Making life easy for teachers – that is a fundamental belief at Neets A/S, the leading manufacturer of AV control systems in all of Scandinavia. Their solutions are making a positive difference for teachers every day.
Technology must support education, not hinder it. That is one of Neets’ guiding principles when designing and developing AV control systems for learning spaces.
Some of Neets’ best-known solutions are specially designed keypads that are configured to perform specific functions with the AV equipment in a room. The keypads make it easy for teachers to operate all the devices in a room from one interface. Neets have designed their keypads to be wall-mounted in a visible and accessible place; for example, next to a whiteboard. The most significant advantages are that they neither run out of battery nor get stolen or lost; common situations with the remote controls the keypads replace.
Neets’ solutions can be used in any learning space and educational institution, from municipal schools to universities. Neets boast a long list of references from educational institutions around Europe, including Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany; Breda University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands; and the University of Cambridge in England.
In its home country Denmark, Neets has a close relationship with several institutions, including the University of Copenhagen and Søndervangskolen in Aarhus, Denmark’s second-biggest city.
Søndervangskolen invested in around 50 keypads (Neets Control – EcHo) and are very satisfied with the results.
“We now have a standardized and consistent interface to control the AV equipment in every classroom. It’s straightforward and logical for the teachers to use, so they don’t waste time trying to get the equipment to work. We have seen that the available technology is now more actively integrated into the teachers’ methods. The keypads have also provided a lot of flexibility in the classroom, making it easier and faster for the students to take turns presenting their work to the rest of the class,” says Martin Bernhard, Vice Principal at Søndervangskolen.
The school has always aimed to harness the opportunities provided by technology. Søndervangskolen is, in fact, the only school in the country to be recognized as an Apple Distinguished School for achieving an excellent level of IT integration in education.
“We invested heavily in IT competency development for our employees when renovating the school. However, onboarding employees to use the Neets keypad was very easy! After the installation, we simply sent out an email explaining how to use them. Nobody has ever experienced any issues,” Martin Bernhard explains.
According to the Vice Principal, one of the biggest benefits provided by the control systems is their ability to support a wide variety of devices, making the system future-proof. Classroom equipment is upgraded regularly with different brands, students and teachers use different devices to connect to the system, and local clubs frequently use the AV equipment when borrowing classrooms in the evenings. Therefore, it’s essential to have a system that works perfectly every time, regardless of the equipment’s brand or model.
The University of Copenhagen is also always looking for ways to future-proof their classrooms and auditoriums. The University has used Neets’ products for many years and recently upgraded to the newest version of Neets’ keypad control system in 39 lecture rooms. When renovating these rooms and upgrading the equipment, the key was also to create a system that could easily be adapted in the future.
Lars Palmqvist, IT consultant at the University of Copenhagen, explains, “It has given us more flexibility, a visually more intuitive user interface, and increased functionality, for everyone’s benefit. Furthermore, Neets keypad control systems are very competitive in both price and functionality, and have always delivered an extremely high level of service.”
Neets’ newest keypad, the Neets Control – UniForm, also makes it easier to adapt and upgrade the AV system in the future. This is possible thanks to its E-ink label and external USB port, meaning that the IT team can make the necessary changes and updates without disassembling the device. These smart features make it easier than ever to adapt AV systems to changing technology requirements.
Neets’ innovative solution aligns with the University of Copenhagen’s desire to be a technology early adopter. “We got a solution that fits our requirements perfectly. It’s not rocket science, of course, but users don’t need rocket science; they just need it to work. And it does,” explains Lars Palmqvist.
