located at the entrance of the Rec Center. We get visibility from thousands of visitors every day.”

Working with ViewSonic marketing manager for gaming, Jason Maryne, Wray outfitted the new facilities with 15 ViewSonic XG2530 25-inch Full HD gaming monitors.

“Right away we found these to be outstanding gaming-quality monitors,” said Wray. “Everything about them seemed ideal for our needs. The 240Hz refresh rate is incredible and the image quality is fantastic. Plus, the design includes great added features like a headphone hook, adjustable stand, cable management – the little things that make life easier.”

Now in its second competitive season, the UNT varsity esports program is going strong. More than 35 students participate on four teams, competing at Hearthstone, League of Legends, Overwatch and Rocket League. The university offers 20k annually in scholarships to recruit and support high school esports athletes.

“It’s been a busy two years, taking over a club-level program and turning it into a winning varsity team,” said Wray. “Having a dedicated practice facility with leading gaming technology has played an important part in our success.”

The ViewSonic monitors help prepare players to be their best for competition, said Wray, noting that without exception the players are all big fans of the ViewSonic XG2530 gaming monitor’s 240Hz refresh rate.

“Immediately when they sit down to play, they notice the difference,” said Wray. “Even the monitors in the other facility don’t hold a candle to these.”

While there is no mandated standard for tournament play, most players agree that training on a high refresh rate boosts their competitive advantage.

“Training on the ViewSonic monitors absolutely gives us an advantage at tournaments,” said Wray. “At the competitions they usually have some form of gamer monitor. If players are used to being on a lower-grade set up, like they may have at their home, then when they go to a LAN experience, they’re at a disadvantage.”

As UNT Rocket League player Tristan King put it: “The 240-frame rate makes a massive difference in gameplay. Rocket League is a very fast-paced game, so it can be the difference between winning a challenge or getting beat.”

Fellow Rocket League player Dylan Windebank agrees.

“The higher refresh rate makes the game easier to process when I’m getting more information per second than if I was on a 144Hz monitor,” said Windebank. “It makes the game feel smoother and makes me play better. I don’t have the opportunity to play on a monitor this fast at home so being able to use a monitor that makes me play better at practices and CRL matches really improves my performance.”

The program’s content manager, Dylan Acrey is another of the many fans of the ViewSonic gaming monitors in the Eyrie practice facility.

“The monitor I use at home is only 75Hz,” said Acrey. “There’s a distinct advantage to using the ViewSonic XG2530, particularly in terms of player control and awareness of surroundings.”

Another big plus of the ViewSonic XG2530 gaming monitor is the swivel stand, said Wray, noting that it’s his staff’s favorite feature.

“It’s a great design. Picking it up and moving it is easy,” he said. “And to be able to flip it on the side, pull everything out and put it back together, without having to lift up the monitor is a huge help.”

Also charged with hauling and setting up monitors at events, Dylan Acrey couldn’t agree more.

“The stand/support system for the ViewSonic XG2530 monitor is great. My work program uses these monitors for public esports events and we often have to set up 20 to 30 of them at a time,” said Acrey. “Detaching and re-attaching screens from their stands is quick and easy, and is a lifesaver on the job.”

UNT varsity esports team members have noted many other positive features of the ViewSonic XG2530 monitors, said Wray. These include: the “exceptional build quality,” great visual clarity, easy height adjustability, tilting head and integrated USB connectivity. Many have commented on the slim, space-saving and attractive design.

“The 240Hz is by far my favorite thing about these ViewSonic monitors,” said League of Legends player Andrew Schmidhausler. “I also like the design, with the sparks of red with the black. It’s a great-looking monitor. A lot of people who make monitors just make them plain, when what many people are looking for is a nice monitor with a sleek look.”Himself a “laptop gamer,” Wray said his experience with the ViewSonic XG2530 gaming monitors has made him want to move up to big-screen gaming.

