Wilfrid Laurier University is renowned for its strong student focus, high level of student satisfaction and a deep sense of community. An institution with a distinct commitment to teaching, research and scholarship, Laurier combines programs in humanities, social sciences and sciences. Laurier offers a broad range of full and part-time graduate and undergraduate degree programs through seven faculties.

Located on 3 campuses, spanning 3 cities that include Waterloo, Kitchener and Brantford, Ontario, the Media Technology Resources team is kept very busy managing all the electronic resources used daily by a variety of professors and students. The University believes that technology and teaching go hand-in-hand and see projection as a key teaching tool. Professors at Laurier have come to expect that in every classroom they can easily link their digital content to the projector system in the room and immediately begin teaching.

The challenge

Supporting a network of projectors across three campuses, installed in over 69 classrooms plus labs, lounges and meeting rooms, is a daunting task. The team of Media Technicians who manage these resources need to feel confident in the long term performance of each projector that is added to their network. Most projectors are operating over 7-10 hours every day for three months straight during each school semester. Classroom time cannot be wasted by faulty equipment and each new projector must be easy to plug into an existing network used to track ongoing maintenance and service requirements. Technicians have to be proactive with their approach to projector maintenance and then juggle daily classroom schedules to complete their work without disrupting class time

The solution

Laurier has taken the approach of "stick with what works and trust in what you can depend on" - two reasons why Christie has become their number 1 projector manufacturer. They have come to rely on Christie product dependibility which gives them peace of mind to manage these assets within their current maintenance schedule. And when an inventory investment is required due to campus expansion they look to Christie's line of LCD projectors to fill their needs with confidence. "At this time we have only had a need for LCD projectors," states John Durst, Manager: Media Technology Resources. "We see that technology offering us the best performance value. We always love to see the latest DLP® technology from Christie and expect someday we will feel comfortable adding those to our inventory but currently LCDs are ideal for our needs."

The complete inventory of projectors is managed and tracked by an internally created system that utilizes Christie networking tools such as ChristieNETTM and the new Christie CCM-LX. These networking tools allow Laurier's Media Technicians to regularly monitor their assets and then dispatch service requirements based on hours of operation and diagnostic reports linked to product performance. They are able to anticipate lamp failure and are alerted to temperature changes for scheduling filter maintenance. Laurier's Media Technicians also depend upon the cleaning services that are available through Christie. A schedule for projector cleaning is considered a prominent service requirement to improve the longevity of their projectors. They believe that Christie offers the most thorough cleaning service in the industry.

Return on investment
"We have had very few issues with these projectors over the years," states Durst. "They are quality products that save us costs over time. We also benefit greatly from the strong customer support we receive from Christie. You always get a live, knowledgeable voice on the phone. Christie does not waste our time on the phone, trying to track down someone who can answer our techincal questions. The person on the phone knows the answer."

Laurier has never had a Christie product stolen. The Media Technicans appreciate the simple, industrial look and operation of these LCD products along with their installation capability and built in security features. "Because Christie is focused on projection and not distracted by other business priorities we know they are going to support their projection customers and provide us with good technology support and quality products." Durst adds, "we believe they are careful about upholding their positive reputation in the AV industry. We see that in the product quality and their after market support." Source: Christie

For more detailed specifications and connections, check out our Christie LX700 projector page.