Online and Hybrid meetings in UCD
Across UCD, our interactive DTEN screens use Zoom Rooms technology to bring meetings to life.
Learn more about Online and Hybrid meetings in UCDTechnology for Online and Hybrid meetings
UCD provides software to facilitate staff and students to host and attend online and hybrid meetings.
- Our supported online meeting solution is Zoom.
A hybrid meeting is one that includes on-site and online participants. An effective hybrid meeting requires a specially-adapted meeting room screen capable of running the technology to enable both sets of participants to see and hear each other clearly. Our hybrid meeting room solution in UCD comprises two elements:
- Zoom Rooms is the software that enables a meeting room equipped with an interactive screen to be booked through your UCD Google Calendar and used for a hybrid meeting.
- DTEN screens are the hardware that enables online hybrid meetings. They include touch-screen and voice-activated controls, plus a responsive built-in camera, microphone and speaker. The camera detects and displays each on-site participant individually, making it easier for online participants to see, hear and engage with them.
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Background
In February 2022, UCD IT Services, UCD Estates and a group of facilities managers at UCD were asked to make a recommendation for a standard hybrid meeting room solution.
The objective was to provide faculty and staff with clear guidance on video conferencing equipment to enable rooms for hybrid meetings. The scope was limited to meeting rooms, with larger ‘auditorium-style’ settings outside scope.
To this end, we looked for a hybrid meeting room solution that could provide an engaging and user-friendly experience for all participants regardless of their location. An additional requirement was the appropriate level of data governance and security. Among the determining factors, integration with Zoom Rooms and Google Calendar were paramount, both from the perspective of ease of use and in aligning the solution with our chosen meeting platform. The Zoom Rooms features are an integral part of the Zoom solution roadmap and we wanted to ensure that our chosen solution leveraged developments in that area.
There are clearly a number of solutions which, to a greater or lesser extent, address the requirements. For ease of use, management of the facility and integration with our Zoom environment, the DTEN solution stood out. Although not inexpensive, it is similarly priced to other all-in-one solutions. It is suitable for meeting rooms from breakout rooms up to boardroom-style rooms.
Following a tender in January 2022, Zoom was chosen as UCD's Online Meeting and Virtual Classroom solution for a five-year period. In addition, UCD (including the UCD DPO, UCD IT Services & UCD Legal) agreed a Data Processing Agreement with Zoom in December 2021. This is an important element in ensuring proper data governance with all data stored within the EU.
We conducted a supplementary request for tender for hybrid meeting room solutions under an existing framework (Tender Number: UCDOPP656). We specified DTEN equipment as the preferred solution and the contract was awarded to Image Supply Systems (ISS).
As of August 2023, there are over 60 DTEN-enabled hybrid meeting rooms in operation across UCD.
Further Support
The UCD IT Support Hub is where you can log a call with our UCD IT Helpdesk team, find an answer in our Knowledge Base of articles, or request an additional service or access.
UCD IT Services
Computer Centre, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.Contact us via the UCD IT Support Hub: www.ucd.ie/ithelp