Display Technology

UConn upgrades communication system through Carousel Digital Signage

Provided

April 6, 2022

Carousel Digital Signage, a display manufacturer, recently rolled out a digital signage package to the University of Connecticut, upgraded its on-premise Carousel 7 system to Carousel Cloud, for creation, scheduling and management of messaging throughout its campus and regional locations, according to a company press release.

Brien Woodaman, AV technician and digital signage service manager at UConn, said that the university began standardizing its digital signage systems in 2016. At the time, each department used its own homegrown solution, leading to inconsistencies in service offerings, scalability, hosting and performance. "There was a lot of confusion, so there was a push to standardize," Woodaman said in the release.

UConn deployed Carousel 7 to deliver content in a more streamlined fashion.

"The people interfacing with the digital signage systems weren't graphic designers or technicians; they were office admins, faculty or staff from different departments," Woodaman said. "We needed something that was simple and easy to use, and that's why we chose Carousel."

The initial Carousel 7 deployment involved 300 media players, and UConn has kept expanding through its transition to Carousel Cloud, which began in 2021. Currently, UConn has 700 displays receiving content from Carousel Cloud across the main campus, as well as six regional locations. The campus would like to deploy 800 displays by the end of summer.

The university uses BrightSign and Apple TV players, as well webOS that is built into its LG smart displays. UConn has deployed Jamf Now, a cloud-based MDM solution, to manage Apple TV devices on campus. Due to Carousel's partnership with Jamf, the university extended management capabilities to the digital signage system.

"I created a subgroup that manages the Apple TVs that are running signage," Woodaman said. "When a new device is purchased, I just add that to the Jamf subgroup and push out the configuration, and it loads right into Carousel Cloud."

The content displayed across UConn varies depending on where the signage is situated: the screens outside of classrooms display scheduling information, while department specific displays run announcements related to scholarships, internships and different work opportunities. Student groups also have access to some displays so that they may post advertising about upcoming events, or even want ads for those seeking roommates. Carousel Cloud software provides options to use built-in templates for digital signage or upload pre-made content.

UConn's Carousel Cloud system also integrates with the university's mass notification system so that in the event of an emergency, the screens will switch to displaying alerts.