Sensory Technologies represents a merger of two of the industry’s most respected audio–visual companies: Video Images and the sales and integration division of Markey’s Audio Visual. In a short time, this dynamic group has taken the market by storm. The explanation is a simple one. They offer an unmatched understanding of commercial audio–visual technology along with decades of experience. It’s no surprise that Sensory Technologies has its hands in many exciting projects.

The nearly 100–person firm is based in Indianapolis but offers customers the benefit of branch offices in Chicago, Dayton, Milwaukee, Fort Wayne and Charlotte. Owners Anne Sellers, Kevin Markey and Andrew Sellers lead a team of highly knowledgeable professionals who engineer, commercial install and support audio–visual, videoconferencing, distance learning, digital signage, presentation and visual collaboration solutions. Thanks to their visionary leadership and incomparable expertise, Sensory Technologies has been trusted by such names as Simon Property Group, the NCAA, Clarian Health Partners, French Lick Resort and Casino and many others. “Our team continually provides the highest level of quality and innovation to all projects, including many highly–sophisticated ones,” reflects Anne Sellers. “We’re experts in our core competencies but what really separates us is our understanding of the marketplace. We get the connection between AV, facility infrastructure and design.” 

Help them build more than structures. Help them build business.

Most successful business people understand the importance of anticipating their clients’ needs and helping them prepare accordingly. This pre–planning mentality may be more important for builders than any other type of professional, as the world of construction and design require meticulous forethought. The experts at Sensory Technologies suggest making audio–visual planning a part of those initial stages of design.

Sensory Technologies masterfully integrates audio visual solutions while protecting the aesthetic aspirations of the design. “Determining the users' complete functional needs during the planning phase of a project is the most important step in providing clients with a space that is as efficient as it is beautiful,” says Derek Paquin, Director of Business Development. “When audio–visual is considered in the earliest of planning stages the resulting look is often seamless to the design of the room.”  This trend of early engagement by architects, designers, contractors and others is a growing one for Sensory Technologies. After all, in the end it saves money. Pre–planning for essentials such as projection screens, projectors, flat panel displays, floor boxes, conduit, lighting interfaces, equipment racks, blackout shades and more have significant impact on a facility’s power and HVAC requirements and placement, ventilation planning, potential noise issues, infrastructure requirements, lighting considerations, millwork and many other facility details. Retrofitting these elements can cause clients undue expense and time. “A possible scenario could be a client that wants to integrate video conferencing into an executive boardroom,” illustrates Andy Sellers.  “This may include power for a laptop computer and network connections. Other considerations could be a laptop VGA cable that connects to the projector, a flat panel display for presentations, or drilling microphones into the conference room table. All of these features require cables that need to go somewhere. If the concrete slab is already poured and the carpeting is laid, then either retrofitting needs to occur — which adds considerable cost and time — or the client does not get the technology integrated in a way that allows them to communicate as effectively and efficiently as needed.”  

Sensory Technologies delivers its savviest solutions by being involved early in the planning. This collaboration results in a greater sharing of current best practices within the audio–visual industry, a competitive advantage for the entire planning team, an efficient use of budget and most importantly, complete success for the client. “These are the underlying reasons the construction industry partners with us for innovative and sound audio–visual guidance during a project,” adds Paquin.  The latest technology is also the latest way to stay ahead of the competition.  As the pace of business continues to quicken and become more and more competitive, Sensory Technologies’ intelligent workplace solutions make more and more sense. These smart solutions result in faster and more collaborative decision–making, seamless communication and a stronger employee knowledge base.   

Sensory Technologies has incorporated all of the aspects of an Intelligent Workplace into their Indianapolis Design Center and Showroom. “The rooms within our facility are equipped with all of the proper construction infrastructure requirements to allow high performance audio visual technology to be implemented seamlessly into the rooms,” says Kevin Markey. The executive conference rooms are equipped with projection display, integrated audio conferencing, integrated videoconferencing, multiple computer inputs, digital recording with web based streaming capabilities and are all controlled by custom programmed LCD touch panels.  Every desktop computer in their Intelligent Workplace is equipped with IP videoconference capability. This means every employee at the headquarters can videoconference with anyone who has a videoconference system anywhere in the world. The ability to launch a face–to–face meeting occurs immediately. Every desktop within Sensory Technologies intelligent workplace is also equipped with a VoIP phone system. Voicemails, emails and faxes are all consolidated for ease of use. “The prevalence of the mobile workforce necessitates streamlined response management.  Integrating a unified communications system into our IT network increases our productivity and efficiency,” explains Markey. The company’s headquarters is a living model of contemporary business. “By incorporating everything we do into our design center and showroom, our partners and clients benefit by experiencing the technology before a solution is designed for their space,” Markey concludes.