“These top-quality monitors definitely provide an edge over someone who doesn’t have a monitor like this,” he said. “It’s like in football, not all wide receivers use gloves, but gloves usually make it easier to catch so those who do use them have an edge over someone who doesn’t have them.”

Fresno Unified School District structures its administration around four key goals. The second of these states that “All students will engage in arts, activities, and athletics.” The growing popularity of esports presented a significant new opportunity to support Goal 2.

“The benefits of extracurricular involvement and a relationship with a coach to improve academics and social growth are well-documented,” said Joe DiFilippo, Vice Principal on Special Assignment. “From a Goal 2 point of view, esports offered a great opportunity to engage students who would typically hustle home to get on their computer and engage with friends online. We wanted to bring this to the high school campus, to get these students engaging face to face with their peers and an adult coach.”

The challenge was to develop a strong high school esports program at a time when few existed. Certain of the importance of the new activity (whether or not one agrees that it is truly a “sport”), the district was poised to be a trailblazer in this exciting new arena.

“We knew that developing an esports league would not only deliver all the benefits of extracurricular involvement,” said Don Soyinthisane, FUSD Director of Information Technology. “We also wanted to bring focus to a new lucrative and developing industry. We wanted our esports league to foster curiosity into technology and other STEM areas, as well as provide potential career paths to students.”

Goal 2 Administrator and Assistant Superintendent, Holland Locker, teamed up with the information technology department’s Chief Technology Officer, Kurt Madden, to tackle the task of developing a district-wide esports league. They chose to model their league after a traditional high school sport, which according to Soyinthisane, is somewhat unique among high school esports leagues.

“Our league operates at a district level, like traditional sports,” said Soyinthisane. “Students from each of our high schools can compete against teams from other schools, just like they would with tennis or baseball.”

Dubbed the Fresno Unified Esports League better known as FUeL, the fledgling program began in 2018 with members training and competing on Rocket League. Thirteen district high schools participate in the league, practicing weekly then competing across an 8-week season, at the end of which a final tournament determines the district champion.

The IT department handles arena set up and technology procurement and maintenance. The Goal 2 group develops the schedule, runs tournaments and reports stats. The Goal 2 group’s extensive experience managing other athletic teams made for an easy learning curve.

When it came to equipping the league with display technology, Soyinthisane turned to ViewSonic.

“We’re standardized on ViewSonic monitors across the district, with several models that we buy from CDW-G to equip classrooms, computer labs and administrative offices,” he said. “I was hopeful that they would have a gaming-quality option for us, which it turned out they definitely did.”

The IT Team selected the ViewSonic XG2402 24” gaming monitor with 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time and AMD FreeSync™ technology to equip FUeL.

In a short period of time, FUeL has attracted a large participation base. Switching to the popular game League of Legends for their second year, increased membership to around 185 participants across 13 district high schools. The league’s size is matched by member diversity, which includes many female and special ed students as well as the traditional male esports athlete.“Our esports league is giving more students an outlet to participate, to feel
and to show school pride. They may not be kids who could make the soccer team, but they’re super stars at esports,” said Soyinthisane. “They have uniforms, just
like any other athlete, and they wear them with pride on game days. They take it very seriously.”

Seeing FUeL students represent their schools at tournaments exemplifies what the league’s founders hoped to accomplish. Another is a measurable increase in attendance. Among students at the district’s alternative education school, for example, a teacher reported that after joining FUeL student attendance rose from a discouragingly low 25% to around 92%.

“We’re definitely reaching more kids and getting more students to be more active in school,” said Soyinthisane. “These kids were probably gaming at home. Now they’re showcasing their skills to the school.”

The ViewSonic XG2402 24-inch gaming monitors have supported the league players well as they prepare for competition, said Soyinthisane.

“The ViewSonic monitors are great: a quality product at a price that is right for us. With the 144 Hz and 1ms refresh rate, the images constantly refresh. Everything is nice and clear. The students enjoy competing on them,” he said.

