Building Automation Solutions Can Enhance Students’ Productivity

Sometimes it’s hard to imagine how much technology has become a part of students’ lives.

From the moment they wake up until just before they go to sleep, many children never take their eyes off of a screen.

Far from an indictment about their behavior, they’re essentially capable of receiving and processing information at a lightning pace. It’s the duty of educators to take advantage of that, and it starts with building automation solutions.

In this blog, we’ll illustrate how enhancing the technological presence in the classroom can improve student engagement and facilitate the learning experience.


See Also: How Conference Room Automation Makes Your Business More Impressive
 

Wireless Network

Sharing information over a wireless network has become second nature. So there’s no reason you can’t share files and other learning materials the same way.

Each student can have wireless access to a school intranet to help them keep track of their work and stay organized throughout their day.

A wireless mesh network integrated throughout the school would ensure that each student has access without battling for bandwidth. They can store their books, notes and more on a schoolwide cloud for easy access.

That way, no one can say they’ve forgotten their homework ever again!

Interactive Whiteboards

Students who don’t receive personalized attention can oftentimes fall behind on their studies.

In a traditional classroom setup, that’s exactly what happens. Students sit through lectures without much interaction and they can begin to drift.

Interactive whiteboards can help them stay on track and engaged with the lesson, by allowing them to ask pointed, specific questions about the task at hand.

Efficient Projector and Slide Sharing

Much of each lesson is taught with a projector. Whether the teacher is trying to share a power-point presentation or a video, the projected image is essential.

But a lot of time can be wasted if teachers spend half of the class setting up the technology.

Instead, offer one-touch solutions for starting the projector and dimming the lights to the appropriate levels.

That way, teachers can get back to teaching more quickly.

Centralize Control

For each system throughout the learning facility, administrators can still maintain full centralized control.

If the lights are left on in a classroom, or if the integrated projector is not stored correctly after use, administrators can quickly solve the problem with the touch of a button.

It will free up time to make their jobs easier.

 
Can your school or learning facility benefit from building automation solutions?

Click here to work with us to get started on your building upgrade or give us a call at (808) 386-5963.

How to get the perfect sound system installation for your business
Audio can affect everything in a business environment from employee productivity to customer engagement. Investing in a sound system installation is often a strategic move, but there are many factors to consider. We’ll walk you through the steps for approaching that installation in your Maui, HI business.

No matter what line of business you’re in, we’ve got you covered. Read on to learn about the steps we recommend.



See Also: How Conference Room Automation Makes Your Business More Impressive
 

1. Initial Evaluation

What are your goals for your business? What are you trying to achieve with your sound system installation? Are you looking to bring in more customers to your shop or bar? Are you looking to create a more lively or focused environment for your employees?

This is the step to set the intention for your installation and how you want it to function for your business.

2. Area Assessment

With any installation, the space must be assessed to plan the specifics of the project and what you’ll be able to accommodate.

You’ll need to take account of the room or building’s size, shape, and layout while considering what will be taking space: Desks? Tables and chairs? Clothing racks? Furniture?

Any physical object placed in the area will affect the way that sound navigates.

3. Technology Selection

Once you have a firm understanding of the space you are working with and what your goals are for your business’s sound system installation, we can begin the selection process for your audio technology.

In this step, we’ll work with you to select the appropriate equipment to meet those goals that best fit the room or business you’re working with. In-wall or in-ceiling speakers may be the best solution for your business if you’re looking to save space and distribute sound evenly, while outdoor-specific speakers are ideal for bars or restaurants that receive a lot of traffic outside.

With any of your business needs regarding sound system installation, our professional team will be sure to make that the proper selections and design.

4. Installation

As an integration company, we work with several industry professionals to thoroughly install the appropriate sound system for your business. We understand that with so many sound system options, just deciding on a solution can feel overwhelming, but the installation is where it will come to life.

Our network of architects, interior designers, builders, and installers will ensure a polished and functional result.

5. Maintenance

We will work to produce a high-quality sound system installation that should need little maintenance on your end. However, if you have any questions or if any issues arise, we provide support to resolve anything or make upgrades when you’re ready.

 
Ready to take your Maui, HI business to the next level with a new sound system? Reach out to us here or give us a call at (808) 870-1619.

Stay Conscious of the Environment While Enhancing Your Oahu, HI Residence
You might not realize it, but Hawaii already is one of the most energy-efficient states within the U.S.

According to a 2017 WalletHub survey, Hawaii ranked No. 1 in the country in lowest electricity consumption per consumer and No. 1 in lowest natural-gas consumption per consumer.

