Montgomery County Community College is located on a beautiful suburban campus near Philadelphia, and has built a strong reputation for their advanced technical course offerings. They are ranked #2 among colleges and universities in the country for IT technology! (need to get exact wording for this) Although the dean of the communications department at MC3 had been discussing possible upgrades to his TV/Film department with VCA Fusion for several years, he had been unable to put together the funding to build the facility of his dreams.
The Challenge: MC3 found themselves in an enviable position when they received an anonymous grant for $1 million, with the stipulation that the money be used for production equipment in their brand-new Advanced Technology Center (exact wording again); however, all equipment had to be installed and functional for the Night of the Stars grand opening event that was scheduled to take place in two months! Finally, MC3 had the financial resources to build a state-of-the-art audio and video training center, but their in-house engineering team was completely engrossed with the myriad other facets of the new building construction. MC3 needed a partner who could not only deliver and install hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment in two months – they needed a partner who could help them develop the plans for three recording studios, three post-production suites and three laboratory classrooms. In two months!
The VCA Fusion-Solution: One of the first hurdles that must be overcome when an educational institution is purchasing new equipment is the time-consuming “bid process”. Fortunately, VCA Fusion is a member of COSTARS, a PA purchasing group that provides a simple, no-bid solution to the red tape involved in EDU purchasing. Using the COSTARS contract, MC3 was able to work closely with a vendor who could provide the consulting services they required to design cutting-edge classroom labs, studios and editing suites. VCA Engineering services worked with MC3 to design patch bays, signal flows, routing, etc. VCA Fusion handled the integration chores in our NYC technical facility, then shipped the completed workstations to MC3. VCA Fusion provided the Sound Management team to treat all studio environments for acoustical performance. When the rooms were ready, VCA Fusion installation personnel completed installation in seven suites in four days! At the MC3 Night of the Stars, everyone was amazed by the new facility, and VCA Fusion earned a big THANK YOU from the staff and management at MC3.