In a video interview, AV Technology's content director, Cindy Davis, discusses the increased and critical role of AV technologies in education with Sandi Stambaugh, senior vice president of product management at TD SYNNEX. Stambaugh provides insight into the overall AV/IT ecosystem and how to obtain funding.
Whether K-12 or higher education, since March 2020, the role of AV technologies in the classroom has grown exponentially. When it comes to AV, people think of the devices—monitors, cameras, microphones—but it's much more. "There is more of a cohesive system now that incorporates that digital communication network, collaboration, and interoperability between the different systems that pull those devices together," Stambaugh said.
When discussing today's AV ecosystem, you can't leave out the infrastructure, network security, and more. "Now it's about threat detection, video management, analytics, and AI," Stambaugh added.
But getting funding for these systems can be a challenge. "A big part of it is understanding the funding programs available for schools and having a Subject Matter Expert (SME) on staff in education who understands what public sector policies are and what funds are available to help them deliver the solutions based on what's needed in the classroom," she said. TD SYNNEX did just that. "We hired former school administrators and technology coordinators representing higher ed and K-12. TD SYNNEX provides this level of expertise to its partners and customers," Stambaugh said.
For much more on funding, and the AV ecosystem in K-12 and higher ed, watch the full interview here:
