By Michael Canfield
IT Communication Specialist

UBIT’s Classroom Technology Services team upgraded six lecture halls this summer while replacing aging equipment across centrally scheduled classrooms.

“If teachers don’t know we did something, that’s a good thing,” said Steven Crane, Classroom Engineer for UBIT Customer Experience. “That means everything went smoothly, and the transition didn’t interfere with their daily operations.”

Some of the most visible changes can be found in Academic Center 170, three Diefendorf Hall lecture halls, Talbert 107 and Biomedical Education Building 125.

Academic Center 170 received a new teaching station and a significantly brighter projector. Talbert 107 also has a new station with dual monitors and a projector that is approximately twice as bright as the previous model.

The teaching stations in the three Diefendorf lecture halls are now height-adjustable and include dual monitors, allowing instructors to use PowerPoint Presenter View while presenting to the class.

Biomedical Education Building 125 was rebuilt as a new classroom with UB’s standard teaching technology and an updated sound system. 

UBIT also replaced older Epson and early-generation Sony projectors across centrally scheduled classrooms with newer Sony models, helping prepare the rooms for their next equipment lifecycle.

About 80% of UB’s centrally scheduled classrooms have received an updated interface on the touch panels used to control classroom technology.

Although the interface looks different, its goal is to make teaching across campus more familiar and intuitive. Controls will use consistent terminology and appear in similar locations, regardless of the classroom.

Crane compared the approach to driving different cars: the appearance may vary, but drivers generally know where to find the steering wheel, pedals and gear shift.

“We want to make sure all of our classrooms have the same look and feel,” Crane said. “It shouldn’t matter what centrally scheduled space an instructor is using, the interface should be the same.” 

Some of Summer 2026’s most significant work happened entirely behind the scenes.

The team replaced the equipment that powers Panopto course capture in all 180 equipped classrooms. Although instructors will continue using Panopto as they normally do, the new Epiphan equipment provides an updated technical foundation for the service.

UBIT Classroom Technology Services also worked with Network and Communication Services to replace network switches that had reached the end of their supported life.

In addition, the team began moving classrooms from an aging audiovisual distribution system to newer AV-over-IP technology, which provides flexible, scalable and cost-effective distribution of audio and video across a network. About one-third of the affected classrooms were updated this summer, with the remaining work expected to continue through next summer. 

Planning for summer classroom projects often begins before the prior winter break. The team assesses potential locations, prioritizes aging equipment and coordinates with other university groups that may be updating seating, lighting, flooring or network infrastructure in the same rooms.

Once work begins, completing a single classroom can take a minimum of five to seven business days. The process includes removing and inventorying old equipment, inspecting cabling, installing the teaching station, wiring the system, programming its controls and testing every component.

A final commissioning process ensures the room is ready before instructors and students arrive.

In the past three years, the team has replaced more than 500 pieces of classroom equipment—often completing the work before 9 a.m., with little or no disruption to classes. 

“Most faculty don’t realize all the processes that have to happen to get them ready to teach in a classroom,” said Gary Boulware, Classroom Technology Services Manager with UBIT Customer Experience. “They really don’t know who we are unless something goes wrong.”

That relative invisibility is part of the goal: giving instructors technology that feels familiar, dependable and ready when they need it.

The UBIT Help Center is available to assist faculty and staff. Classroom Technology Support is also available for classroom help and support.