How Mona Vale Public School took back their classrooms through a complete technology overhaul
July 2017 marked the completion of a major CommBox Interactive Touchscreen roll out at a NSW Government School on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
Mona Vale Public School (MVPS), had been utilising CommBox products in several classrooms with great success, while most staff and students suffered associated aggravations of aging projectors and interactive whiteboards such as; turning lights off, calibration and constant maintenance.
MVPS determined due to cost and budget constraints, they would replace their aging technology with CommBox Touchscreens as current technology failed. It was estimated that all remaining classrooms would be refreshed over a 3-4-year period. In a meeting with MVPS’s Principal, Gregory Jones, CommBox provided a solution that allowed MVPS to complete their transition to Interactive Touchscreens in all classrooms during the upcoming school holiday period while saving a significant amount of money.
BACKGROUND & ASSOCIATED PROBLEMS
MVPS had a total of 55 classrooms utilising aging technology: a mixture of projectors and interactive whiteboards. This equipment varied in age, model and performance. When describing the issues staff faced due to age and inconsistency, themes arose around the inconvenience of having to prepare the classroom: turning lights off and lowering blinds to limit sunlight infiltration. One teacher reported that the time it took preparing the available technology was grossly disproportionate to the time used (watching a 30-second YouTube video).
The second theme related directly to the technology itself. MVPS experienced difficulties with resolution, calibration and PC drivers – typical of older projectors and interactive whiteboards. ICT and AV staff were finding it increasingly difficult to maintain the products as well as support and train staff. Maintenance of waning technology is high, requiring regular servicing, filter cleaning and replacement lamps. With varying models and manufacturers of products MVPS were consistently providing staff training.
MVPS identified CommBox Products as their preferred progression across all classrooms. In an ideal world, this progression would occur immediately. Unfortunately, financial constraints would prevent this from materialising.
Instead, MVPS composed a plan to replace existing equipment as it failed. Unfortunately, this solution would result in the school not knowing when budget to replace technology would be required, therefore resulting in substantial downtime between equipment failure and new installations.
SOLUTION
CommBox approached MVPS and presented decision makers with “The CommBox Plan”, a solution that would allow the school to refresh the remaining 55 classrooms immediately, pay over a 5-year period (60 months), whilst saving a substantial amount of money. 55 CommBox Interactive 80” 4K Touchscreens complete with state-of-the-art control systems and sound bars were installed. A solution that would be the envy on any modern boardroom. In 3 days, integrators future proofed Mona Vale Public School. If MVPS had proceeded with their original plan (replacing technology when failure occurred), they would have refreshed an average of 3 rooms per term, taking them 5 years to complete their transition to Interactive Touchscreens. The CommBox Plan allowed MVPS’s Staff and Students to benefit from superior, up-to-date technology. In addition, the school saved themselves from a scenario where they lost control of their technology due to budget limitations. They took back their classrooms.
RESULTS & CONCLUSION
Mona Vale Public School saved money through the following efficiencies:
Bulk Buy Discounts
Freight: CommBox products were shipped directly from our factory to MVPS, rather than from factory to our Sydney Warehouse, warehouse to school. Immediately this is a saving of over $150 per unit.
Storage & Handling: As above, product is shipped direct, negating expensive Sydney warehousing storage and handling storage fees.
Installation: 55 units were installed in 3 days. If MVPS had purchased and installed over 3-5 years, individual installations would have cost much more.