The Simply Smarter Blog

As technology advances, houses of worship face the challenge of meeting increasingly greater expectations. In the past, compelling speakers or basic audiovisual tools may have been enough to hold a congregation’s attention during worship services. Today, providing an inspiring multimedia presentation as part of an immersive spiritual experience has become more essential to attract and engage worshippers.

Everyone from preschoolers to seniors routinely enjoy videos and other content on smartphones and all of the other screens in their daily lives. It’s a sensible step for religious leaders to adopt display technologies to tap into this digital world. These tools can help boost engagement and make the worship experience deeper and more memorable.

Video walls have found homes in many different types of settings, including corporate offices, retail stores, transportation hubs and sports venues, as well as command and control facilities. When deciding which type of video wall installation is appropriate for your customers’ needs, a basic decision is determining which of the two basic types of technologies — LCD or dvLED —  is best for the specific application. LCD and dvLED displays have very different features and benefits. Here's a quick primer on both.

As healthcare organizations move towards value-based reimbursement models, the patient experience is now taking a higher priority. Hospitals have made significant investments in improving scheduling, bill pay and other administrative tasks. But to maximize value — and differentiate themselves from their competitors — many healthcare providers are looking toward new ways to engage patients and visitors and, in doing so, improve patient outcomes. Here are four unique ways that hospitals are currently using high-impact visuals to engage patients, wow visitors and assist clinical staff in providing the best possible patient care. 

Although COVID is far in the rear view, many companies across the U.S. are still grappling with the challenge of getting people back into the office and creating a cohesive and collaborative environment for in-person and remote workers. AV and IT managers are the unsung heroes in this scenario, tasked with the job of finding and setting up tech that not only entices employees back to the office but also boosts team spirit. And they've got to make sure everyone's experience, whether they're at home or in the office, feels seamless.

In the heart of Norcross, GA, Sluss + Padgett LLC (S+P), a prominent commercial HVAC general contractor, is a great example of a company that has flourished amid this challenge. With a nationwide workforce exceeding 100 employees, the company wanted to unite its dispersed teams while modernizing its training facilities. This is the story of how Sluss + Padgett LLC embraced technology to propel its operations forward.

Integrating technology into the classroom is a great way to ensure that students receive a well-rounded education that prepares them not just for the digital challenges of tomorrow, but also for the diverse world they will navigate. If you need help in figuring out how exactly to incorporate the right technology to provide a truly enriching educational experience for our students, you’re in luck. Outlined below are four examples of how technology can be seamlessly folded into the classroom – and some research to back it up!

A collaboration display is an interactive touch display that allows the user to interact with the content displayed on it. Collaboration displays offer a platform for staff to present relevant information and updates, facilitating more efficient communication. By visually showcasing patient medication schedules, discharge details and care plans, collaboration displays contribute to lowering the potential for medical errors. Patients can easily access staff names, enabling them to address inquiries or issues promptly. Ultimately, the utilization of collaboration displays can help patient communication and engagement. Here are four benefits to using collaboration displays in a hospital.

Digital signage solutions can enhance any organization by offering the ability to communicate in a modern, efficient way with your audience. These devices are gaining in popularity and traction, with nearly 60% of businesses planning to invest in digital signage within the next two years. This is because these devices allow for real-time updates and announcements that can be shared seamlessly and can improve overall engagement. Read on to learn a few tips for deploying digital signage in your business and how to make the most of this technology.

Digital displays have become essential communication tools in corporate offices, retail stores, school campuses, event spaces, and other settings because they enhance collaboration, boost commerce, and improve the transmission of marketing messages and other information. In appropriate applications, larger displays — typically measuring 70 inches or more diagonally — provide crucial additional benefits beyond those offered by smaller-sized displays. Let’s examine how larger displays can help you achieve your communication and brand goals.

It can be intimidating to choose an interactive display that's right for your organization and knowing what to look for is key to making the right choice.

AQUOS BOARD® collaboration display systems are much more than your typical interactive whiteboards. These displays offer smooth and effortless communication along with high-tech features that keep audiences engaged and involved whether in the classroom or boardroom.