Support. Like No Other.

Sensory Technologies Help Desk sits near the front door of the corporate office as a symbol of its importance.  “We’ve always been dedicated to service and support,”  says Markey. “We do everything possible to make technology easy but we still want to be available if customers have questions. We provide step–by–step solutions and we work hard to make clients feel comfortable.”  “Clients can call us any time to troubleshoot their issue,” says Chris Frederick, Director of Service. “Maybe they just have a general question that we can answer over the phone but if there’s a larger concern, we dispatch a technician to resolve it.”  During regular business hours of 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, calls are answered by a help desk technician — not an automated attendant or voice mail. Frederick adds, “We’re always there with a live voice and the technology at our fingertips to begin diagnosing an issue immediately.”  The help desk provides specific, individualized answers for each caller. Sensory Technologies has high–tech tools to solve problems remotely, including the ability to videoconference with the customer, bridge multiple parties for a group resolution, or remotely gain access into systems for troubleshooting purposes.   “For many of our systems, we can set up remote monitoring capabilities. This allows us to stay ahead of any potential issues,” says Andy Sellers. “We can tell you if our client’s projectors are on or off, if they are overheating, or if they need a new filter. This helps us provide added value for our clients and allows them to maximize their investment.”

Specialization. Backed up by more specialization.

The Sensory Technologies team approaches every project at every stage, with each department specializing in their core competency. “Our goal for every client is to create strategic roadmaps that increase productivity by implementing seamless communication – seamless in look, function and integration into the facility infrastructure and IT network. Our roadmaps allow for current needs, while also laying the foundation for future scalability. Our teams are each committed to the roadmap: starting by assessing each client’s unique need. Then we build, program and install a custom solution. We follow–up with clear and timely communication from our project managers and support from our Help Desk to maximize each systems performance. Each one of us is 100% responsible to deliver success,” says Paquin.

By employing diverse talent within each of these departments, Sensory Technologies is equipped to evaluate anything from a single conference room to an entire facility, campus, or network. Employees are also required to undergo a lengthy training process. “We are a Gold Level Certified Audio–Visual Solutions Provider, the highest distinction, through InfoComm International, the governing body for the industry,” says Blaine Brown, Director of Technology. “We take this very seriously.”  “We want our people trained and we want to emphasize continued training,” adds Brown. “We need people who grasp the technology — and those who are passionate about continuing to grasp it.”

New frontiers in visual collaboration and streaming.

“I think the coolest thing we did recently was the Mentor MeTM system, which is a nationwide learning tool,” says Anne Sellers. “It’s a portable system with a streaming server inside and a pan–tilt–zoom camera mounted to the system. It allows a mentor to view the instructor and provide advice on how to handle specific situations through an earpiece in the instructor’s ear.”  The collaboration happens live. “The mentor communicates back to the teacher with real–time feedback on their teaching style,” Anne continued. “It’s like the producer talking in the ear of the anchor. We’ve even seen it used in counseling centers with student counselors.”

The potential of videoconferencing, realized.

Organizations today understand they need to compete on a global basis, strengthen partnerships and improve productivity while maintaining tight cost controls. Sensory Technologies offers a range of innovative solutions designed to help clients do just that.  Corporate Videoconferencing. “My clients continue to grow and expand, so there’s also a growing potential for ineffective communication,” says Sensory Technologies’ Andrea Groogan. “By implementing videoconference solutions, we can bridge that communication gap, speed the communication process and enable them to make better decisions in less time.” 

Telemedicine. Videoconferencing applications can also improve productivity, patient care and cost control in the medical field. Specialists can provide consultations to patients in rural communities, enhancing the level of available care. “We are also implementing solutions that allow the medical professional to obtain their continuing medical education courses faster and more easily than before,” adds Groogan.

Tele–Justice. Today more than ever, judicial and legal environments require a considerable emphasis on security and cost. “By implementing a videoconference solution in the jails and courtrooms, we provide solutions that eliminate potential security breaches, as well as significant prisoner transportation expenses,” Groogan explains. “We’ve had great success with video arraignment, remote testimony, expert witnesses and multiple training improvements.”

