As part of the process, district administrators and staff reevaluated all infrastructure elements and their approach to campus safety, selecting AtlasIED IPX technology to modernize their intercom, audio announcements, and emergency communications systems.

The district began renovating in phases, prioritizing schools based on the state of the school buildings and the level of urgency of repairs. Before renovations, the schools in the district used similar audio communications technologies that had been in use for 10-20 years, including the public address (PA) system, clocks and blue light systems for emergencies.

However, the systems were siloed and did not integrate. During routine use, such as all-school announcements at the beginning of school days, the system functioned as needed, but during drills, the number of systems in operation caused the schools challenges.

“With the old system, when we conducted a lockdown drill, school staff needed to activate the different systems manually, which created steps and more possibilities for human error,” says Matt Erwin, director of facilities for North Syracuse Central Schools. Erwin manages maintenance and operations, plus security, health and safety, and the capital work for the district.

AtlasIED IPX Series for Campus Audio & Communication System

The district had two primary goals when upgrading the campus audio and communications systems: to improve the audio quality and find a plan to increase the speed at which a school could react and contact first responders during an emergency. They wanted to achieve these goals without having to install a system that was too complicated for staff and personnel.

Because the district used a Cisco phone system, Erwin and his team wanted a platform that integrated with these devices. As they researched and discussed options, their partners at Day Automation, a building automation and security solution provider, introduced them to AtlasIED, which they eventually chose as their long-term audio and communications solution. The AtlasIED IPX Series met all of the criteria for the district.

AtlasIED’s IPX Series features a range of communication endpoints that interconnect. The IPX endpoints integrate multiple functions into single products, including loudspeakers, two-way microphones, flashers, and an LED display for a clock, date, or other text-based messages that can be updated in real-time during an emergency.

Installing IPX Endpoints at Bear Road and Smith Road Elementary School 

Karl W. Saile Bear Road Elementary, known simply as Bear Road Elementary, became the district’s first school to install a new audio and communications system. Originally built in 1958, Bear Road Elementary was one of the district’s oldest buildings. During the Bear Road project, the school renovated half the building at a time to avoid a full closure and completely modernized the interior and infrastructure to accommodate staff and student needs.

The team at Day Automation identified locations for IPX endpoints throughout the school and ran Ethernet cable to each site in preparation to connect the endpoints. The IPX endpoints are Power over Ethernet (PoE+)-enabled, receiving power and network signals through the same IT network the school uses to deliver Internet access. The IPX platform helped simplify the installation process for integrators by reducing the number of cable types needed.

Another NSCSD school, Smith Road Elementary, began its retrofit project in 2022 to update various technologies, including its audio and communications technology systems, and upgrade building infrastructure. Working around class schedules to avoid disrupting students, the school expanded and updated its campus IT network and created plans to locate IPX endpoints.

Once the construction teams pulled Ethernet cabling to predetermined locations in both schools, the contractor teams began installing IPX endpoints, including the dual-sided IP-DDS endpoint mounted from side walls and hung over high-traffic areas like hallways.

They also added IP-SDMF indoor wall-mount endpoints in classrooms, the main office, the cafeterias, the gymnasiums, nurses office, and all rooms to ensure comprehensive building coverage. On the ceilings, the district installed the IP-8SM in multiple locations, which offer a loudspeaker and an omnidirectional microphone to allow two-way communication and monitoring from the speaker location to any PC or phone handset.

Related: How Mass Notification is Evolving to Manage Emergencies

Mass Communications through Singlewire and IPX Devices  

The IPX Series also helped NSCSD incorporate campus safety capabilities with the help of InformaCast Mass Notification Software from Singlewire. Using InformaCast, during an emergency, designated school personnel can initiate the software from a mobile device wherever they are on or off campus. The software then instantaneously sends text messages to faculty, students, parents’ mobile devices, alerts law enforcement, and activates attention-grabbing audio communication, flashing visual alerts and LED text messages on the installed IPX devices throughout campus.

Also, using InformaCast, the IP-8SM ceiling speakers can be configured to allow first responders to communicate with people near the loudspeaker or listen in to that area. The speakers can be critically important when personnel, students, or perpetrators barricade themselves in classrooms or other rooms.

When connected to InformaCast, the loudspeakers become a critical two-way hands-free communications tool for law enforcement or school personnel to deliver directions, provide or receive real-time updates near the speak location, or listen to activities within a space.  The loudspeakers are especially important when staff, students, or perpetrators barricade themselves in classrooms or other rooms.

