“Support and training from Play have been excellent! We value our interactions with Play Digital Signage’s staff and appreciate their rapid handling of support issues and feature requests”.
Can you describe your role?
“My name is Rick Baldwin. I am an AV installation technician, Tier III tech support, and junior system administrator for UVU’s 27-person Audio Visual Services and Engineering department. And I’m also responsible for our digital signage.”
How easy was it to get started with Play Digital Signage?
“Some parts were easy, some parts took some more thought and effort. Local-only signage (run entirely by one department, with no complicated scheduling or playback conditions) was very easy to set up and explain to end users”.
“From the perspective of centralized management, it was time-consuming to translate UVU’s strict organizational hierarchy to PlaySignage’s flat, distributed, and self-contained team structure. We have three user roles (administrator, publisher, contributor) that were natively and explicitly supported in our old signage system. In Play, we implemented a hierarchy using separate teams for each user role and each department, with playlists shared between them to determine access and publishing rights. This works well for access control but requires administrators and publishers to frequently switch teams to manage each team’s screens, schedules, and asset libraries. It’s a work in progress, and Play has proven to be a great choice for Utah Valley University”.
How did you first hear about Play Digital Signage?
“We learned about Play Digital Signage from Brett Eden, University of Utah’s Director of Auxiliary Business Development”.
“He and his staff gave us a tour of various signage locations run by them and shared with third-party advertisers and gave us a quick run-through of the PlaySignage web interface. We researched a bit into Play and decided to reach out via the live chat. Lars Normark, CEO of Play Digital Signage, Inc., and his developer team have since been great partners in this project. It’s not an easy task to change a complete digital signage setup, but it was necessary!”
What was the initial reaction to Play?
“The end-user feedback was and still is positive!”
“They note the user-friendly playlist editor, file format support, nearly instant publishing and content distribution, the live playlist preview, and easy access to the web interface from off-campus.”
“Play Digital Signage’s responsive, engaged technical support has been excellent!”
Challenge
“We had an aging digital signage implementation of over 250 displays running with on-premises enterprise signage infrastructure. It was super expensive and heavy to work with.”
“The content management server was nearing its end-of-life, migrating the signage software to a new server was going to be costly, and the yearly subscription and upfront player licensing costs led us to search for alternatives.”
“That’s why we started to look for a new and more modern digital signage setup. With Play, we have cut our digital signage expenses to a third of the price, compared to the old system. We absolutely appreciate that!”
Solution
“We were looking for an intuitive and user-friendly cloud-based platform that could manage hundreds of contributors and signage players”.
“We have local department playlists and campus-wide signage that mix in fixed ratios, so we needed support for recursive playlists and robust per-slide playback conditions. We needed playback analytics and player monitoring. And additionally, we were looking for a more affordable service and to reduce maintenance costs.”
“Play emerged as the ultimate resolution, addressing all our concerns and offering an affordable service that significantly reduced maintenance costs.”
History
Utah Valley University (UVU) has a rich history dating back to its establishment in 1941 as the Central Utah Vocational School. Originally focused on providing technical education to support the workforce during World War II, the institution underwent significant changes over the years.
In 1967, recognizing the need for a more diverse range of educational offerings, the institution evolved into Utah Technical College. This change marked a pivotal moment as the school expanded its scope to include various technical and vocational programs. The institution continued to adapt, and in 1987, it became Utah Valley Community College, emphasizing its commitment to community-oriented education.
A major milestone came in 1993, when the institution became Utah Valley State College and began offering four-year degrees. This transition allowed for the expansion of academic programs and increased enrollment, solidifying its impact on higher education in the region. In 2008, it achieved university status and adopted its current name, Utah Valley University, signaling its dedication to providing a comprehensive educational experience.
UVU has consistently demonstrated a commitment to innovation in education. The university invests in state-of-the-art facilities, technology, and modern teaching methods to enhance the learning experience. This commitment aligns with UVU’s vision of preparing students for success in a rapidly changing world.
The campus has undergone substantial expansion to accommodate a growing student body and evolving academic programs. With modern facilities, research centers, libraries, and recreational spaces, UVU provides a vibrant and dynamic learning environment.
As a prominent institution in Utah, UVU is known for its commitment to student success, inclusivity, and community engagement. With a diverse student body and a comprehensive range of academic programs, the university plays a pivotal role in shaping the educational landscape of the region.
Looking ahead, UVU remains dedicated to providing accessible and quality education. The university adapts to changing student and workforce needs, preparing graduates to excel in their chosen fields. Utah Valley University’s history reflects a transformative journey, emphasizing the enduring impact of education in building a stronger, more prosperous community.
