ResNet 2019: Sharing a Vision for Better Equipment Checkout

It was a pleasure presenting to this year’s ResNet Student Technology Conference at Washington University, Missouri. ResNet has a focus on how to leverage technologies and integrate them with the academic mission, much of which is in support of the student experience in higher education - making connect2 a great fit at this event!

As a specialist in higher education IT, Lorensbergs is an essential technology partner for getting projects planned and delivered successfully. We were delighted to hear that our tour of connect2 equipment scheduling and checkout software was well received by the 60-strong audience of colleges and universities that had gathered in St Louis for this year’s event.

For universities that rely on connect2 for equipment management and access (over 100 institutions and growing fast!), the processes involved are vastly simplified. As a checkout and online reservation application, managing access to resources is delightfully streamlined. The ease with which students can reserve the equipment they need really is a joy to behold. Whether it’s for a single laptop, or a list of media equipment longer than your arm, a few clicks and the items are in the cart with the reservation agreed and confirmed.

The self-service aspect to this process doesn’t mean that access control or security is lost in anyway. If anything, it’s tightened up due to our authentication approach to Active Directory or the student record system. This security is critical not only for IT reasons, but also for the assets involved which may include valuable items costing thousands of dollars.

At Lorensbergs, our long-earned expertize in authentication and access permissions becomes a massive advantage to all who work with us. Simply put, when you choose connect2 software, your staff and students will be up and running on the new system in minimal time.

Here are just a few of the access benefits you gain when choosing connect2:

• Access is quick and simple for each user. Single sign-on (SSO) allows each student to use their usual university username and password to access connect2, and there’s no need to register or authorize each account

• There are no password administration overheads managing new or lost passwords

• User access stays up to date as students join and leave your institution

• Passwords and authentication are secure, due to the SSO process in place

• Students can be automatically permissioned to book resources according to their year of study, course or module

• Your institution can choose connect2 as either a SaaS or on-premises system – authentication is supported in either scenario

With connect2, it’s easy for students to access the online portal 24/7, and it’s just as easy for them to make their first reservation. So it’s reassuring to know that when you choose connect2 for equipment checkout, the new software will have a quick and successful adoption rate. This way, the massive benefits and efficiencies that come with the self-service reservation process are realized extremely rapidly. For a look at one of our recent customer projects, and some very successful partnership working, please see our previous blog post here.

Also, if you haven’t checked it out already, a video on how students easily make bookings in connect2 is available here.

We look forward to continuing the connect2 equipment checkout software discussion further! To get in touch, call 646 583 2215 or email enquiries@connect2software.com