What language lab system
do you currently have and who is the vendor?
Sony
2.
How long have you had the system/been
actively using the system?
Since July 2000
3.
What has your experience been with:
The equipment/hardware: Wonderful
The software: Great. You can do so
many things with it in the classroom or in
an independent lab.
The integration of hardware and software:
No problems. It all works.
4.
Have you found that the following have
lived up to the claims of the vendor?
The equipment/hardware: Yes
The software: Yes
The integration of hardware and software:
Yes
5.
What has your experience been with the
vendor in terms of:
Quality of installation: Excellent
Meeting schedules set: Always
Skill and knowledge of hardware/software/how
to integrate existing language learning software
with the system: They are pros. They
all have tenchical backgrounds. They know
their stuff.
Efficiency of Service: Excellent
Return calls promptly?: Yes
Get whatever problems you may have had
solved promptly?: Yes. They are wonderful
at Chester. They will never leave you high
and dry.
Responsiveness to repeat calls for training
of newly hired faculty/lab staff or faculty
that needed more extensive training after
the initial training: They do whatever
we need at our school.
5.
Describe the process you used to decide
which lab system you wanted. What, if any,
other lab systems did you consider? Who was
the vendor? Why did you choose the system/
vendor that you did?
We considered Tandberg and Sony. We thought
that they were both good digital lab systems
from a technical standpoint. But we were able
to verify more about the Sony system and about
CTS. ETI had not put in one digital lab that
we could find when we were considering them.
CTS had put in dozens. That told us something.
Look at the experience record. Tandberg was
much less expensive. We still went with Sony
because we were sure that the vendor lives
up to their word. Everywhere we checked and
we checked a lot of schools, Tandberg comes
from Europe. People with tandberg analog labs
said they had to wait months for parts/service.
Which vendor didn't matter. Different vendors,
same problem. The problem is that the stuff
isn't readily available. Also some schools
reported problems trying to get a phone cal
returned by the Tandberg vendor. We don't
need that. Sony is made here, you don't wait
for parts or service with Sony. Check around.
Everyone we talked to was taking out Tandberg
systems and putting in Sony digital. Tandberg
Digital Systems have been around at least
three or four years. Why couldn't we find
one that had been actually installed anywhere
if they are so good and their bid is always
under than of Sony?
