Cornell University

Ithica, New York

Simply put: It was time. More than 90 years since opening its doors on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., the School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) Conference Center underwent an extensive interior renovation and significant technology upheaval.

"The deployment of Modero and NetLinx on the university's network is so much easier to articulate and operate compared to competing technology. From loading touch panel files to setting up a remote server to be able to check on their system, we can't see any other way of doing things."

"The building was constructed in 1911 as part of the university's Veterinary College and then in the late 1950s became the School of Industrial and Labor Relations," said Ted Bronsnick, Senior Project Manager, Office of Administrative Operations, and Capital Projects Manager. "The time had come to refurbish and renew all the interior finishes."

This renewal focused on a total of six dedicated conference rooms and an amphitheater within the five-story building, each currently outfitted with in-room audio/video devices locally networked and integrated through AMX® Modero® Touch Panels and NetLinx® Integrated Controllers. Cornell instructors, professional practitioners and visiting speakers now have the resources to quickly and easily operate electronic equipment like DVD/VCR players and projectors — at the touch of a button on Tabletop and wireless AMX panels — delivering technology-enhanced classroom, corporate training and meeting environments.

"The deployment of Modero and NetLinx on the university's network is so much easier to articulate and operate compared to competing technology," said Doug Montcrieff, CTS, Chief Engineer at UnivisionsCrimson Group, the systems integrator selected from a bid proposal process to handle the ILR Conference Center technology installation. "From loading touch panel files to setting up a remote server to be able to check on their system, we can't see any other way of doing things."

Such pervasive and seamless integration complements the ILR's ongoing business relation efforts, which welcome labor unions and other corporate groups to use the center as a meeting destination and training venue. Today, many major companies in the United States are realizing the advantages of harnessing a university's cutting edge audio/video capabilities to efficiently and effectively conduct courses, workshops and conferences.

"I believe in using technology but not just for technology's sake," Bronsnick said. "The technology has to be a teaching tool. As we made the decision to increase the amount of audio/video equipment we wanted in the building, we had to be sure to have the right control technology in place to manage everything. The instructors are still the geniuses in the room and the technology is there to assist them in getting their message across.

"The AMX Modero Touch Panels work well," he added. "From my position, I don't want to hear about problems related to how the rooms are running. I only want them to work. So far, they have done that. AMX has a good reputation for its products and programming."

To preserve the center's exterior while completely stripping down and revamping the interior, according to Bronsnick, was a rather sizeable task — one taken on successfully by Beckhard Richlan Szerbaty + Associates (BRS+A), a prominent architecture, planning and interior design firm located in New York City.

"Once we planned this project and created a program for how we wanted everything to look and function throughout the building, we went to BRS+A and they put our ideas into a graphical form, further flushing out the construction specifications," Bronsnick said. "This established an extremely smooth flow of information."

What resulted was a list of details that included a plethora of audio/video components and control system technology throughout the center's five separate floors. A complex facet of the project that led BRS+A to commission Shen Milsom & Wilke (SM&W), an integrated communications technology and acoustic consulting firm also based in New York City.

"I thought what the university wanted to accomplish was extremely reasonable," said Peter Stern, Associate at SM&W, who assisted Cornell in specifying the appropriate audio/video equipment, how it should be installed and which systems contractor should do it.

According to Stern, SM&W executes multiple phases of planning and service during an audio/video-control system install. The first establishes client-consultant discussions to determine the scope of the project, how the audio/video will be used and why - everything is presented in layman's terms.

"It's important not to get too technical or caught up in what is possible, but how the client wants to use the application - rooms, buildings - for today and tomorrow," Stern said. "My job is to understand fully what the project entails."

The second phase: Beginning the process of communication with the architect firm, electrical engineers, lighting professionals and interior designers to accurately assess the types of audio/video components best for each application in the building.

That leads Stern to the development of a systems drawing, which indicates the correct signal/data flow on the network and the proper connectivity/installation of the specified equipment. A technical description of each room is also included. Then the project - in this case, the ILR Conference Center - is put to bid for the selection of a system integration contractor.

"It was important to us to have a clear and uniform bid package," said Bronsnick. "Cornell's Purchasing Department was able to analyze all the proposals and provide their input to Peter (at Shen Milsom & Wilke). We have very high standards and felt lucky that UnivisionsCrimson won the bid."

On the outside, the ILR Conference Center remains a visually captivating testament to its architectural uniqueness, featuring a graceful cupola and historic façade. On the inside, however, the facility exudes modern, elegant appointments and world-class technical sophistication revealed through AMX control.

"This was a detailed project and significant one in that there were many similarities between the rooms," Stern said. "The majority of them had similar functionality and it was imperative to integrate everything with AMX."

In each of the center's rooms and amphitheater, the touch panel of choice is either the 12-inch Modero Tabletop or wireless 7.5-inch Modero ViewPoint (MVP-7500), complete with MVP Docking Station for Tabletop convenience and versatility. When not in operation, the MVP-7500 can be put to rest yet remains readily accessible for the presenter to resume control.

"The Modero line has proved quite intuitive," Bronsnick said. "It allows our instructors to operate the rooms at their own speeds. My expreience with AMX has been a good one, so I would look to implement AMX products in future applications on campus."

From one individual equipment rack to the next, most of the devices specified and installed are to develop and support a seamless network of in-room media systems. This includes an NEC Projector, JVC VCR player, Panasonic DVD player and Marantz Audio Cassette Deck. Total integration and automation occurs through a dedicated behind-the-scenes AMX NI-3000 Controller, the proverbial brains of the entire installation.

Rooms 225 & 229

These second-floor conference rooms seat approximately 40 people and are exact duplicates of each other, from the wireless microphone stations to the out-of-site equipment racks. Although average in size when you consider a classroom-style setting, the rooms offer just the right amount of space and are reserved often by professional organizations, according to Montcrieff. In both, a 12-inch Modero Tabletop Touch Panel is stationed at the front, providing a central point of control for lighting, video projection, audio output and speaker levels.

For even greater end-user convenience, the rooms can be reconfigured (by request to Cornell's technical staff) to handle long- or wide-throw presentations, depending on the preference of the speaker. With that in mind, UnivisionsCrimson installed a motorized mount for the ceiling projector that also employs a vertical-horizontal lens shift. The motorized mount allows the projector to rotate at a 90-degree angle, repositioning on demand to accommodate the change in seating and where the video needs to be displayed. The lens shift on the projector can then be used to fine-tune the image alignment on the screen using controls on the touch panel. This entire process takes only a matter of minutes.

Room 326

This smaller videoconference room — an intimate setting for up to 12 — is geared to operate the largest collection of audio/video equipment in the ILR Conference Center. To maximize the level of end user convenience and overall system responsiveness, wire-free mobility was a major prerequisite, according to Montcrieff, and the wireless MVP-7500 offered a nice solution. With MVP in hand, the presenter or moderator can seamlessly control the NEC projector, an Extron scan converter, numerous Sony PTZ cameras and the center's only Polycom ISDN/IP Codec for audio and videoconferencing. The MVP Docking Station allows the user to rest the panel when not in operation and for immediate access when ready.

This multimedia-intensive room gives a presenter the ability to make a videoconference presentation over an ISN or an IP connection. Cameras, a VCR and DVD players, a provided computer or your personal laptop can easily be used as sources during a presentation. Videoconferences can also be recorded for later retrieval and review, and a wireless gateway allows anyone with a laptop to come in, power up and go to work.

Room 329

Another wireless MVP-7500, complete with docking station, delivers one-touch control of the projector, DVD player and wireless microphone and receiver in this 18-seat boardroom located on the third floor.

Rooms 423 & 425

Room 423, the largest and busiest meeting room in the center, can host up to 90 people in a theater-style configuration and as many as 72 in a crescent-shaped arrangement. The 12-inch Modero panel offers a single and comprehensive point of control in a room that stretches about 80-feet long and 35-feet wide.

Combined with the 35-seat Room 425 right next door, the two rooms are ideal for handling audience overflow or creating a space for executive personnel to directly view a training or conference from a separate area without notice.

Room 525

Located on the top floor of the center, this tiered amphitheater accommodates up to 32 people. It's only accessible by elevators, providing a private meeting area for executives. Two 12-inch Modero panels — one positioned on a lectern at the head of the room — deliver responsive control with the greatest of ease.

One of the more dramatic and useful features is the Modero panel's ability to track incoming audio from the conference system built into each seating station. Should multiple people pose a question or make a statement simultaneously, for example, the Modero panel and NetLinx Control System is used to create a queue and prioritize the speakers in the exact order they occurred. All communication remains loud and clear.

"AMX, UnivisionsCrimson, Cornell University and BRS+A provided excellent support during this process," Stern said. "It was a lot of fun to witness the design evolve into an actual installation. It's very rewarding to everyone involved, especially when you take a final pass through the touch panels and experience such intuitive systems that operate exactly as advertised."

Stern added, "One of the most important things about making this project successful is that it was truly a collaborative effort. In the early design stages, it was strong team effort between Cornell, Beckhard Richlan Szerbaty + Associates and Shen Milsom & Wilke that got the project programmed and the required infrastructure installed. During the implementation stages, Univisions/Crimson was added to the team as the contractor.

"At no time ever was there anything other than support and advocacy for the other team members. At the end of a job, when the business and personal relationships between the team members is stronger than when it began that is a successful project."