For colleges and universities, purchasing new devices can be a tricky task. The decision maker has to take a number of different things into account, including reliability, ease of use, pricing and warranties – all of which can vary between consumer and professional units.
Reliability is a huge factor when choosing a device for an organization. Professional displays and projectors are devices that are built for different environments – both indoors and outdoors. The right commercial device should be able to withstand the elements, or any dust that may become trapped inside the unit. Additionally, reliable commercial devices mean limited maintenance, which can ultimately save institutions money.
Ease of use is another significant requirement, as many colleges and universities have more than just one campus. With that in mind, institutions are searching for professional LCDs and plasmas with specifications that streamline display control. Panasonic displays include a RS232/LAN control, which enables customers to manage and monitor the displays across a university’s many campuses. This feature provides remote support capabilities, helps conserve energy by remotely shutting down the displays when they are not in use and monitors the health of the displays without needing someone to be physically present.
Since budget is a huge issue in higher education, many institutions feel it is better to buy a consumer display or projector based solely on the sticker price, not taking into account additional significant factors. Unfortunately, consumer devices in a commercial setting will end up costing more in equipment and IT hours. Panasonic’s professional displays and projectors are not only reliable and durable, but they also have high return on investment (ROI) and low total cost of ownership (TCO) – great for institutions that want the best quality devices but are on a strict budget.
Warranties are another important factor when choosing a device. While many consumer units come with one year warranties, professional displays and projectors usually come standard with two and three year warranties, respectively. Panasonic Solutions Company recently announced that they are extending the warranties for the 42” and 47” LCD displays and PT-DZ570 Series projectors. The LCDs, launched in June 2010, have an extended warranty of five years, which is available through September 30, 2011. The PT-DZ570 Series projectors, launched in November of 2010, also have an extended warranty of five years, which is available through September 30, 2011.