Distance Learning. In educational settings, distance learning opens the door to limitless curriculum opportunities.  “One example was a school system who wanted to offer German to their students. This school system had four high schools and found that it would be impossible to find four German instructors. By implementing distance learning systems at every school, one German instructor could teach to four different schools at the same time. Shared instruction allows schools to expand their curriculum and control costs in a way that allows the student to take full advantage of their education,” says Groogan. “We have provided portable distance learning systems that are transported from room to room for more flexibility, as well as integrated the technology into a dedicated distance learning room where broadcast–like capabilities are possible.”

The building works harder. The client works smarter.

An Intelligent Building Audio Visual Automation System enables facilities managers better building–wide control. The result is improved building–wide communications, building safety and energy costs. With device–networking technology and audio visual integration, an Intelligent Building can allow managers to control virtually every system from a central location.  “By network–enabling facility electronic devices, our solutions make it possible to integrate sub–systems such as system security, HVAC, lighting, elevator LCD digital signage monitors, information kiosks, building–wide digital signage and safety systems into a single management network,” describes Paquin. “For example, the facilities manager at a large corporate or university campus can control everything from electrical and water metering, to building access and lobby kiosk systems from a single terminal – they can even diagnose system problems remotely.”

Since it represents such a significant percentage of a building’s cost, intelligent management of HVAC systems is critical for keeping energy consumption under control. Systems such as lighting, irrigation, flat panel displays and campus wide projection systems are also responsible for a great deal of energy usage. Device networking these systems can lead to a dramatic decrease in energy consumption, greatly reducing overall cost. Maintenance costs and service time are also reduced and much more predictive by the use of controlling and managing these systems.

Bridging and managed services.

Companies that have multiple sites may choose to buy a multipoint controlling unit — often called a bridge — to let multiple sites communicate on the same call. Often, Sensory Technologies provides management for the client’s bridge.  Managing this technology for the client allows them to stay more focused on their own core business. “With the Sensory Technologies Bridging Service clients can call into our bridge and be instantly connected with other sites – whether it’s two locations or 16 locations. We understand that organizations may not always have the need or the resources to acquire their own bridge, so it’s one more thing we can offer, Markey adds.”

A few of the many Sensory Technologies success stories.

Roche Diagnostics

Roche Diagnostics has over 75 conference rooms on their Indianapolis campus. Each one with some form of AV equipment including Smartboards, overhead projectors, video conferencing capabilities or plasma screens with computer connectivity. To help maintain the multitude of systems installed Sensory Technologies keeps a staff member on site.  “Sensory has Tom Whited based on our campus and is sort of our one stop shop for conferencing needs. We use him for equipment inquiries, purchases, repairs, set–ups and information about other products.  If we have a need in one of the conference rooms – we call on him to be our AV point person. Sometimes we have people in from Europe and they need assistance. He is able to respond quickly and make sure everything is working right. He is our go to guy.  What does it mean to have Tom on staff? Peace of mind. We get comments all of the time from people here saying ‘thank you for having Tom on site – he is always prompt, responsive and knowledgeable.”

Mark Wagner

Facilities Manage

Roche Diagnostics

 

Butler University

Sensory Technologies equipped 40 to 50 classrooms with communication technology for Butler University. Earl Almack, Business Development Manager for Sensory Technologies, reflects on the project. “We put together a package with a dedicated PC, a preview monitor mounted on top of the lectern, laptop connectivity, a DVD player, a VCR and a document camera with all sources displayed on a projector and screen for thorough visibility by the students. It’s all controlled by a touch panel for easy navigation of the system.”

In addition, in Butler’s new Health and Recreation Complex, the counseling center features a digital recording system. “There are two conference rooms and nine offices where the counselors can record sessions to their computer in real time and also archive the content for review,” Almack says. “Each room is equipped with a wide angle lens plus a low profile microphone to help the patient as comfortably as possible in this setting.”

“I couldn’t recommend them more highly. They’ve been on campus 13 or 14 years and they’ve installed most of our classroom technology and a lot of the specialty systems in our Fine Arts facilities as well.”

