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Overview
The Office of Information Technology engaged in a project to identify and recommend a standard solution for wireless sharing of a device’s screen to a centralized display, otherwise known as “device mirroring”. The overall goal for the project was to review, evaluate and select a new way to display mobile devices (including iOS and Android devices as well as laptops) on screens/displays in a variety of spaces on UCO's campus including, but not limited to, class, meeting and conference rooms.
After months of research and evaluation as well as the contributions of a user evaluation team, the Enterprise Mirroring Project team makes the following recommendation regarding technologies for use in mirroring devices to screens in classrooms and meeting spaces at UCO.
Two products were identified as potential solutions for use in mirroring technology-related projects/requests.
Option #1: Solstice Pod
Overview:
Solstice Pod is physical hardware device produced by Mersive Technologies, Inc. This device was specifically designed for wireless content sharing between the pod and the room display screen. A centralized hub allows for technology administrators to manage devices, functions, and settings behind the scene providing for device management capabilities not commonly found in wireless mirroring solutions.
Issues:
This solution requires each room in which wireless display is to be used, to already have a Solstice Pod installed and configured for use in that particular room. Due to the setup requirements, this device cannot be easily moved between locations on UCO’s campus.
Additionally, each Solstice Pod can cost between $1,100 to $1,500 making this a costly solution.
Recommendation for Use:
Based on the setup needs, physical hardware and price of the system, this device is recommended for use in permanent meeting spaces where wireless mirroring will be used on a consistent basis.
Option #2: WebEx Meetings
Overview:
WebEx Meetings is a video conferencing solution available from Cisco. This tool is focused on making it easy for participants to join video conferencing sessions from a variety of mobile devices and platforms.
Similar to Zoom, this technology was specifically designed for use as a webinar/virtual meeting platform but also has the capability for users to share their screen with other users of the platform. With this in mind, users can also share their screen in a “meeting” between their mobile device and the stationary computer/display in the room. This process works seamlessly and provides little discrepancy between what is seen on the device and what is seen on the screen. WebEx Meetings requires a device to function as the host of the meeting while all other devices share content within the meeting rather than directly to the screen.
Issues:
Users must keep in mind that there is, at times, a lag between the mobile device and the display. This lag is less noticeable when a) the number of users in the meeting is kept to a minimum and b) when using a high-quality wireless connection. Additionally, users will need to pay attention to the audio between the devices. Unless audio output is silenced or disabled on the mobile device, audience members will hear the audio from both the mobile device and the computer used for displaying to the screen.
While overall the system is user-friendly, there are multiple steps to sharing screens that are not readily identifiable when on a smartphone or tablet. Additional training/instruction may be needed if users are unfamiliar with the product.
Recommendation for Use:
WebEx is recommended as a mirroring solution for one-time use situations or in generic classrooms on campus. It is not recommended for use when audio/video capabilities are a high priority for the users.
Disclaimer
This is a recommendation, not a standard, as there was not an ideal solution identified from all available product information and testing products. None of the solutions work in all situations, however, these two products provide the widest range of capabilities and have the best success rate demonstrated in various use case scenarios.