14 Sep Lab Mapping made Simple

Have you ever had to explain to someone where something is?

One of the biggest rises in student complaints on college and university campuses over the past couple of years has been based on the simplicity of finding something. With an ever increasing demand for access to computers for studying needs, finding desktops that are actually free has been a major gripe amongst modern day academics.

Classroom management software has evolved with the need to manage digital classroom interactions and bring students together for projects and other assignments.  The needs for Lab Mapping, where heads of departments have instant access to every campus device and location, has developed the ability to tell the student if the device is free, and what programmes are available.

With our Software partners at Sassafras, we are delighted to introduce K2 – KeyServer & KeyAuditor software licences that includes functionality for configuring public facing Availability Maps, including real-time information about which computers are available for login, lab hours, a demand forecast, and the ability to search for individual software products on specific computers and across campus or college library’s.

Using a Background Image
If you already have a floor plan showing desks and computers, e.g. from a BIM (Building Information Modelling) tool, you can simply upload this graphic and begin to place computers on it.

Software Availability
K2 maintains a complete list of installed software on each computer. As a student looks at a view of a computer lab or classroom, they can quickly access a list of all software being managed by K2 in that location, and then select a specific product to see where it is installed and whether those computers are available. If all of the computers are in use, they can then search for other classrooms that have the product.

Built in Drawing Tools
KeyReporter also includes tools to map your lab using graphics primitives, so that you aren’t forced to use any additional software.

Demand Forecast & Computer Hours
K2 will show what hour’s computer and lab access is open – and even better, it uses historical login data to predict when rooms with IT will be relatively busy or quiet. With this information readily available, students can plan accordingly.

Embedding Maps and Widgets in Other Pages
Just like all of the other widgets and reports in KeyReporter, all of your maps can easily be embedded into external web pages accessible from anywhere, making it easy to display room availability on Electronic Signage, Informational Kiosks, or on a dedicated page on the university’s or College’s website or intranet.

The ability to instantly identify the availability and location of a computer is a welcome attribute to any college or university.  The best students will always have more than one option in deciding which university to join, so by offering the best in Technology assistance can only be a vital benefit in attracting the best.

Our software specialist David Grant is on hand to discuss the best solutions with Sassafras and how a trial system can be set up to showcase the attributes of mapping your labs.  Call David on 01992 703 900 or email on david.grant@oldsite.academia.co.uk