HEC Montreal

An institution rooted in the past updated with technology that pushes toward the future.

Internationally renowned for its top-notch management education and research, HEC Montréal is a French-language university that trains future managers who contribute to our society’s growth and prosperity. Although its beginnings date back to 1907, its communications technology is now on the cutting edge, and that’s greatly due to the work of CBCI.

The audiovisual renovation project of HEC’s 34 classrooms is a perfect example of perseverance and remarkable collaboration between experts from different trades, including engineers, service and sales managers, general contractors, electricians, and other key partners.

Every project has its share of surprises, but this one was a true test of persistence, skill, and teamwork.

Built in 1995, the cabling and analog audio/video infrastructure required major improvements to smoothly transition to the new digital era. Making this conversion even trickier, no blueprints were available; Solotech had to figure out the path of cables and electrical circuits as we went.

The second challenge was the tight timeline. With just June to mid-August—the school’s “off-season”—to complete a major renovation that would normally take about a year, we had to get extra creative with all elements of the project. Several experts and members of the executive team worked together relentlessly to ensure project efficiency, accurate problem diagnosis, and getting everything set up to meet the deadline.

When the tools used for day-to-day teaching are simplified, learning is more effective.

Knowing that the proper audiovisual support not only helps keep an audience’s attention but also does it in a way that appeals to the senses of today’s tech-savvy staff and students, CBCI installed a diverse range of communications systems to meet the university’s modern-day needs. This was the first major IP network-based audio/video distribution project in Canada.

Every classroom was equipped with cutting-edge AV technology. Two multimedia projectors, LCD screens, and high-quality speakers were installed to carry images and sound to every corner of the classrooms. A video camera was placed above the professors’ desks to allow them to display documents on screen, as well as a touch screen panel for improved control over the equipment.

We’re proud to say that the new systems were completed in time for the start of classes. Our professionalism and expertise got us through all the challenges of this project, and its successful completion demonstrates what it takes to satisfy our clients. We fortified our long-term business relationship with our loyal customer, HEC and most importantly, helped them facilitate collaboration and knowledge transfer between professors and students.