Legal professionals operate in a detail-oriented environment, where effective collaboration and document management are key to efficiency, security, and client service. To keep up with the evolving demands of the legal landscape, law firms are turning to modern technologies that streamline workflows, strengthen information security, and foster seamless communication. In this blog post, we’ll review the evidence proving that collaboration tools, interactive whiteboards, and copiers/printers are 3 superpowers that help alleviate common challenges, reduce billable leakage, and enhance productivity in the legal sector.

Effective communication is vital to the work of doctors, nurses and their staff - and it’s not exactly overlooked by patients, either. Any visit to a doctor’s office, clinic, urgent care center or hospital should be as stress-free as possible, and keeping patients informed goes a long way in accomplishing that. One effective tool for healthcare professionals to consider is implementing modern devices to enhance decision-making, collaboration and the overall patient experience.

One healthcare organization in New York resolved to innovate communication within their offices. They looked to their technology partners to bring interactive display systems into their facility to improve visibility, navigation and overall engagement.

Take a closer look at how to create appealing, effective content for digital signage for your store.

Classrooms have completely evolved over the past 20+ years.  We all remember the days of messy chalk on blackboards and overhead projectors.  Those big, bulky pieces of machinery wheeled in on a cart in the middle of the classroom.  Who doesn’t remember the thrill of being allowed to write on the transparency with a dry-erase marker and seeing the results projected on the wall? Fortunately, there has been an evolution in how educators can display their lessons.

Educational technology helps today’s teachers to integrate new tools into their classroom. Teachers are able to upgrade and improve the learning in their classroom that enables them to engage their students in unique and innovative ways. Teachers are also able to expand their network and connect with other teachers and educators nationally and globally. Let’s dive into three ways in which technology impacts the classroom and its implications for the future of education.

It may be one of the greatest pet peeves for teachers. You get some fancy new technology to use in the classroom, oohs and aahs abound, but it’s incompatible or difficult to use with existing software and other systems. Or you need to learn an entirely new system, so it becomes a major time investment that counters what you thought you’d save with the technology. What educators need – and what will invariably make their jobs easier – is technology that can link up to existing devices seamlessly and that will require minimal effort to get up to speed on. This is where having an open platform solution can provide huge benefits. For interactive displays, open platform is essentially an agnostic tool that can connect with any other devices in the classroom environment.

Did you ever watch a game at a sports bar or restaurant? How about looking at a meeting agenda on a display in a hotel lobby or a virtual directory in a hospital or shopping mall? Chances are you are looking at a commercial TV. You may be asking yourself, “Isn’t that the same TV I have in my house?” Well, not quite. There are a few differences between commercial TVs, mostly found in the environments mentioned above, and consumer TVs, which are mainly used in households.

As consumer 4K TVs and commercial display products are becoming increasingly similar in design, each product has special features for specific usage. Here are the basic differences between the two.

Let’s explore!

Learning is becoming more and more digitized. Luckily, technology is also becoming more comfortable to use and takes less time to implement. With the ability to use the display as a touchscreen device, an interactive whiteboard allows teachers to accomplish a wide range of tasks, from presenting to collaboration. 

Over the past few years, working from home at least a few days a week has become a regular occurrence. This way of work has shifted family dynamics, as many have turned guest rooms into offices, splurged on top-notch Wi-Fi systems, and even moved homes due to no longer having to commute to work every day. At first, your ideal home office may be as simple as a room that is secluded from traffic or lawnmower noises, but if you really think about making your workspace perfect for productivity, there are clearly other aspects that need to be considered. In my quest to put together my ideal home office, I examined all critical components, from hardworking hardware to a motivating ambiance.

Does your school need a technology upgrade? If you’re still writing on chalkboards and working on older smartboard models – the answer is yes! Technology is at the core of virtually everything we do and exposing students to cutting-edge devices at a young age can set them up for success in the future. In addition, new display technology in the classroom allows teachers to streamline their daily plans and allows for an interactive environment for all to learn.

Before the pandemic, the digital signage industry was already going through considerable changes, with innovations and advancements on the horizon. We have compiled five key trends based on our new environment that companies in the digital signage space should keep in mind.

