The Empower Learning Academy Trust has installed 170 NovoTouch interactive displays across its four sites located in Upminster, Hornchurch, Havering and Romford in the UK.
Vivitek’s NovoTouch replaces the Academy’s fleet of aging projectors, bringing an interactive dimension to lessons and learning, while lowering operating costs, simplifying maintenance for the Academy’s IT support teams and lowering print volumes.
Founded in July 2011, The Empower Learning Academy Trust has three secondary academies and a primary school at the heart of its ambitious multi-academy trust, and is home to approximately 3,000 students and 530 staff, including its IT support team. Tony Stevens, head of IT operations and support, and his team are responsible for maintaining approximately 1,200 desktop devices, several hundred iPads and 60 printers across the Academy.
Previously, the Academy had a fleet of projectors in its classrooms, but their running costs and requirement for frequent maintenance meant that the Academy sought a more effective display solution for it newly refurbished classrooms. “We didn’t want 15 year old technology in our newly refurbed classrooms, or in our brand new building at the Hall Mead School,” said Stevens.
The majority of the new Vivitek display devices being used by the Academy are NovoTouch EK753is, a 75-in 4K interactive display with wireless collaboration and touch interaction for the classroom. The NovoTouch has been preconfigured with Vivitek’s NovoConnect wireless presentation and collaborative system for cable-free and hassle-free presenting in the classroom.
It can connect up to 64 students simultaneously, and enables four of them to present on one display to facilitate large group work. The display’s interactive functionality offers up to a 20-point finger touch capabilities (10-point writing, 20-point touch) for on-screen annotation, drawing and common gesture controls. The NovoTouch offers a 4mm thick toughened glass for added protection against scratches or screen damage, helping to protect the Academy’s investment long term, while powerful, front-facing stereo audio speakers with up to 32W of total power (16Wx2) and multiple audio-in/out ports, ensures that everyone can enjoy crisp and clear sounds.