Ball State University now has access to the Dante audio platform, thanks to the collaborative efforts of University Media Services and IT Networking. Dante is a network platform that moves audio, video, and control over simple Ethernet rather than AV cabling. It will be used to improve the audio quality of the various sporting broadcasts that UMS produces each year and reduce equipment setup times significantly. The platform will also be available to students working at Sports Link, who will use it to improve their live sports broadcasts. 

UMS and IT Networking worked closely to make this upgrade possible. Keith Huffman, a production manager for UMS, said that over the course of six months, the two departments worked tirelessly, performing testing and troubleshooting for this project. He also emphasized the instrumental role that IT Networking played in meeting the infrastructural requirements for Dante—something many universities struggle to do. 

Chris Cahoe, director of Unified Communications, explained that IT Networking was responsible for providing an isolated, private network just for Dante that uses the same physical infrastructure as the standard campus network. 

UMS expects that this new system will serve the University for many years to come.