Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's AV routing needs met with Network Electronics' VikinX range

Feb 24, 2005 12:25 PM

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has installed Network Electronics' VikinX compact and flexible routers to meet the needs of the facility's complex and demanding AV system. The routers, an analog 16x2 configuration and a 16x16 multimedia configuration, were recently integrated into the medical center's new high-end dual conference room and Sherman Auditorium respectively.

"The dual conference rooms are in use around the clock for teaching purposes and receive various signals, individually and combined, from numerous internal and external sources," said Peter Macaulay, director of IS/media services for the facility. "The VikinX routers integrate all video signals seamlessly into our AV system to give us the flexibility we require to adapt to the configuration of the material and space."

The dual conference suite is comprised of two rooms capable of functioning as one large area or divided into smaller sections. Its ability to split into segments required a rugged router able to adapt to various configurations instantly. "The router was extremely helpful in terms of supporting the diverse signals in this unusual space," Macaulay commented.

The medical center's technical facilities, which are controlled by a Crestron multimedia system, were designed and installed by By Request Communications, a broadcast systems integration company based in Marlborough, MA.

Macaulay was so pleased with By Request's VikinX recommendation and the router's performance that he ordered a Network Electronics VikinX 16x16 multimedia unit for the medical center's next technical project--the AV upgrade of its Sherman Auditorium.

The auditorium is the center's major conference space. It seats approximately 200 and is the favored venue for large-group events including rounds and meetings. "The Sherman Auditorium's AV infrastructure was so dated that we had to start from scratch," said Macaulay.

"Our AV system is fed from many sources--right in the room, the operating rooms, from satellite downlinks or fiber," Macaulay continued. "The ability to route the vast range of these signals, whether RGB or straight composite video, had always presented a challenge to us. Network's Multimedia 16x16 (Media 16) gives us the ultimate flexibility to multipurpose: In one setting we are using it mainly for composite video, but we can switch to RGB if we need to. The router's user-friendly operation, cost-effective price point and attractive architecture were very appealing as well."

For more information, visit www.network-electronics.com .