Extron has supplied a range of AVoIP and control technologies to Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg (OVGU), a public research university in Germany with more than 12,500 students, as part of a long-term initiative to standardise AV systems across its campus and enable hybrid learning.
The university’s in-house IT/AV department designed and installed the upgraded systems across more than 100 rooms, including seminar rooms, lecture halls, conference rooms, and a Campus Welcome Center. Extron’s NAV Pro AV over IP platform was selected following trials of multiple AVoIP solutions, with its PURE3 codec cited for image quality and reliability on the university’s converged network.
The NAV system forms the AV distribution backbone in large rooms and lecture theatres, with NAV E 101 encoders sending HDMI content to the network and NAV SD 101 scaling decoders receiving it at endpoints. Supporting technologies include DMP Plus audio DSP processors, NetPA amplifiers, ShareLink Pro presentation systems, SMP 352 streaming media processors, and MediaPort USB scaling bridges. Control is handled by IPCP Pro xi series processors, TouchLink Pro touchpanels in 7in and 12in formats, and GlobalViewer Enterprise AV resource management software.
Large rooms are equipped with wireless microphones, PTZ cameras, ceiling speakers, and projectors to support interaction between in-person and remote attendees. MediaPort 300 units interface the AV system via USB to videoconferencing applications including Zoom and BigBlueButton. In smaller rooms, IN1804 DO scaling switchers handle signal switching, with MediaPort 200 units supporting videoconferencing at 2K resolution.
OVGU’s media technicians are Extron-trained and certified, enabling the university’s own staff to create, manage, and deploy all AV control systems on campus without third-party programmers. GlobalViewer Enterprise allows all AV-equipped rooms to be monitored and maintained remotely from a centralised help desk.
Karl Christian Balzer, IT system administrator at Otto-von-Guericke-University, said: “Extron stood out with their upfront support, knowhow, and design advice based on technical evaluation of the campus network topology, bandwidth, and traffic loading conditions. This ensured a flawless testing process and created the confidence needed to deploy NAV on a larger scale.”
The university continues to upgrade remaining instructional spaces as part of its campuswide AV standardisation programme.
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