Case Study

Pedare Christian College needed a streamlined digital signage solution for the displays across its campus. The school’s existing method of showing signage via a combination of USB drives plugged into TVs and printed flyers was not feasible to scale or maintain.

Pedare began looking for a digital signage solution that worked on its Apple TVs. After initially testing Kitcast, the school expanded its search and discovered Ditto. Ditto offered both digital signage and screen mirroring in a single solution. That prompted a closer look, as Pedare was also searching for a new screen sharing solution for its bring-your-own- device environment.

Peter Cheel, Pedare’s information and communications technology (ICT) manager, said the ability to pair digital signage and screen mirroring in a single solution that worked reliably across numerous operating systems was a key factor in their decision.

“I really started to get excited because there was that breadth of platform support and the technical ability to manage it across wireless networks,” Cheel said. “That’s an undervalued thing. It makes the product more reliable where others are not.”

Cheel said that Ditto having its own screen mirroring protocol that doesn’t depend on Apple’s AirPlay is an important benefit.

“Maintaining AirPlay traffic without interruptions had been a real challenge for us over the years,” he said. “We would get interruptions, so we wanted to keep away from multicast traffic in the environment. Ditto has its own mirroring protocol that uses a single network port, so we know how to treat that from a network traffic perspective. With Ditto, we can mirror 4K content and not get dropouts in a busy environment.”

Pedare ICT support analyst Laurie Fitzell said the ability to quickly update Ditto digital signage from the web-based account portal keeps on-screen content relevant.

“We replaced the USB drive plugged into our reception area TV with an Apple TV running Ditto,” Fitzell said. “Immediately, the content was dynamic, relevant and fresh. The fact that we can update content week to week without climbing a ladder and trying to get the video in the right format is a little thing, but it’s also a huge thing.”

Pedare selected Ditto because it offered the ability to:

• Combine digital signage and screen mirroring in a single solution

• Simplify account management and reduce maintenance overhead

• Provide network flexibility

• Meet the needs of a diverse bring-your-own-device environment

• Build a sense of community among teachers, students, parents and administrators

Pedare has 50 Ditto-enabled displays and ultimately plans to deploy Ditto to all applicable spaces. Cheel said teachers at the school have organically adopted Ditto in ways that meet their unique mirroring and signage needs in the classroom.

“When they’re not streaming and mirroring content, the fact that it goes back to the digital signage has really changed the perception around what the teachers are thinking about and how they’re using that screen,” Cheel said. “We have images of students who have done great work on screens in common areas to recognize their efforts. It gives encouragement and builds a sense of community.”

About Pedare Christian College

Pedare Christian College is a coeducational Anglican and Uniting Church school located in Golden Grove, Australia.

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