The district has implemented new routine and emergency safety procedures in the schools with InformaCast and IPX due to the upgraded capabilities offered by the technology. It has begun to train staff regularly to help them become more familiar with operating the equipment. Training staff for both routine operation and operating the system during an emergency when people are under much more stress has the potential to lead to human error. This is why automating the system using pre-recorded messages offered via InformCast can help reduce the chance of human error during a real incident.

While the expectation is that much of the system’s use will be for routine daily announcements, InformaCast software helps automate many of the formerly manual steps in the older system’s procedures.

“Gone are the days when we had to find a panic button or go to a specific location to access the PA system,” says Erwin. “The new AtlasIED systems give us much more functionality at every point within the building. Based on the successful installation at Bear Road and Smith Road, we now look at mass notification across the entire district differently.”

A Better, Safer Experience 

From the district’s experience at Bear Road Elementary and Smith Road Elementary, it plans to install IPX and InformaCast throughout the rest of the district school buildings. As plans develop and ongoing training continues at the schools currently outfitted with IPX and InformaCast, Erwin and his team are eager for additional school buildings to use the new technology and create a better and safer experience district-wide for the students and staff moving forward.

Click ‘View Slideshow’ to see additional photos of the district’s IPX technology upgrade at Bear Road Elementary and Smith Road Elementary schools.

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on November 6, 2023. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

The post North Syracuse Central School District Streamlines Communications with AtlasIED IPX Technology appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Engineered with automation, artificial intelligence and touchless control, Atmosphere combines digital audio processors, amplifiers, graphical user interfaces, programming software and controls to set a new operational and performance standard for digital audio systems.

Designed to be simple to install and easy to operate, the platform offers the modularity, scalability, and quality performance required to support the audio needs of a wide range of commercial applications, including restaurants, bars, hotels, school campuses, houses of worship and retail establishments.

“The introduction of these new hardware products and the latest software represent another important milestone and highlights the continued innovation of the Atmosphere platform,” says Tom Lureman, director of product management at AtlasIED. “The Atmosphere platform has transformed the way our customers integrate audio into a variety of environments, like hospitality. These latest products bring even more capabilities and value to support their clients’ needs.”

Audio Processing and Amplification in One

Building upon the foundation of the Atmosphere AZM series of signal processors, the new Atmosphere AZMP4 (4-zone) and AZMP8 (8-zone) add built-in premium amplification to help customers consolidate products in an audio rack and streamline system integration.

The AZMP4 is powered by a single 600W 4-channel amplifier module while the AZMP8 provides 1200W of total power. Any AZMP4 or AZMP8 individual channel can be software configured to provide different wattages. For example, if a restaurant has several zones but one has more speakers, an installer can use the AZMP to divide the power to better suit a zone with more or less speakers.

Multi-zone Paging Station Accessory

AtlasIED also unveiled the Atmosphere X-ZPS, an advanced multi-zone paging station accessory natively compatible with AtliasIED AZM and AZMP processors. Like all Atmosphere accessories, the X-ZPS is plug-and-play using CAT5e cable and daisy-chainable with other accessories up to 1,000 feet. With a 4.3-inch touchscreen display for easy Zone, Group, or All Call paging using the included premium gooseneck microphone, it can also be configured as a full Atmosphere system controller with access to features including zone volume, source select, message recall, scene select and bell schedule.

Atmosphere 3.0

AtlasIED also launched its latest major software update for the Atmosphere platform, Atmosphere 3.0. Available for AtlasIED AZM audio processors and the new AZMP combination audio processors with built-in amplifiers, the Atmosphere 3.0 update builds upon the embedded intelligence for the system, now allowing for continuous monitoring and supervision of system health and performance.

A new Self-Test feature measures system performance over time and provides notifications of any degradation of loudspeaker load. Additionally, Atmosphere 3.0, introduces soundmasking as another feature of this powerful platform. Used in corporate, healthcare/ clinical, and other settings, sound masking helps cover speech for enhanced speech privacy and reduce distracting office noise for increased focus and productivity.

The Atmosphere AZMP8, AZMP4, X-ZPS, and the 3.0 software will be available in early 2023. The Atmosphere 3.0 software update can be downloaded when released.

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on January 31, 2023. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

The post AtlasIED Unveils New Atmosphere Digital Audio Control and Processing Hardware appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Gone are the days of hard-wired mass communications systems that require infrastructure separate from existing IT infrastructures, and that is bringing even more technology under the watchful eye of IT. However, with IT departments overburdened with supporting hybrid work strategies, cloud migrations and security, making additional technologies easy to manage is now a requirement. That includes campus-wide mass communication systems.