If you’re reading that statistic and are surprised, perhaps it’s time you consider an energy management system for your home.

You can make your Oahu, HI residence energy efficient and environmentally conscious with the following smart home upgrades. Keep reading if your property’s energy consumption already is low, too.

Best of all, each system we’ll discuss below can add convenience to your day-to-day life.

SEE ALSO: Why Invest in a Smart Home Security System?

Smart Thermostat

Imagine your thermostat sensing when you leave for work in the morning, and it automatically turns on “eco” mode. Or, picture it showing your energy consumption patterns and how you can consume more efficiently.

It’s possible with a smart thermostat.

While you’re away from your home, your thermostat can regulate itself to use as little heating and cooling technology as possible. And at the end of the month, you can review during which times of day you spent the most to regulate your home’s temperature and in turn have a better knowledge of how your energy management system can save you more.

Another great benefit of a smart thermostat is that you can access it anywhere you go. If you want to cool your residence before returning home, you can set the temperature from a smartphone or tablet application.

Lighting Control System

With smart lighting control, you don’t have to worry about leaving lights on and spending unnecessary energy.

From the convenience of your handheld device or an in-wall keypad within your home, you can turn off every light with the press of a button.

When you’re home, you can adjust the amount of light each room receives through dimming options, and you also can create lighting “scenes” that illuminate specific areas – like a walkway to the kitchen when you wake up in the morning.

We also recommend you use LED bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs, so you save on energy consumption even while you have the lights on.

Motorized Shades

End the hassle of raising and lowering each blind in your home and instead have them motorized.

You can save time and energy with a motorized shading system, in which you can raise or lower your blinds with the single press of a button. Or, you can have them entirely automated.

At sunrise, your blinds automatically can lower so that light enters the room and heat stays out. Your shades will allow your home to stay cool so that you can simultaneously stay comfortable and conserve energy.

If any of these technologies sound appealing to you, we are experts at installing them to perfectly fit your Oahu, HI home’s energy management system needs. To find out more, all you need to do is click on the chat button on the bottom right of your screen or call (808) 386-5963. We look forward to hearing from you!

How Home Networking Impacts System Performance
Picture this: you’ve just gotten home from a long day at the office. You pull up to your driveway in Oahu, HI, walk into your house and sit down in a comfortable media room ready to watch a little Thursday Night Football. But when you try to turn on your AV system, you notice it takes a little while longer than normal. And the signal – normally crisp, beautiful high-definition, is lagging and pixelated. Eventually, you don’t get a signal at all. Why is this happening? The answer may be out of date home networking. If you want to avoid this type of situation, keep reading.



See Also: How to Keep Your Smart Home Running Smoothly
What Is the Home Network?
Let’s start by answering a simple question: what do we mean by network? It’s essentially the backbone of your smart automation system.

It’s the internet signal that connects every device in your home. It facilitates communication between your smart lights and shades, each component of your AV system and any smart security and surveillance gear integrated in your smart system.

The primary concern of home networking – at least from a user’s perspective – is bandwidth. If you think of it like a highway, bandwidth is like the lanes on the highway.

The more devices in your system you have, the more information you need to move through your network. That means you’ll need higher bandwidth, or more lanes on the highway.

If you don’t have enough lanes, you could suffer a traffic jam.

And, of course, if you get a traffic jam you could suffer signal lag or blackouts. That could mean anything from an unresponsive lighting system to missing the second half of the Thursday Night Football game.

What to Do About a Slow Network 
Before we get to what you should do, here’s what you shouldn’t do. Don’t trust your ISP for network advice, and don’t assume raising your broadband plan will solve the problem.

Many homeowners will run a speed test through their ISP. Unfortunately, that only tells you how fast the signal is on their end. It won’t tell you much about what’s going on in your home.

Of course, there are times when all you need to do is increase your service plan. But if your network stops working after a long period of perfect signal, that’s probably not the problem.

Instead, it’s time to focus on what’s going on inside your home. A common problem can stem from out-of-date cabling throughout your spaces.

As we move closer to a total 4K Ultra HD takeover, more information is being passed between devices than ever before. That means it may be time to upgrade to fiber-optic, HDBaseT and HDMI 2.0 cabling for your AV gear.

Other common problems include changes in device configuration and easy-to-make user errors.

So what’s the easiest thing to do about network downtime? Consult a professional of course!

At Pacific Audio and Communications, we make your smart home run better. Contact us today for a free, no obligation consultation about your home networking performance.

You’re just one click away.

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