For the third year in a row, SCN has partnered with SYMCO to present technology user panels at the manufacturer rep's Regional Technology Showcases in Boston and New York City during October. Details and registration are available here.
Bernard Matthews
- On October 22, the tech showcase lands in New York City. Let's catch up with one of the panelists.
Bernard Matthews is the director of information technology at Fordham University School of Law, and he has more than 20 years of experience in the areas of data networks, information technology security, and project management. He leads a team of 25 professionals responsible for network and system administration, information technology risk and security, web and application development, customer support, and audio-visual technology.
As a senior member of the leadership team, he serves as the principal stakeholder for assessing, adopting, and supporting technological solutions that support and advance Fordham Law School's mission and strategic initiatives. Most notably, he oversaw the design and implementation of a $13 million technology infrastructure for one of the largest capital projects of any law school in the country — a $250 million, 468,000-square-foot, LEED silver building designed by world-renowned architects PEI Cobb Freed & Partners.
What is your current role within your organization?
As director of information technology, I am responsible for the assessment, implementation, and administration all things technology related, including AV.
What has been the most surprising shift in technology since your career began?
I would say mobility, starting with the revolution of portable devices and the introduction of wireless technology. Twenty years ago, mobility meant carrying a PDA and syncing it with your computer. Today, as technology professionals, we are asking ourselves how do we deliver our services securely in a BYOD world, where the largest computing platform is mobile, and our clients are always connected.
What is the biggest change you're seeing in the workflow within your organization?
From an IT perspective, it's the way AV support is delivered and perceived. A year ago, AV support meant visiting each room at the start and end of classes/events. Today, the lion's share of support is administered remotely from a central control room. As a result, the expectation is that issues will be addressed without interruption or intervention from the user.
What do you think of when you think of AV technology?
If someone asked me this question 10 years ago, I would say RCA cables and VCRs. However, knowing what I know now, AV technology is synonymous for the experience we have in a conference room, theater, using our computer for an audio/video call, or viewing streamed content on our mobile device.
What technology is the next must-have within your organization?
We're looking to augment our event/instruction spaces with wi-fi technology to not only facilitate presentations but also enhance collaboration through features like annotation, white-boarding, screen recording, and real-time polling.
