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KU Leuven Uses Polycom Video Collaboration to Enrich the Education Experience for 40,000 Students and 10,000 Faculty and Staff
Posted on Wednesday, February 20, 2013

The oldest extant Catholic university in the world uses the industry's most cutting-edge video solutions to facilitate distance learning, remote research, virtual exchange programs, and an expanding range of use cases

 
BRUSSELS - Feb. 20, 2013 - Polycom, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCM), the global leader in open standards-based unified communications and collaboration (UC&C), today announced that Belgium's KU Leuven, the oldest extant Catholic university in the world, has implemented Polycom® RealPresence® video solutions to facilitate communications between the two main campuses located 150 kilometers apart, to create a network with universities around the globe, and to enrich the learning experience for the university's 40,000 students and 10,000 educators and administrative staff.
 
Founded in 1425, KU Leuven is one of the largest and most renowned universities in Europe. Guided only by a "free and disinterested search for truth," the university uses the latest and most advanced technologies to facilitate that search and to improve the collaboration amongst researchers, teachers, and students that is the hallmark of any great learning institution. One of these advanced technologies is high-definition interactive video collaboration that can be accessed anywhere, from any device.
 
"In order to be adopted by educators and students, the video solutions need to be transparent," said Erik Luyten, Educational Technology Specialist, KU Leuven. "The quality and ease of use are key elements for users, and for us, security and interoperability are key decision factors. Polycom meets everyone's expectations."
 
Polycom video solutions improve many facets of education for KU Leuven.
  • The university first used Polycom solutions in large auditoriums with a capacity of 800 students to deliver lectures simultaneously at both Kulak and Leuven campuses, reaching more students at one time, and reducing the driving time of professors.
  • Polycom video solutions are vital for the multi campus program, involving 13 associated high schools and 18 hospitals in the Flanders region.
  • The university expanded the use of video to facilitate communications and exchanges in numerous international research programs with universities around the globe. The faculty of Social Studies connects with Purdue University in the United States every semester to work on common projects. The courses of medieval philosophy have study groups with Marquette University in the United States and the University of Mexico, in Mexico. Now, professors on panels evaluating PhD students defending their thesis are able to participate from their own university via Polycom video.
  • The European Educational program, or ERASMUS, uses Polycom video solutions to support a virtual exchange program, where KU Leuven hosts lectures for students to follow from a university located in Sweden, France or Germany.
  • Because of the HD audio and video quality of Polycom video and the ease of use for anyone, adoption has continued to expand rapidly across the campuses. Today, almost all 15 faculties of the university have a project or program using the video solutions. The administrative staff uses Polycom video to interview remote professor candidates, and to help graduates find employment. Polycom video was also recently installed in the Board of Directors board room.
KU Leuven has found Polycom video solutions, specifically Polycom RealPresence Room video solutions, Polycom RealPresence Mobile 2.0 software, and the Polycom RealPresence Platform - the industry's most comprehensive and interoperable software infrastructure for universal video collaboration-, to be a set of secure and powerful tools.
 
KU Leuven has the ambition and aspiration to make education borderless, and is currently integrating their Polycom RealPresence Platform with Microsoft Lync Server 2010. This large-scale project will continue to improve and facilitate knowledge exchange, and create even more innovative ways for the university to search for truth and transform learning.
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Douglas Fearing- Co-Founder / President

A graduate of DeVry Institute of Technology, Doug has been in the Technology industry since 1976 and actively oversees Fearing’s daily operations. Along with his wife, Lois, and three others, Doug started Fearing’s in a 600 square-foot facility in Portage, Wisconsin. In the 25 years since, the company has grown to over 30 employees with offices in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Doug likes to say he’s a “TV Technician with a dream� going back to his history with the family’s original business-Fearing’s TV and Appliance.

Doug values time with family, watersports, hiking, snowshoeing and skiing. In addition to being a devoted member of his church, Doug serves as Board President for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County, Board member of Schools for Haiti and Scripture Chair of the Gideons-Portage camp.

Lois Fearing- Co-Founder/Accounting, Human Resources

A graduate of MATC, Lois oversees Fearing’s daily book keeping along with various HR responsibilities.

Along with Doug, Lois is deeply connected to community outreach, serving as a Board member and Fundraising Committee Chairperson for Kinship Mentoring of Columbia County. She also serves on the Schools for Haiti Fundraising committee. In addition, Lois’ ongoing passion and commitment to provide care for the elderly comes from her 10-year history of working in a Reedsburg, Wisconsin Nursing home.

Lois enjoys singing, hiking, sunny days on the pontoon, and spending time with her 4 grandchildren.

Ehren Tresner-VP of Technology and Innovation

Ehren drives Fearing’s technology by continually seeking out trends to enhance capabilities while supporting Sales, Engineering and Installation teams. Throughout his years with Fearing’s, Ehren’s talent and vision have joined forces to create a wide variety of projects and strategic solutions that exceed expectation.

Ehren loves music, family time, movies, nature, sustainability efforts and electric vehicles.

Ben Voeck-Director of Commercial AV

With 10 years with Fearing’s and over twice that long in the industry, Ben continues to lead, coordinate, and develop the Commercial AV team.

By consistently delivering an outstanding experience and outcome, Ben contributes to the Fearing’s legacy of long-lasting partnerships that truly make a difference. Whatever the Commercial AV need may be, Ben and team deliver at the highest level.

Ben is an avid fisherman and photographer. He enjoys coaching his sons and other youth.

Chris Matson-Senior VP of Sales

Chris has been with Fearing’s for 20 years and in the industry for over 2 decades. As a Certified leader in Sales Acceleration and trained in EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating Systems), Chris successfully utilizes his skills to lead the Fearing’s Salesforce. Chris and team are motivated and driven to develop new client partnerships while continuing to reinforce loyal long-term relationships with ongoing Service excellence.

Married for 19 years with 3 children, Chris enjoys skiing, hiking, fishing, boating, hunting, camping and golf. He’s also been actively involved as a Youth Football and Softball coach for his family and others.