Craig Hardee

General Construction Maintenance Manager

Butler University

 

 

Simon Property Group 

Sensory Technologies’ involvement with Simon’s new Indianapolis corporate headquarters began early. “I gave a presentation called ‘AV 101’ to the International Facility Managers Association,” says Groogan. “Shawn Suter with Simon came up to me afterward and said, ‘We need to talk.’  “We talked about the rooms and who would be using them,” Groogan says. “The project encompassed conference rooms with single or dual projection systems with easy to use LCD touch panel controls, executive floors with distributed audio with XM Tuners, rotating projector lifts camouflaged in the ceiling and dual plasmas equipped with videoconferencing and portable videoconferencing.  We delivered on what we promised: state of the art technology, beautiful design and robust practicality.”  Suter is now a believer in the Sensory Technologies difference. “They did a really good job. They came through as far as meeting budget and taking care of everything we asked for. They came up with ideas and suggestions for what we needed. I would recommend them to anybody.”

Shawn Suter

Director of Corporate Properties

Simon

 

Barnes and Thornburg 

As this Indianapolis law firm renovated its conference center, they added videoconferencing capabilities. “We host a lot of legal seminars and allow our clients to utilize the space as well.  The conference area has to look nice and perform well,” said Lou Ann Lambert, help desk manager at Barnes & Thornburg LLP.  “They save clients money by not getting on a plane,”  Groogan said. “If they sit down and hold a meeting [with videoconferencing] they bill only for that time. They can increase billable time when they don’t need to travel.”  The videoconferencing technology also helps the law firm’s Indianapolis, Chicago, Ft. Wayne and South Bend offices communicate more efficiently.  The project even included preparations for future technology. In the firm’s deposition room, Sensory Technologies installed equipment that transfers recordings directly onto a media server. “Instead of passing around a VCR tape, all the attorneys can look at it from the server,” Groogan said.  “My job is to thoroughly explain, ‘Let’s make sure we plan for the infrastructure required for future growth— floor boxes, wall plates, connection panels, electrical, data and conduit—so that when the time is right, it’s easy to implement and more cost effective,’” Groogan said.  “Sensory did a great job on the installation – the technicians were wonderful. The cabling, the wiring, everything looks perfect. They did a lot of extra programming because we wanted certain functions that were not usual and they configured it how we wanted it.”

Lou Ann Lambert

help desk manager

Barnes & Thornburg LLP.

 

NCAA Hall of Champions Museum and Corporate Headquarters

In the Hall of Champions museum, Video Images handled the original installations, including a 144 monitor video wall spanning the entire interior entrance of the museum, projection display integrated into the museum scoreboard, multi–video theaters and various audio visual kiosks. Four individuals still stay on–site to support audio–visual needs, based on a contract that originated with Markey’s Audio Visual.

Recently at the NCAA corporate headquarters, “Their big initiative was to reduce travel costs,” Almack said. “They have so many different committees. When you bring university presidents to Indianapolis, it’s extremely costly and time–consuming.”  Consequently, last fall Sensory Technologies installed integrated videoconferencing rooms with large plasma monitors, cameras and microphones built into the tables. The firm also implemented and configured a 48–port videoconference bridge that allows the NCAA to connect with up to 48 different sites at one time, as well as, integrated firewall traversal technology into the system and a videoconference management suite that integrates with the NCAA network infrastructure. “We are an association comprised of several committees,” said Mike King, NCAA Directory of Operations. “Oftentimes we have found videoconferencing to be more efficient and at the same time, more personal than a two–hour phone conversation.”  “It has saved our staff members’ time as well,” added King. “We had some staff presenting in Columbus, Ohio at a seminar recently. In the past they would have left the night before, presented that day and then driven back that night.  They would have lost an entire day in the office, had a hotel expense and had mileage and food expenses.” Now staff members can log on to the videoconference, present their seminar and be done and able to get back to work in two hours. “We save direct as well as indirect costs,” he explained.

Sensory Technologies also designed a broadcast facility.  “Messages can be sent to all of the member universities live or by archiving and playing at a later date via the web,” Almack said.  “They have done a nice job of helping us understand what our needs are and helping work with us on defining not only the equipment we buy now but what we can do with it in the future.”

Mike King

Directory of Operations

NCAA

 

Kalahari Water Park and Conference Center 

The NIA Convention Center at The Kalahari Resorts in Sandusky, Ohio combines a stunning African theme with the most contemporary technology to facilitate its many meetings, presentations, social events, and more. Sensory Technologies was called upon to design, build, engineer, and program the entire audio visual system for this magnificent space. “The NIA Center includes zone-able spaces, each capable of supporting highresolution video broadcast, multiple video inputs, and sound reinforcements. Common areas within the facility also feature installed sound for background music, as well as program audio and local voice reinforcement," Summit explained.  Although the decor of the NIA Center takes guests a world away, the innovative technology delivers the most efficient, robust, and modern applications.