Team coaches have commented on the image quality as well, Soyinthisane added.

“Our coaches are a big part of the league success. They watch the students play. Rewind the game play and go over it with them – just like a traditional athletic coach would do after a game or training session.”

Soyinthisane and DiFilippo agree that their efforts to build the league have payed off beyond their initial expectations.

“The amount of engagement this program has created is incredible” said DiFilippo. “We’ve seen fantastic growth with these students in peer to peer interaction and school pride. Our eSports athletes wear their jerseys on Fridays with enthusiasm. The coaches are generally young – in their late 20s and early 30s – they are able to build a real connection with their students.”

Once they accomplish that, he added, everything else falls into place – greater focus in class, improved grades and better behavior – because just like with other school sports eligibility requirements apply.

Currently in the midst of its second year, FUeL has held two tournaments in each of the last two years. The Fall tournament is only open to Fresno Unified School District schools. The Spring tournament includes teams from other school districts that want to compete in a professional-level arena.

“The Fall tournament is huge,” said Soyinthisane. “We set up four arenas on a Saturday, equipped with gaming workstations and our ViewSonic monitors. We have ‘shout casters’ commenting throughout. We want to replicate all that in the Spring and just keep making the program bigger and better and involving more students.”

Beyond that, hopes for FUeL include building a dedicated esports arena and continuing to leverage the growth of the burgeoning industry to help students make the connection between their passion for gaming and real prospects for future career and college opportunities.

“There are more than 200 colleges and universities offering full ride scholarships for esports athletes. And there are opportunities beyond playing, such as coding, shout casting, the business aspects of gaming,” said DiFilippo. “We see parents connecting the dots and realizing that this activity can really point their kids on a path in life.”

Any expansion plans will most certainly involve ViewSonic gaming monitors, said Soyinthisane, who credits the monitor maker for a role in FUeL’s success.

“We have a great relationship with ViewSonic as a supplier and appreciate their support of the growth of our esports league,” he said. “They’re a very strategic partner. They deliver good quality product at a good price, and the support from our account manager Lena Cull has been truly awesome.”

In 2010, the historic Wright Leppien Opera House in Alma Michigan suffered massive interior damage in a fire. Efforts to renovate the space languished and Alma College took ownership of the space in 2017, investing two years of work to bring it up to code. The upper floors became apartments for Alma College students. The ground floor became home to six storefronts, which the university sought to lease to local businesses that would benefit students and the community.

During renovation, the college asked New Media Studies Professor Anthony Collamati for his thoughts on how to use one of the spaces. The result of that exchange gave birth to an exciting idea: Transform the space into an esports environment that would serve as a practice and competition space for the
Alma College varsity esports team.

“The college didn’t actually have an esports team at that point, but they recognized the value of providing this opportunity to students and plans were in the works,” said Collamati. “One of the biggest roadblocks was the lack of facilities for the team.”

Collamati teamed up with friend and local business owner Nick Lux and leased the space from the university. The plan quickly expanded beyond a simple practice facility.

“As we talked through the options, we realized that we wanted to create a place that lived up to the original historic mission of the building, which was to be a community gathering place for residents to enjoy what was the dominant medium of the time,” said Collamati. “We live in a small town and there aren’t that many places to gather and we wanted to create a space where everyone would feel comfortable and welcome.”

Today’s medium, of course, is gaming. Whereas gaming was seen as a niche hobby for nerds and teenagers two decades ago, today esports has become a multi-billion dollar industry that is still growing. Creating a space that facilitated practice, competition and casual enjoyment – along with comfortable companionship for non-gamers – was an entirely new business and entertainment model.

“We wanted to create a space that would be inviting to anyone who walked in, along with the serious gamers and the Alma esports team,” said Collamati. “The vision encompassed multiple areas designed for different types of game play, as well as areas for the spectating and dining-only crowd.”

