LCD announcement screens now under central management system
The LCD screens that are positioned around Lee’s campus have not only adopted a fresh look but are also operating under a new and more efficient system called Blackbox.
Communication is key on a campus like Lee University, and the LCD screens allow for simple communication of information such as events, deadlines and other news throughout the Lee community.
Unfortunately, the previous system that controlled the screens was anything but simple. Because the LCD screens needed a nearby computer in order to display announcements, multiple control computers had to be positioned around campus in places like mechanical closets and offices.
To put it simply, several computers were controlling the screens, and if a new announcement was to be added, someone had to go to each individual control computer to update each screen.
“There was really no rhyme or reason to [the old system],” Director of Information Technology Systems Nate Tucker said.
Under the new Blackbox system, however, the 40+ LCD screens can now be controlled from one central point in the Higginbotham Administration Building.
The central computer is called the “publisher,” and the outlying screens are called “subscribers.” Any changes made on the publisher will, in turn, affect and update the subscribers all over campus.
The new system also holds other resources that have not yet been implemented, such as the ability to show video footage on the screens.
“We’ve not even touched the capabilities of [the Blackbox system] yet, but we are definitely moving forward,” Tucker said.
With this in mind, avenues of communication throughout Lee’s campus can only get better.