Oulu University of Applied Sciences

• 4 campuses• 9000 students• 600 employees

If you ask Jori Löytynoja, IT customer service manager at OAMK, the Oulu University of Applied Sciences, OAMK is the best university of applied sciences in Finland and in the whole world. OAMK is a growing institution whose work builds on a willingness to grow and develop, a commitment to achieving results, close collabo-rations with the business sector, and a strong sense of commu-nity. OAMK invests especially in IT: they are constantly on the lookout for new solutions and not afraid to try new ways of doing things. At the moment, OAMK has four campuses and will be opening a fifth one soon.

Kilometres and kilometres of cable

“Our campus buildings are your typical school buildings from the ‘70s and ‘80s: somewhat labyrinthine, with traditional classrooms and – until recently – outdated AV equipment”, says Löytynoja. A few years ago, OAMK decided to update its technology to meet modern-day requirements, and its facilities underwent a renova-tion: buildings were rewired, lamps were replaced with brighter ones, and the traditional fixed audiovisual equip-ment was replaced with a wireless solution whenever possible. During the refurbishing, Löytynoja also sought innovative solutions for the new Linnanmaa campus: something that would serve the flexible and modifiable facilities, in which images can be projected in any direc-tion, depending on the current classroom setup.

“OAMK has a strong DIY culture. Why pay for something we can do just as well ourselves?” Löytynoja muses. It was therefore a requirement that the new audiovisual equip-ment cost no more than an in-house solution would. OAMK looked into other options, but quickly learned that the solutions offered by large service providers could not be tailored to meet their needs.

“The quality and efficiency of traditional pres-entation technology – but in a movable form.”

Löytynoja discovered Movea through email marketing and learned that clever and efficient audiovisual equip-ment was available on wheels. He asked Artome for a demonstration and liked what he saw – so much so that he wanted to give Movea a test run, which revealed the full extent of Movea’s versatile nature.

Customer first

Movea’s versatility and ease of use have convinced not just Löytynoja, but other users as well.

“We’ve used Movea at fairs, at pop-up events, in classrooms and in many challenging spaces where we needed both image and sound.”

Movea’s performance has already been tested in the campus cafeteria, where it was used to project a four-metre-wide picture in a ten-metre-tall room. Despite the large projection image, picture quality remained impeccable, and the sound system performed magnificently.

Löytynoja praises Artome’s personnel for their willingness to serve, their dedication to their work and their boldness in challenging established notions. From the very beginning, Artome staff stepped into Löytyno-ja’s shoes and challenged OAMK’s suggested solution, leaving Löytynoja feeling that OAMK was truly being heard and well served. After the test run, Löytynoja no longer needed to even consider other options: Movea had everything OAMK needed in one elegant, efficient and Finnish package.

Future teaching facilities

The Linnanmaa campus has been designed with future and evolving teaching methods in mind. The new campus will be home to students of technology, culture and business, and thoughts and ideas on the use of space have been requested from both the teaching staff and the OAMK School of Professional Teacher Education. The facilities will not follow a traditional classroom design: instead, they will be flexible spaces that can be adjusted as needed. In this new model, teachers will no longer be tied to one teaching setup and one desk. Wireless technology will enable the introduction of new, modern teaching setups, transforming learning into an experience.

With flexible spaces, one room can serve several purposes. This not only increases space utilisation, but also decreases the need for specialised facilities: for exam-ple, the Linnanmaa campus will have only six computer labs. And when these flexible spaces come with efficient AV technology that is easy to use, work-place well-being also increases because people no longer have to struggle with technology. Moreover, wireless techno- logy enables unconventional solutions that can create memorable experiences, inspire students and support learning.

One-cord solution to save time

Movea’s main advantages are its versatility, its efficiency and its ease of use. “For us, ease of use is particularly important. Our organisation is large, but our IT depart-ment is relatively small. With Movea, setting up AV tech-nology couldn’t really get any easier: you just wheel one piece of equipment to a room, plug it in and you’re all set. Compared to a traditional solution that involves creating the setup from scratch every time, making adjustments and then instructing users, the time saved translates into costs saved, and the importance of cost savings cannot be overemphasised. Movea also allows us to adjust tra-ditional classrooms to meet particular needs without technology posing any limitations. Cost-wise, Movea fits our budget – no other alternative is available at the same price. Movea comes in a handy size and is easy to move wherever sound and image are needed. We’ve yet to reach its capacity”, explains Löytynoja.

“Movea is the solution when you want high-quality image and sound – with-out cord chaos.”

OAMK intends to keep using Movea and is planning to buy even more of it. Löytynoja: “I can happily recom-mend Movea to any adjustable space or any event where high-quality image and sound are needed. Movea is easy to move from one place to another and easy bring to events. It suits any educational institution at any school level.”

www.artome.fi

OULU UNIVERSITY OFAPPLIED SCIENCES