• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

My TechDecisions

  • Best of Tech Decisions
  • Topics
    • Video
    • Audio
    • Mobility
    • Unified Communications
    • IT Infrastructure
    • Network Security
    • Physical Security
    • Facility
    • Compliance
  • RFP Resources
  • Resources
  • Podcasts
  • Project of the Week
  • About Us
    SEARCH
Project of the Week, Video

Furman Clover Park Technical College AV System

May 26, 2017 Jonathan Blackwood Leave a Comment

Photos & Slideshow
View the slideshow View the slideshow
View Slideshow

The Installer

PROTON360 COMMUNICATIONS

The Equipment List

  • Hitachi 6,500 ANSI Lumens Multi-Purpose Projectors
  • Furman PL-8C power conditioners

Clover Park Technical College (CPTC) in Puyallup, Wash., offers over forty courses in aerospace, engineering, science and technology. But despite CPTC’s complex subject matter, the school’s technology has struggled to keep up with modern times, partly because of the pesky power surges that plagued its previous system.

The Tech Decision

CPTC’s Dean for Health, Client, Business and Human Services Michelle Hillesland called PROTON360 COMMUNICATIONS, a Washington state based technology integration firm with whom she had worked with in the past, to design a new reliable digital A/V system with sophisticated power protection.

“Our staff was experiencing a lot of difficulty using our old analog system. It was totally unreliable. Sometimes it would turn on, sometimes it wouldn’t. Many of our presentation components were left unused as a result,” says Hillesland. “In addition, the screens weren’t large enough for the content. We had to turn off the lights to see the text or images being displayed. Students were quite literally falling asleep.”

The Solution

With sophisticated power protection in place providing much needed peace-of-mind, PROTON360 built an entirely new AV system for the school. Previously unable to switch between sources, expand visuals on lecture hall displays, or guarantee that the system would even turn on, CPTC’s professors needed a simple but reliable way to conduct multi-media presentations that would engage their students.

In order to guarantee that the new school-wide AV system would be as reliable as the staff wanted it to be, PROTON360 installed 20 Furman PL-8C power conditioners to protect it from power surges.

“Dirty power, which can cause surges, is pretty common in Washington’s schools. It was our priority to make sure that the sophisticated presentation system we were about to implement did not act delayed or ‘sticky’,” says PROTON360 General Manager Joe Westbrook. “So we used Furman power conditioners to protect every single piece of gear. Furman shields the school’s technology from any power mishaps that could occur.”

The integration process was not without its challenges. PROTON360 originally planned to integrate the school’s twenty-one rooms at once. They quickly had to change their plans when they found out that they’d have to work on one to two rooms at a time, while classes were still in session.

“We had to adjust our schedule and work around classes,” Westbrook says. “But we rearranged our entire process, powered through, and made life easier for our client–which is the ultimate end goal.”

The Impact

Now, with one automated touch panel per room, CPTC’s staff can easily turn a display or projector on or off with the touch of a button. They can switch between sources and control the room’s audio. “Much of the subject matter being discussed in the labs or lecture halls is complex,” Hillesland says. “The new functionality really enhances the learning experience for teachers and students alike.”

Additionally, CPTC’s staff no longer have to turn off the lights to conduct a presentation. Hitachi’s 6,500 ANSI Lumens Multi-Purpose Projectors provide bright and clear content in normal ambient lighting.

“CPTC’s professors can now create presentations that engage students,” Westbrook says. “The system is sophisticated on the back-end, but extremely simple on the front-end for the user. “Everything – the projectors, displays, audio, video, and power management – work together to create a reliable and easy-to-use system.”

According to Hillesland, the system has been running smoothly, and CPTC has not experienced any power surges that have affected the equipment.

“I have witnessed power surges before that have temporarily killed our technology,” she says. “With Furman power protection and conditioning, we have had no problems at all since the new AV system was installed. I would definitely recommend a system of this nature to any higher education school that wants to enhance how they teach their subject matter and delight their staff.  It has completely transformed our operations.”

If you enjoyed this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our digital newsletters!

Jonathan Blackwood
Jonathan Blackwood

Jonathan Blackwood is the Editor-in-Chief of TechDecisions. Jonathan joined TechDecisions in 2014 and writes about technologies that help to innovate and improve practices for companies of all sizes, K-12 and higher education, government, healthcare, hospitality, retail and large venue spaces. He is especially interested in the future of work and education and the Internet of Things. Follow him @BlackwoodTweets.

Tagged With: Hardware, Projection, Utilities

Related Content:

  • URI catchbox 1 Catchbox Plus: The Mic Solution That Finally Gave…
  • ADI SnapOne logos Snap One, ADI Expands Conferencing Solutions with Yealink…
  • Avocor display in classroom at Thomas Telford Multi Academy Trust (TTMAT) Thomas Telford Multi Academy Trust Transforms Classrooms with…
  • Faculty member at Jamestown, NY school district using an LG CreateBoard in classroom teaching 1000x500 LG CreateBoards Enhance Teaching in Jamestown Schools

Free downloadable guide you may like:

  • Practical Design Guide for Office SpacesPractical Design Guide for Office Spaces

    Recent Gartner research shows that workers prefer to return to the office for in-person meetings for relevant milestones, as well as for face-to-face time with co-workers. When designing the office spaces — and meeting spaces in particular — enabling that connection between co-workers is crucial. But introducing the right collaboration technology in meeting spaces can […]

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Downloads

Practical Design Guide for Office Spaces
Practical Design Guide for Office Spaces

Recent Gartner research shows that workers prefer to return to the office for in-person meetings for relevant milestones, as well as for face-to-fa...

New Camera Can Transform Your Live Production Workflow
New Camera System Can Transform Your Live Production Workflow

Sony's HXC-FZ90 studio camera system combines flexibility and exceptional image quality with entry-level pricing.

Creating Great User Experience and Ultimate Flexibility with Clickshare

Working and collaborating in any office environment today should be meaningful, as workers today go to office for very specific reasons. When desig...

View All Downloads

Would you like your latest project featured on TechDecisions as Project of the Week?

Apply Today!

More from Our Sister Publications

Get the latest news about AV integrators and Security installers from our sister publications:

Commercial IntegratorSecurity Sales

AV-iQ

Footer

TechDecisions

  • Home
  • Welcome to TechDecisions
  • Contact Us
  • Comment Guidelines
  • RSS Feeds
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linkedin

Free Technology Guides

FREE Downloadable resources from TechDecisions provide timely insight into the issues that IT, A/V, and Security end-users, managers, and decision makers are facing in commercial, corporate, education, institutional, and other vertical markets

View all Guides
TD Project of the Week

Get your latest project featured on TechDecisions Project of the Week. Submit your work once and it will be eligible for all upcoming weeks.

Enter Today!
Emerald Logo
ABOUTCAREERSAUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDERSYour Privacy ChoicesTERMS OF USEPRIVACY POLICY

© 2025 Emerald X, LLC. All rights reserved.