For Independence Blue Cross, southeastern Pennsylvania’s leading health insurer, reliability is imperative in every aspect of business. When the company added a cutting−edge board room and executive conference room to its office in Philadelphia, officials there demanded nothing less than 100 percent functionality. They found it with Kramer Electronics products.
Designed and installed by systems integrator IMS Technology Services of Garnet Valley, PA, the rooms feature full digital technology and seamless control systems all managed by the Kramer Electronics ProScale™ digital scaler/switchers. “IBC is held to the exacting standards of a board of directors and any system had to work flawlessly,” said Bob Lobascio, vice president of sales at IMS Technology Services. “Kramer was the most reliable solution for this project.”
The 40−seat boardroom and the adjoining executive conference room at IBC share a digital system linked by a control room that houses the equipment used by the two meeting rooms. Each room features a wall of two big screen rear projection screens that display crystal clear 1080p video. A digital control system is housed in a full console within each room. Presenters and meeting attendees can connect their laptops and computers directly to the system through display ports at the conference table or the podium. Microphones at the table enable clear audio.
Video sources are managed using seven VP−729 ProScale digital scaler/switcher units and three Kramer VS−66HDCP HDMI switchers, along with two Kramer HDMI distribution amplifiers. Nine PT−571 and PT−572 DGKat+™ twisted pair transmitter/receivers convert HDMI signals over a single twisted pair signal using Kramer cables, enabling clear signals from as far as 200 feet away. Video sources include Blu−Ray DVD players, cable TV set−top boxes and recording devices.
By combining the control room to operate both executive rooms, IMS was able to create an organized rack system in a space−saving environment. While the backs of the rear projection screens make up two of the four walls of the control room, the screens are also facing windows in the board room, creating a reflection challenge. IMS darkened the windows and added drapes operated through the room’s control system.
“IMS designed an easy−to−use system that handles all our needs at the touch of a button – from audio and video to lighting,” said David Hering, manager of audio/video systems at Independence Blue Cross. “The Kramer system makes the technology seamless. All we have to do is turn the system on and it works every time.”