A critical component, said Collamati, was a stage area that would replicate the high-level competitive esports experience, which typically takes place in large halls or stadiums, is broadcast live and includes play-by-play “shoutcasting.”

While there were some challenges related to building on a historic site, building a bar and dining tables proved to be the easy part. Mapping out the varied game spaces, individual team practice stations, a pro-level gaming stage and the AV needed to tie it all together into a vibrant environment was beyond Lux and Collamati’s experience. For this, they turned to Matt Smiley, owner and president
of CCS Presentation Systems of Michigan.

“Matt was tremendous at helping us think through ideas and finding pitfalls before we fell into them,” said Collamati. “Typically, to create the type of environment we sought would require a giant broadcast switcher that costs as much as a house and could run AV feeds from many PCs, along with a control booth, command center and a few producers and operators to manage it all.”

Constrained by costs and space, this full-on esports broadcast approach wasn’t an option, said Collamati. “Our daily team would need to be just a couple of people to edit the broadcast, and we could only afford a dozen AV inputs,” he added.

That’s where CSS presentation systems came in. CSS utilized a dynamic AV over IP solution that used network switching to transition between SDI and HDMI, creating an immersive environment at a budget-friendly price point.

“To do this, we needed monitors and large screen displays with the appropriate integrated connectivity options and Anthony wanted top-notch graphics and color,” said AV pro Matt Smiley. “I’ve worked with ViewSonic for years and they’ve been my go-to monitor brand for some time now. Their products are very dependable, and every client we’ve sold ViewSonic displays to tells us they’re great.”

CCS suggested several ViewSonic® monitors and large screen displays to meet the varied requirements of the installation. Not only were the ViewSonic graphics displays beautiful and the gaming monitor specs up to par, said Collamati, the display’s enabled CCS to bring the entrepreneurs’ vision to life.
“ViewSonic did a great job of sending us demo equipment and helping us pick the right monitors and displays for each area,” said Smiley. “They went above and beyond and together we determined the displays that fit the budget and had the specs Anthony needed.

“A critical feature of the game displays was the refresh rate,” added Smiley.
“And ViewSonic had great monitors specifically for the gaming market.”
Before committing, Collamati put the ViewSonic gaming monitors to the test, determined to make sure that the technology was a good fit for the serious gamers.

“The ViewSonic gaming monitors had great specs, but just to make sure we brought in coaches and members of the Alma College Overwatch and League of Legends teams,” said Collamati. “We did a brand-blind comparison with competitive products. It was incredible --- each and every one of them picked the 24-inch ViewSonic models.”

Ultimately, the CCS and Collamati chose the following ViewSonic products to outfit Block House Esports:

• 12 ViewSonic 24” LCD Gaming Monitors with ELITE RGB Technology, 1920x1080 resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, rapid response time (Model XG240R)

• 13 ViewSonic 24” Gaming LED monitors, 1920x1080 resolution, 144Hz ultra-fast refresh rate, 1ms response time (Model XG2401)

• 2 ViewSonic 65” 4K Ultra HD Commercial Displays (Model CDE6510)

• 4 ViewSonic 50” 4K Ultra HD Commercial Displays, 3840x2160 resolution, 350nits, built-in multi-core media player with 8gb storage
(Model CDE5010)

• 1 ViewSonic 75” 4K UHD Commercial Display (Model CDE7500)

• 1 ViewSonic 86” 4K Ultra HD Commercial Display (Model CDE8600)

• 1 ViewSonic 27” 4K UHD Monitor with SuperClear IPS Technology, 3840x2160 resolution (Model VX2776-4K-MHD)

• 1 ViewSonic 35” 1440p Ultra-Wide Gaming Monitor with ELITE RGB Technology, 3440x1440 resolution, 100Hz refresh rate (Model XG350R-C)

Despite delays and constraints related to the coronavirus pandemic, Block House officially opened on October 4, 2020. The response has been even better than he could have dreamed of, says Collamati.