“Everything is state-of-the-art and very scalable so it can flex and bend as our needs change. The equipment is centrally located which is a huge factor so that it can be centrally managed. From a labor standpoint, that is really good for me. I can also connect to it from home and manage it. It is a very easy system to manage at any point.”

Matthew Dick

Information Systems Manager

Kalahari

 

Clarian Health – Riley Hospital for Children

 

Riley Connections, a program of Riley Hospital for Children and Clarian Health Partners, was created to allow patients in rural locations access to expert physicians located hundreds of miles away without traveling to that location. “Our Portable Telemedicine Solution enables the physician and patient to have real–time, two–way interactive consults. Clinical professionals at partner sites can also complete their continuing medical education requirements using the same Telemedicine system to virtually attend clinical educational events,” describes Groogan.  “It is exciting to know that our solutions help people receive expert medical care and help control medical costs.”  “They [Sensory] were our initial vendor when we started the telemedicine program,” recalls Jennifer Baron, director of the Telemedicine Department. “We began in 2004 with our first spoke site in Evansville. We were grant funded. They actually built out all of our carts for the program. They built six mobile telemedicine carts under that grant funding and that really helped us develop our current model – mobile units as opposed to fixed units.”

Since then, Clarian Health Partners in Indianapolis has worked with Sensory Technologies to create a network of nine acute general hospitals across the state of Indiana. Their services link patients from many regions, including Evansville, Bedford, Terre Haute, South Bend and Fort Wayne Patients visit a clinic in their local community and have a live ‘tele–appointment’ with a specialist in Indianapolis from Clarian –– Methodist Hospital, Indiana University Hospital or Riley Hospital for Children. "Real time" patient diagnostic information is shared with the help of digital clinical devices such as a digital stethoscope. Patients participating in Clarian Telemedicine experience the same level of service they would receive during an in–person visit to their physician. The telecommunication lines used to transmit the video and audio signals also transmit clinical files – EEGs, X–rays and echocardiograms – so that the physician specialist has all the necessary and appropriate clinical information for each patient.

Telemedicine carts can be moved to different clinical areas to accommodate different providers without requiring each to have a dedicated unit. A live data jack is the only technical requirement for a telemedicine location.  Telemedicine not only connects patients to providers but it also connects providers to providers. Clinical professionals at partner sites can complete their continuing medical education requirements, using the same video unit, to virtually attend clinical educational events from Clarian Health Partners and Indiana University School of Medicine. “We do both distance learning and clinical programming. For example at our clinic in Evansville, they may have a clinic one day so they need the mobile unit in a patient room for a consult and the very next day they are providing some sort of distance learning education so they’ll roll the cart into a conference room or auditorium for that,” said Baron. “It allows them the capability to not have to outfit multiple rooms or acquire multiple pieces of equipment –they can just roll it around as needed.”  Clarian Telemedicine also uses the same telemedicine technology for administrative meetings, management updates and other business–related functions. 

Sensory even helped secure funding for a much needed piece of equipment. “Anne was integral in helping us to achieve one of our goals, which was the development of a fixed consult room at Riley Hospital for Children.” Anne Sellers, in conjunction with the Riley Children’s Foundation helped make a presentation to secure funding to buy equipment for this room. “It has been great for our program.  We now have a designated room that our physicians can come to. It is right downstairs from where their outpatient clinics are. They can come down and do a telemedicine clinic very quickly and very easily in a comfortable, well wired room and then go right back upstairs to provide outpatient services here. Anne was very key to getting that going and developing that room which was huge for growing our services within the hospital.”

Jennifer Baron

Director

Telemedicine Department

Colts Mock–up Suite

To give clients a glimpse at the future home of the Indianapolis Colts, Lucas Oil Stadium, the Colts Marketing team created a mock–up suite. With the help of Sensory Technologies, the modern space included four 32” LCD’s – three were flush mounted along the back wall and the last one was ceiling mounted at the front of the suite. The sound package funnels the audio from the stadium directly to those viewing the game from the window seating area. 

French Lick Resort Casino

The French Lick Resort Casino Event Center required multi–faceted AV integration, including paging, live sound reinforcement, background music and projection. All of the technology installed in these meeting spaces is touch panel controlled for intuitive access.