We spoke with Michael Peveler, vice president of sales at AtlasIED, about how mass communication systems are becoming easier for IT professionals to manage.

Why IT now manages mass communication

According to Peveler, IT professionals are now the main point of contact when organizations interface with mass communication providers, and that is largely because mass communication systems are now being deployed on the network, and IT professionals manage that network.

“Coverage is one of the most important concepts of mass communication and it is the only department that has the infrastructure throughout an entire campus, be it corporate, manufacturing, or education that a solution can ride on to provide full coverage,” Peveler says.

Take the K-12 education market, for example. Both on-premises and cloud-based communications solutions are managed through IT infrastructure, and this change is creating a move away from legacy communication models that included a bell, public address system, phones and an auxiliary audio solution for outside or in a gym.

“Today all areas are covered from the same head end, or software solution and are now managed as a single communication platform that goes to IP phones, mobile devices, analog speakers and IP Endpoints located across the campus,” Peveler says.

Easier to manage during a crisis

According to Peveler, this shift away from separate, independent systems on disparate infrastructures is making crisis management much easier for both IT professionals and first responders.

This new model of consolidating mass communication systems into one easy-to-manage solution has come at the urging of safety officials across the country. Now, one system can be used to send a mass communication notification across entire campus and to key personnel regardless of where they are located, via mobile devices.

One user interface for everything from standard campus-wide communications to emergency communications makes it much easier for end users.

With the addition of third-party technologies such as gunshot detection, the system will acknowledge it and trigger a lockdown procedure without the need for human intervention, enabling safety personnel and administrators to do their job and get people to safety quickly. Unfortunately, mass communications systems that require manual processes have led to disaster in the past, Peveler says.

“In a true moment of crisis every second counts and so an automated solution saves lives by giving everyone as much notice as possible,” Peveler says.

Why AtlasIED’s IPX series of IP endpoints stands out

The seamless deployment and management of AtlasIED’s IPX series makes those products the perfect mass communication solutions for IT departments. The network-ready IP endpoints include speakers, displays and IP-to-analog gateways designed to boost your facility’s security and mass communication capabilities without burdening IT with additional infrastructure to manage.

The IPX series comes with devices discovery tools and network management tools that allow for seamless updates and testing to be done on a single unit or an entire network of devices, minimizing the support requirements for IT teams. The endpoints can be easily tied into current AV installations, or it can connect to third-party devices via built-in connections.

“IPX is a high quality, true integration solution that can play a key role in helping to provide a safer environment for employees and students,” Peveler says.

The post Why IT Is Now Tasked With Managing Mass Communications appeared first on My TechDecisions.

But over the years, as he continued to attend games, he couldn’t help but notice the many “dead” zones within the 3,000-seat venue.

As an audiophile, local businessman and long-time supporter of the Alexandria Trojans athletic program, he vowed to fix the problem with the help of AtlasIED stadium speakers.

The Tech Decisions for a Complete Audio Overhaul

On further inspection of the press box audio system, he discovered poorly connected equipment, faulty wiring, and damaged rooftop speakers that even in their heyday wouldn’t have had the horsepower nor the appropriate range to cover every seat.

“The old speakers had literally disintegrated from years of wear and tear,” Peyton says. “Plus, they didn’t have the crossovers to deliver the full frequency sound that was sorely needed in this stadium.”

Read Next: Mellow Mushroom Adds New Acoustics In Restaurant Chain

He contacted pro AV manufacturer’s rep firm Mizzen Marketing in Mansfield, Texas, for suggestions. Top on the list was swapping the old, corroded horn speakers for new wide-dispersion models from AtlasIED.

Based on measurements, budget, requests of the school administration, and other information gathered by Peyton, Mizzen Marketing drafted a detailed blueprint, specifying equipment, speaker locations, DSP settings—everything Peyton needed to execute the plan.

Funded largely by the school’s alumni association, the new audio system features a suite of AtlasIED outdoor stadium horn speakers, amplifiers, power sequencer, and fan module.

The Installation

Large areas like sports stadiums require several strategically mounted speakers to deliver intelligible broadcasts and impactful music to every seat, Peyton explains, so he removed the three large, heavy, ill-performing speakers from the roof of the press box, replacing them with seven smaller yet more powerful AtlasIED speakers.

