The inaugural meeting of those working in unified communications (integrators of various communication tools and services) and audiovisual disciplines was a resounding success.
More than 60 delegates from 19 universities and various vendors attended this special interest group* meeting on 13 and 14 April at the North-West University (NWU) Business School in Potchefstroom. The meeting presented a valuable opportunity for networking through shared experiences and insights.
It also marked the first combined event for unified communications and audiovisual professionals. Lappies Labuschagne, senior manager for IT Operations from the NWU and one of the organisers of the meeting, says the aim was to discuss the latest trends, best practices and success stories.
“The importance of collaboration and communication when implementing unified communications and audiovisual technology was one of the central themes. Speakers emphasised the need for organisations and institutions to involve all stakeholders – including information technology (IT) teams, end users and management – in the planning and implementation processes.”
Multi-award-winning inventor and entrepreneur Prof Leenta Grobler from the NWU Business School delivered the keynote address. She spoke about integrating voice and video as tools in teaching and learning in higher education from a lecturer’s perspective. Several other speakers also shared their product offerings.
According to Lappies, another key takeaway was the importance of choosing the right vendor when implementing technology. Attendees shared their experiences of working with different vendors and products such as Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams, among other programs. “They emphasised the importance of selecting vendors with good track records who had a deep understanding of the needs of the organisation or institution. They should also have a commitment to providing ongoing support.”
For more information about the unified communications and audiovisual interest groups, contact Lappies Labuschagne at lappies.labuschagne@nwu.ac.za, or for more about IT in higher education, visit www.heitsa.ac.za.
*This special interest group is a non-profit organisation to which the IT directors from all participating universities belong. They make valuable contributions to Higher Education Information Technology South Africa (HEITSA). HEITSA coordinates the various IT special interest groups for universities.
Wielligh Lambrechts, unified communications group leader from Stellenbosch University, speaks to delegates during the inaugural interest group meeting, which was hosted by the NWU.
Prof Leenta Grobler shares insights into incorporating technology in higher education.
Lappies Labuschagne, organiser from the NWU (right), with Eldridge van der Westhuizen, who was part of the HEITSA team who helped to organise the event.
