The Julian University has been equipped with Logitech Rally for video conferences with automatic 4K video camera via USB, software and quality audio components integrated with Microsoft Teams, to enable in-person and remote teaching
Computer Center, a consultancy company specializing in IT products, services and solutions for companies, a certified Logitech partner, has provided the University of Trieste with the Logitech Rally videoconferencing solutions necessary for the digital renewal process of the University, especially to deal with the interruption of traditional teaching imposed by the current health emergency.
The University of Trieste (UniTS) has set itself the ambitious objective of training the future management class and professionals for working environments where the level of knowledge and preparation required changes continuously. Adaptability to change and permanent updating are among the main values on which the University, for several years at the top of the national rankings and present in international rankings, places strong attention.
The digital frontier offers opportunities for growth and innovation to UniTS which, already supported by a development plan in this sense, has taken up the challenge of the COVID-19 emergency. To accelerate the implementation of the project and to implement it with a view to promoting agile forms of work, it has integrated new methods of teaching delivery thanks to the intelligent use of spaces and services through mixed teaching. The objective was to keep the highest number of students in the classroom in the various centers in which the University is divided, while at the same time favoring the remote mode for those who were unable to move from their premises. Consequently, the actions implemented were aimed at:
- Achieve the necessary capacity for the various courses through the combination of classrooms with reduced capacity due to COVID-19
- Allow video recording of lessons and synchronous transmission through the chosen institutional platform (Microsoft Teams).
After a reconnaissance and design work of the new layout of the University classrooms (more than 200), a planning was made of the works necessary for the installation of the new equipment, which took place in two consecutive phases. Therefore, through a tender, UniTS selected the Logitech Rally videoconferencing solutions, as they were found to be the best on the market, thanks to: quality guaranteed by the microphone, excellent video images of the chalkboard, competitive price for a complete system that can be easily integrated into classrooms. Another key factor that contributed to the choice was linked to ease of use, since the system is perfectly compatible with the standard videoconferencing platform adopted by the University, Microsoft Teams.
The supply of the new videoconferencing solutions was provided by Centro Computer, a system integrator qualified for many years on Logitech products which, after an initial phase of assessment of the actual needs, equipped the University with the necessary equipment, providing over 100 Logitech videoconferencing units between Rally standard and Rally plus, including all assembly accessories.
"Respecting the delivery times of the Logitech videoconferencing products needed by the University was an arduous challenge in a period in which, due to the pandemic, we encountered considerable difficulty in sourcing and supplying these products, given the enormous increase in demand for videoconferencing solutions around the world. We are particularly proud to have managed to meet the University's expectations, allowing a rapid resumption of teaching activities", he explains Andrea Conte, Area Manager of Centro Computer.
“Today UniTs has a set of classrooms that allows for easy management of capacity to meet the needs of the courses offered, thanks to the virtualisation of spaces” underlines Flaviano Londero, Coordinator of the InfraDIG project for the digitalisation of the classrooms of the University of Trieste. 
"The teaching staff immediately appreciated the new mixed teaching method, as it allowed lessons to be held in person or remotely, while at the same time offering innovative and inclusive teaching. UniTs appreciated the potential offered by the Rally system and deemed them responsive to its needs and, with the consultancy of Centro Computer, it was possible to purchase and install the new video systems in a short time."
The University of Trieste has installed Logitech Rally videoconferencing systems in approximately 105 classrooms distributed across all buildings in the city and in the peripheral branch of Gorizia. The teachers immediately evaluated the excellent characteristics of ultra HD Premium, with automatic camera control and high quality audio components.
The adoption of Logitech Rally made it possible to welcome all the students who wanted to attend into the classrooms, despite the reduced capacities of the individual classrooms but instead being able to count on their matching potential, while guaranteeing the possibility of following the lesson remotely and in synchronous mode. The simplicity of the solutions adopted also allowed all teachers to proceed independently, after minimal technical support, in the start-up phase.
“We promptly took action to support the University in adopting the new equipment necessary for videoconferencing,” concludes Conte di Centro Computer. "We were among the first partners to promote and implement Microsoft Office applications in Italy and, since 2010 we have specialized in Unified Communication solutions, testing the first software applications that are now perfectly integrated into Microsoft Teams. We are also well aware of Logitech's innovative devices which, in our opinion, perfectly match Microsoft's unified communication and collaboration platform."