Peyton utilized six speakers from AtlasIED’s FS line to flank the company’s AH54-15-BSG long-throw speaker, which was chosen for its ability to toss audio all the way across the field and into the visitors’ section. Situated at each end of the press box, the two nearfield, wide-dispersion FS12T-BT60 and two FS12T-99 speakers would spread audio across the entire home section.

For an extra boost of low-end bass, Peyton added two FST-12 SUB speakers. “This combination of speakers ensures that nobody would ever again strain to hear music, public address notices, and game-day commentary and that the volume level would be consistent throughout, solving the popular complaint of audio being too loud in some areas and barely audible in others.”

Wide audio dispersion was a key factor in choosing the AtlasIED horns, Peyton notes, but the lightweight nature was certainly another selling point. “It definitely made hoisting them onto the press box roof a lot easier than it could have been.”

AtlasIES Stadium Speaker Amps Minimize Human Error

Peyton installed two AtlasIED multi-channel power amplifiers and a power sequencer into an existing equipment rack in the press box. “Because the audio will be managed by many different people, our goal was to keep the system as simple and straightforward as possible to use,” Peyton says.

“The AtlasIED DPA2402 and DPA602 amps helped us accomplish this.” Using the amps’ graphical user interface, Peyton pre-set the audio processing and volume levels and disabled the manual controls so users can only turn the system on or off, nothing else. “Once the system is powered, you just plug in a microphone and it’s good to go, virtually foolproof. Plus, these amps are so small, run cool, and have plenty of power to drive the entire speaker array.”

The Crowning Jewel

With that—and the installation of new wiring, a wireless microphone, and mixer—the audio update was complete. Peyton has put the system through its paces and reports positive reactions from stadium attendees, coaching staff, and players.

“From all areas of the stadium, music and announcements are clear, intelligible, and at the perfect volume level,” he says. “And the school’s choir has never sounded better singing the national anthem.”

The post AtlasIED Helps Alum Update Stadium Speakers of His Alma Mater appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The updated version enables several performance and installation enhancements, including stereo and subwoofer support, self-healing accessories, room combine and bell scheduling.

These and other updates offer integrators even greater opportunities to customize the delivery and control of audio to satisfy the unique requirements of restaurants, bars, hotels, school campuses, houses of worship, retail establishments and other commercial environments.

The new Atmosphere software “supports the system’s original core technologies, such as touchless control and artificial intelligence and utilizes the same product suite or digital audio processors, amplifiers, and graphical user interfaces,” the company announcement says.

Bell Scheduler

The integration of a bell scheduler evolves Atmosphere 2.0 into a turnkey digital audio system for school campuses, industrial environments and other facilities. The new bell scheduler enables setup and delivery of multiple bells and ring lists to signify class dismissals, lunch breaks, and other routines.

Schedules can be modified and bells added and deleted by end users via the Atmosphere 2.0 software’s new Planner configuration tool.

Room Combine

Atmosphere 2.0 can deliver different audio to each individual zone in hotel conference rooms, auditoriums and banquet halls or the same audio to two or more combined zones, as chosen by the end-user, with one primary controller per combined zones.

Integrators can configure the zones within the Atmosphere software and provide end-users with a customized mobile app and wall-plates for simple, intuitive selection and control of the audio.

Stereo and Subwoofer Support

Atmosphere 2.0 a multi-dimensional listening experience through its newly added stereo and subwoofer processing and playback capability. With the new version, the Atmosphere digital audio processors seamlessly support stereo sources, stereo zones, and zones with subwoofers.

Once the stereo and/or subwoofer zones are set up, proper controls are automatically linked and DSP objects are created, giving integrators the flexibility within the Atmosphere platform to expand from a mono audio solution to a more engaging stereo speaker-subwoofer setup.

Suited for performance venues from cocktail lounges to auditoriums, stereo and subwoofer support through Atmosphere 2.0 provides an immersive audio experience.

Self-Healing Accessories

If any wall-plate accessory of an Atmosphere 2.0 accidentally breaks, the system “self-heals,” instantly recognizing the newly installed wall-plate and loading into it all of the original customized settings automatically. Integrators can have the system back up and running in seconds.

Continual Evolution of the Atmosphere Platform

“By advancing Atmosphere forward with the launch of our new 2.0 version, integrators are afforded even greater flexibility in the design of digital audio systems through the implementation of any or all of the system’s new suite of features,” said AtlasIED president John Ivey.

“Since the initial launch of Atmosphere in September 2020, we have listened to our dealers, integrating many of their requests into the 2.0 platform,” he said.