In today’s continuously evolving workplace, the need for communication and collaboration is more important than ever. Digital technology is constantly reshaping the way people work. Employees are bringing tablets, laptops and smartphones into meetings as ways to share information. Additionally, many employees work on a hybrid schedule, where they are partially in the office and partially remote. One of the most impactful ways companies can create a collaborative space is by introducing an interactive whiteboard into their meeting rooms. With an interactive whiteboard in a business setting, meeting attendees can use their personal handheld devices to share their information with all participants using the interactive display, whether working in the office or remotely.

The world has undergone a massive technology evolution over the past decade and it’s particularly noticeable within the higher education sector. Previously, students would lug around a backpack heavier than them, filled with textbooks, notebooks and supplies. Now, they have slim laptops and tablets full of the materials needed to complete assignments, take notes and collaborate with others in their class. It’s critical for the classroom to evolve alongside students’ tools to create a streamlined, productive learning experience for all.

One way to achieve this is through the addition and/or upgrade of interactive displays within the classroom. While chalkboards and whiteboards have been effective in the past, they do not reflect the rapidly changing technological needs and contemporary classroom environments for students. Interactive displays offer an enhanced learning experience for both students and professors, while also providing the classroom with an updated, modern look.

As we enter the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the messages we continue to see is the need to adapt to the hybrid model. This has presented unique challenges for educational institutions, where the push to turn your home into a classroom has come with a learning curve for both teachers and students.

Despite the fact that many schools have pivoted back to in-person learning, the classroom environment has become more complex and nuanced than ever before. Educators and administrators need to be ready with updated technology to switch up the learning structure from classroom to hybrid – and back again – if the occasion calls for it. Here are two ways in which they can accomplish just that.

If we had to select positive outcome from the disruption that schools and students had to face from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that there has been a renaissance in classroom technology upgrades. And they’re here to stay! See how these schools were able to implement customized technology to remain flexible, and more importantly, open for our children.

I am a proud Gen Xer. I loved growing up in the age where we experienced seismic technology shifts. We are a strange hybrid of digital users who are extremely comfortable with technology but still remember a time when things were a bit more primitive.

There is no question that life is much easier today with the influx of technology, especially in the workplace.  If this past year and a half has taught us anything, it’s that in the education field and business world at least, you have to be somewhat tech savvy to keep up with the times. Read on to learn how tech has evolved.

When you look at today’s technology like self-driving cars, robotics and artificial intelligence, it’s easy to think we’ve landed in a sci-fi film. But go ahead and pinch yourself — this is real. Yesterday’s predictions are today’s reality. As we begin 2022, those devices are busy providing services in highly connected school, work and home environments, making so much possible that it feels like the future is truly here. Join us, as we explore what the classroom, meeting room and printers of the future look like today.

Understanding the importance of the retail experience, Sharp was able to successfully provide technology solutions for two iconic fashion brands’ prime retail locations in the heart of some of Manhattan, New York’s busiest shopping districts. Both brands had their own challenges and received a Sharp makeover that resulted in satisfaction from both the designers and their customers.

Many in the AV industry might be familiar with the innovative work and reporting of Gary Kayye, founder of rAVe pubs and Teaching Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina (UNC). Pre-pandemic, you probably saw Gary and his dedicated rAVe crew conducting camera interviews at major industry trade shows such as InfoComm and the Digital Signage Expo. With his first-hand experience in academia, we thought it would be compelling to get the inside scoop from Gary on how AV is shaping the future of education and learning. 

Whether you’re headed into a job interview, presentation, or a special occasion, it’s important to “look the part.” The same applies to dressing up your learning environment technology. In schools, having a modern space, tools and resources allows students to be informed, stay motivated and communicate with ease. The COVID-19 pandemic has launched educators and students into completely new ways of learning where they rely on technology more than ever. While we know the impact that interactive displays have on the classroom, adding digital signage to school common areas can make a major visual impact while providing a simplified way to communicate to large audiences at once.  

Traditionally associated with retail spaces, fast food and fast casual restaurants, digital signage is seeing increased demand from K-12 to colleges and universities. There are countless locations within a school – some you may not have thought of – where digital signage can make a difference. 

Twenty-three hours a week. That’s how much time on average that an executive spends in meetings, according to MIT’s Sloan Management Review. That’s approximately three whole business days’ worth of in-person and remote meetings, and for some of us it feels like even more. While most meetings are essential and help move forward impactful ideas, even the most important or most stimulating could use a boost.