Executive Summary
When supply chain delays stalled their AV rollout, Tennessee Tech improvised. When device chaos spread across campus, they standardized. And when IT bandwidth ran thin? Vivi took the load.
“I do pretty much all of the administration for all of it. We’ve got an FTE of 10,000… It doesn’t even make my list of responsibilities. It just works.”
— Hunter Kaller, Learning Spaces Manager, Tennessee Tech University
The Challenge
Patchwork tech and AV bottlenecks.
Learning Spaces Manager Hunter Kaller knew the campus needed a better way. Departments were “flying solo” with various providers and rogue Wi-Fi setups—each one adding headaches and support tickets.
“It was time for a cohesive institution standard that people could tap into, instead of whatever weird setup their individual support people set up for them.”
Things came to a head during a building renovation that finished just as the AV hardware vanished from the supply chain.
The Solution
Enter Vivi – a digital multi-tool with big flexibility.
Built specifically for education, Vivi emerged as the only solution that checked all their boxes:
Active Directory support
Built-in PoE
App-based ease of use
Cloud-based management
Subscription model that actually fit university procurement
“We ran a head-to-head comparison with everything we could find. Vivi was the only one that hit all the marks.”
They deployed Vivi in classrooms, collaboration spaces, auditoriums, and dorms—wherever learning happened, and wherever AV needed a lifeline.
The Results
Plug, play, and move on
“When [AV] gear didn’t show up, we deployed Vivi. The whole building ran on it for a semester—and it worked.”
Flexible installs
“One of my colleagues… almost any problem that comes up, he’s like, ‘Well, could we just put a Vivi there and be done with it?… and the answer is almost always YES!.. Tucked behind TVs, under projectors, in carts… we’ve made it work everywhere.”
No training required
“We’ve tried offering training, but people don’t show up. They don’t need to.”
That ease has helped Vivi spread organically across campus—from study huddles to classrooms.
“Once the students get the hang of it… they just fire up the Vivi and go.”
Streamlined presentations
“Students present from their own devices—no dongles, no drama.”
The Impact
IT bandwidth protected. Student engagement amplified.
- Lean IT, no problem: “It takes 5 minutes to add a new one… aside from that, it’s pretty much autopilot.”
- Campus-wide consistency: “Students use Vivi in study rooms and then walk into class already comfortable.”
- Procurement made painless: “That subscription model fits our system perfectly.”
- AV clutter eliminated: “No ports to break. No cables to misplace. No support calls.”
- Mobility and flexibility: “Now when someone says ‘Can I walk around?’ or ‘Can this device work too?’—we just say, ‘Yeah. We’ve got you covered.’”
- Up Next: Live broadcasts to boot positive campus culture – Hunter envisions live streaming the graduation ceremony, notable speakers, and other amazing events so that everyone can be a part of these important moments.
