London South Bank University rolls out cross-campus Lightware Taurus solution
London South Bank University (LSBU) has been undertaking an ongoing and comprehensive upgrade of its classroom AV systems as part of its commitment to modernise teaching spaces and support the rise of hybrid learning.
Since 2022, London South Bank University (LSBU) has been undertaking an ongoing and comprehensive upgrade of its classroom AV systems as part of its commitment to modernise teaching spaces and support the rise of hybrid learning. Faced with pandemic-driven supply chain disruptions and an urgent need to enhance connectivity and teaching flexibility, LSBU turned to Lightware’s Taurus UCX solutions. Initially selected for its availability and feature set during a period of global component shortages, Taurus quickly proved to be more than a stopgap, instead becoming a foundation of LSBU’s new AV standard.
The original motivation was twofold,” says Gavin Warnock, AV Support Manager at LSBU, on the decision to adopt Lightware Taurus. “Firstly, during the chip shortage, we needed a manufacturer that could actually supply hardware. Lightware was one of the few who could. Secondly, we were rethinking our spaces for hybrid teaching, and we needed USB switching, the ability to connect BYOD devices, and to give people access to microphones and cameras easily. Lightware had all that functionality built in.
- says Gavin Warnock, AV Support Manager at LSBU.
Across over 60 classrooms to date, the core of each room’s AV system is housed within the lectern rack. The typical setup includes the Taurus UCX-4x2-HC40 and Lightware’s full-featured USB-C cables, enabling efficient switching between sources, such as the local PC or visualiser, and BYOD devices connected via USB-C or HDMI.
This move away from bulky matrix switchers and external converters has had financial and technical benefits.
Taurus does more than a traditional matrix switcher. We can plug peripherals straight into the Taurus, rather than routing HDMI back and forth, using separate converters. It simplifies the rack.
- says Gavin.
One of the key outcomes of standardising the classrooms with Lightware has been a significantly reduced installation footprint and much faster maintenance and IT support workflows. With everything centrally located in the lectern and Lightware’s Monitoring Webtool in use across the IT department, the LSBU support team can now remotely monitor, diagnose and respond to issues in real time.
We’ve got a screen showing the status of the Lightware products across the whole campus. If a room’s having issues, we know right away. It’s reduced our response times dramatically, and we don’t have to send someone physically to a room unless it’s really necessary.
- explains Gavin.
From the end-user perspective of both staff and students, LSBU has made sure that changes to the backend technology do not disrupt the familiar classroom experience. The system is plug-and-play, with a single USB-C cable giving presenters power, display output and access to room peripherals.
We’ve tried to keep the user experience as familiar as possible. They plug in one cable and they’re good to go. They’ve got their presentation on screen, microphone and camera ready, and they are even charging their laptop at the same time. It just works.
- continues Gavin. Later this year, LSBU plans to utilise this solution in upcoming lecture theatre works in order to simplify and scale back the complexity of its larger spaces, bringing them in line with the new standard established in its smaller classrooms.
Like many universities at the moment, we’re using this opportunity to scale back, but without compromising on quality and functionality. Things like repeater screens can be easily added using additional receivers.
- continues Gavin.
Additionally, further classrooms are also planned within the next year, including the Taurus TPX UCX-4x3-TPX-TX20, which offers signal extension up to 100 metres and all the same features of the original Taurus UCX. With a strong foundation in place, the university is confident that this Taurus solution will continue to meet and grow with its evolving needs.
Following successful proof of concept rooms deployed in 2022, Lightware's Taurus range has become a staple of the classroom AV standard at LSBU, leading to an en-masse rollout across the campus. What sets the Taurus apart are the compact size of the unit and low-profile design, while still offering everything the University needs for hybrid teaching, including USB-C connectivity, seamless switching and built-in support for peripherals. It's been a smooth and collaborative process between GVAV, key suppliers such as Lightware, and LSBU's in-house team. The Taurus range makes up a key part of the new future-ready systems that are easy to use, simple to support, and consistent across the campus.
- confirms Sukh Basi, Group Sales Director at GVAV Support from Lightware throughout the process has been another highlight for the IT team.
“Whenever we’ve had questions, the team has responded quickly and clearly. They’re down-to-earth and happy to help. We’ve had no major issues, and the journey has been focused on finding innovative solutions for our unique needs. Lightware has given us the flexibility to do that.”
- confirms Gavin. From cost savings to efficient installation and future scalability, Lightware’s Taurus solutions have helped LSBU to standardise around an AV solution that supports both current needs and long-term goals. What began as a solution to a supply chain problem has become a foundation of consistent and user-friendly AV infrastructure across the university.
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London South Bank University (LSBU) has been undertaking an ongoing and comprehensive upgrade of its classroom AV systems as part of its commitment to modernise teaching spaces and support the rise of hybrid learning.