“Through our commitment to the continual evolution of the Atmosphere ecosystem, the technology avoids obsolescence, providing customers with the most advanced solution for audio processing, control, and delivery, and creating new business opportunities for technology integrators,” said Ivey.

Enhancements Combine with Original Features

All of the features of the original Atmosphere system remain intact in version 2.0, which enables each authorized user to manage the system from his or her own mobile device. The controls of the Atmosphere 2.0 digital audio processor populate automatically when a user’s mobile device scans the DSP’s QR code.

Per parameters programmed initially into the system by the AV integrator, this QR code grants access to certain features, such as allowing a manager to modify the schedule of outgoing messages, while staff is permitted to only adjust the volume level.

Built into each Atmosphere 2.0 DSP (two models are available) are multi-patented algorithms, which enable it to continually learn and adapt to changes in the environment. Through data collected and transmitted by an Atmosphere 2.0 ambient noise sensor, the DSP comes to recognize patterns like the need to raise the volume at a bar during happy hour to compensate for high levels of ambient noise.

Atmosphere 2.0 uses artificial intelligence to analyze and respond to the predictable behaviors of its users, such as consistent commands issued from an Atmosphere 2.0 volume controller, as well as data sent from an Atmosphere 2.0 ambient noise sensor to the DSP.

Messages uploaded to the DSP as WAV files can be dispatched according to a pre-programmed schedule based on priority or when triggered by an Atmosphere 2.0 input device, such as a volume/source/zone selector.

Adding another layer of customization is a built-in Tilter Filter, which simplifies tuning the audio for the specific room or zone with an easy-to-use feature that helps balance lows and highs.

Products currently comprising the Atmosphere 2.0 digital audio platform include two varieties of digital signal processors (6-input/4-output AZM4 and 10-input/8-output AZM8; two amplifiers (400-watt AZA404 and 800-watt AZA804); six different plug-and-play accessories, including wall-mounted audio controllers (single- and multi-zone options); and remote audio inputs (RCA, Bluetooth, and XLR sources); and an ambient noise sensor.

As many as 16 accessories can be daisy-chained to the AZM4 and AZM8 DSP. Plus, the entire Atmosphere 2.0 lineup has been engineered to integrate with AtlasIED loudspeakers; integrators can use the preloaded EQ files in an Atmosphere DSP to tune the speakers for the specific application and environment.

The post AtlasIED’s Atmosphere 2.0 Digital Audio System 2.0 Now Available appeared first on My TechDecisions.

This helps customers improve key measures of engagement and productivity with new calling, collaboration and meeting capabilities in addition to a range of flexible connected phones and devices, AtlasIED said in a press release.

The application is now compliance-tested by Avaya for compatibility with Avaya IX Workplace Calling components Avaya Aura® Communication Manager 8.1 and Avaya Aura Session Manager 8.1., according to AtlasIED.

According to the company, the IPX Series VoIP speaker helps customers in corporate enterprise, transportation, education and healthcare communicate efficiently and effectively for daily messaging and emergency alerts. The device uses a facility’s communication system o help maintain a safe work environment.

Read Next: Avaya IX Contact Center Solutions Now Integrate with Google Cloud Contact Center AI

In the press release, AtlasIED said it is a Technology Partner in the Avaya DevConnect program—an initiative to develop, market and sell innovative third-party products that interoperate with Avaya technology and extend the value of a company’s investment in its network.

As a Technology Partner, AtlasIED can submit products to Avaya for compliance testing, where a team of DevConnect engineers develops a comprehensive test plan for each application to verify its Avaya compatibility. This enables customers to confidently add best-in-class capabilities to their network without having to replace their existing infrastructure—helping speed deployment of new applications and reduce both network complexity and implementation costs.

This helps customers get more out of their communications infrastructure, said Eric Rossman, vice president, partners, developers and alliance at Avaya.

“We are pleased that innovative solutions like the IPX Series speakers help strengthen our position as a provider of business collaboration and communications solutions,” Rossman said.

In a statement, Alex Puorro, vice president of IP endpoints at AtlasIED, said customers can now trust that their products easily integrate and interoperate with existing communication infrastructure.

“Proven and tested to support open standards-based platforms, our IPX Series VoIP speaker offers healthcare, educational, transportation, and corporate customers a way to affordably and easily expand and enhance their communications systems with new innovative technologies,” Puorro said.

The post AtlasIED’s IPX Series VoIP Now Compliant With Avaya Solutions appeared first on My TechDecisions.