Xilica Case Study

KIIT UNIVERSITY

KIIT deployed more than 150 classrooms using Xilica Solaro QR1 and Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2 to enable hybrid learning for students and staff.

SOLUTION BENEFITS

• Virtual classrooms needed to accommodate blended learning models born through the pandemic, and ensure online students could attend as equal participants and without interruption.
• Xilica Solaro QR1s manage audio across the facility, linking signals by Dante backbone using standard Category cable for remote management.
• HearClear AEC improves collaboration experience and productivity with immediate noise reduction and removal of echo.

Opened in 1997, KIIT University in Bhubneshwar delivers a value-based quality education that adheres to international standards and provides the skills necessary to solve real-world problems. The university required virtual classrooms with premium AV technology to accommodate blended learning models born through the pandemic, and ensure online students could attend classes as equal participants and without interruption. 

Challenge

The customer needed to build hybrid classrooms from the ground up and at scale. Voice intelligibility from the DSP was paramount; students and instructors needed clear and consistent audio without interruption or background noise. They also required secure AV solutions to protect against outside intrusions, and modular expansion capabilities for future scalability. The technology had to be powerful yet unobtrusive to avoid interference with lessons across multiple classrooms. Additional, each room had its own challenge regarding size with varied acoustical challenges, which required a unique configuration for each room.

Solution

Xilica Solaro DSP units were specified to address the requirements around flexibility, security, scalability and audio quality, in addition to outstanding PoE performance and seamless interoperability with Microsoft Teams, Zoom, WebEx, and Google Meet. Xilica Solaro QR1 DSPs were supplied in rooms with modest I/O needs, providing classrooms with a micro-format footprint that is easily concealed from view. The flagship Xilica Solaro FR1-D DSP was installed in learning spaces requiring higher channel counts.

The installation includes Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2 beamforming microphones with TruVoiceLift functionality. Working in tandem with the Xilica Solaro DSP, the TCC2 provides the best voice intelligibility and clearest audio while the Solaro DSPs reduce unwanted noise and artifacts. TCC2 combines the advantages of a boundary microphone and a microphone array and allows a single area in a room to be highlighted such as when an instructor is speaking.

Impact

With its low-profile and at-the-source mounting capabilities, the Xilica Solaro eliminated the traditional cabling and clutter of most audio systems while lowering the cost of ownership thanks to its simple expansivity.Easy deployment and configuration allowed installers to quickly move from room to room and expedite the rollout of their virtual classrooms. The power of Xilica and Sennheiser together deliver crystal-clear audio and exceptional voice intelligibility no matter where the students and instructors are located. Network capabilities allowed for unobtrusive installations, with only a single Category cable run to support power and control capabilities.

The reliability and consistency of premium Xilica and Sennheiser solutions, along with ease of operation and maintenance, allow one IT technician to manage and monitor all rooms. The installation is performing flawlessly and KIT University managers are excited about system futureproofing capabilities and flexibility across varied learning environments.

Thanks to the efficiency of Xilica and Sennheiser, KIIT University is ahead in its time in providing blended learning capabilities compared with many educational institutes in India. Hybrid classroom solutions mean students and faculty can collaborate more and easier than before.

With an easy-to-configure, modular architecture, the Xilica Solaro QR1s futureproof Siemens’ investment in their infrastructure – allowing adjusted requirements in the future to be easily accommodated. Xilica HearClear acoustic echo cancellation guarantees clear, unencumbered communication between remote participants over Microsoft Teams, and supported by the Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2, a great in-room experience for those looking to collaborate. 

Products used for this solution