“We host the Alma varsity team practices and competitions, just like a hockey team rents ice time at a rink,” he said. “Beyond this, the response from the community has been overwhelming. Whenever pandemic conditions have allowed us to serve them, we have people here enjoying the food or the bar, or gaming – or all three.”

The crowd ranges from families and groups of kids to couples on dates, said Collamati, who says he’s thrilled to be helping esports come out of the basement and become a social activity.

The space roughly breaks out into three activity-based areas: The bar/dining tables; gaming stations; and competitive streaming stage. To keep track of the large screen displays and facilitate easier communication and programming (while having fun to boot), Collamati and his team named the large ViewSonic commercial displays after the Greek Gods.

Upon entering the Block House, just inside the doorway, Hades, the massive 86” 4K Ultra HD commercial display greets visitors, provides a family- and group-friendly game zone, and captures the attention of passersby. To the left, drinking, dining and spectating visitors can choose from a bar, four-top tables and a large community high-top.

Two-person gaming nooks with ViewSonic XG2401 24” gaming monitors line the wall with larger ViewSonic 50” displays above that showcase the action to spectators. Venture further into the Block House and you’ll find more game stations nestled against historic bare brick walls and situated throughout open spaces. Couches in front of two pairs of ViewSonic 50” 4K Ultra HD Commercial Displays (Ares, Hephaestus, Apollo and Artemis) invite visitors to get comfortable and grab a controller.

The stage area comes to life with 12 ViewSonic 24” LCD gaming monitors with ELITE RGB Technology, which can be configured for a variety of live competitions ranging from 1v1 to 6v6. “These ViewSonic Elite RGB monitors are really terrific,” said Collamati. “We can program them to use our brand colors or can color code the teams so it’s easy to tell who’s home and who’s away.”

Above the stage and along the back wall of the Block House, Zeus, a ViewSonic 75” 4K UHD commercial display is flanked by Poseidon and Hera, ViewSonic’s 65” 4K Ultra HD commercial displays. Transmitters on top of every player station send signals to the control screen, where the Block House team uses a digital switcher to broadcast gameplay onto the big screens.

“The ViewSonic displays have been fantastic and they’re a big part of how the media staff is able to craft an exciting audio-visual experience for people coming into the venue,” said Collamati. “For example, say there’s a group of four battling it out on Valorant, we can stream their game to Zeus, Hera and Poseidon, amping up the competitive excitement.”

What’s more, Collamati adds, the content on the ViewSonic commercial displays can be easily adapted to fit the season, day or mood – as well as to deliver advertising and promotions. “We like to cycle through some branding for ourselves and our sponsors, like the Alma Esports Team, on at least one display,” said Collamati. “On others we could be running seasonal or themed movies. We can run a Twitch broadcast or a live or virtual football game on another. The possibilities are endless.”

One of the biggest thrills and most heartwarming aspect of the venue, says Collamati, is seeing the ways in which the games and the environment bring people together.

“Say we have a mom and daughter playing Mario Kart and we take their game and put it on a ton of screens around the space; it’s such a joy to see their reaction and the connection between the parent and child,” he said. “I knew we could do that – it was our goal all along to be able to show the game play around the space – but I didn’t realize the huge guest experience value it would bring.”

From start to finish, he added, Block House has been a labor of love. To date, their crew is still working out the kinks and looking forward to the post-COVID days when teams in the Block House can livestream their battles on Twitch, just like the pros. On days when Block House is able to open, the excitement just keeps going.

“We just love seeing people walk by, and the big 86-inch ViewSonic display in the front window catches their eye and draws them in,” said Collamati. “We’ve seen a family with young kids eyeing the couch and the rich colors on the display showcasing Donkey Kong or Mario Kart, and they come in and play together, smiling and laughing. Or a teen with his parents who convinces them to come in and they end up playing together. You gotta ask yourself – would those parents have ended up playing Among Us in their basement with their kid?”