When Barnsley College began its £16 million transformation of the Church Street campus into the South Yorkshire Institute of Technology (SYIoT), this wasn’t just a construction project, but the start of something transformative.
A flagship campus demands a flagship digital experience. And that meant tackling a long-standing challenge: inconsistent interactive technology across sites.
Different tools. Different interfaces. Different support requirements.
For staff moving between rooms or campuses, it created friction. For IT, it created complexity.
This was an opportunity to do it right — and do it once.
From fragmented to future-ready
As part of the June 2025 tender process through the Crescent Purchasing Consortium framework, the College set a clear brief: standardise, simplify, and future-proof interactive teaching technology in time for the September grand opening.
Having previously partnered with the College on a UC meeting room project, Roche AV Pro was already a trusted collaborator. As the longest-serving AV supplier on the CPC framework — and 2025 CPC Supplier of the Year — they were well positioned to deliver at pace and at scale. Working closely with SMART Technologies, the teams developed a tailored solution aligned to SYIoT’s ambitions.
After in-depth demonstrations and strategic discussions, including direct engagement between SMART and Azhar Iqbal, Director of IT, the College chose SMART over every alternative interactive display brand.
Building an ecosystem of interactive technology
When SYIoT opened its new facility, the goal wasn’t just to install interactive displays — it was to create a connected teaching environment that worked the same way in every room.
More than 20 interactive displays were installed across the campus, including SMART Board MX series in general teaching classrooms and SMART Board RX series in specialist IT labs. But the real impact came from what tied them together.
Every display was equipped with the same SMART iQ experience. For instructors, that consistency changed everything.
No matter which classroom they walked into, the tools were familiar. The same whiteboarding features. The same screen sharing. The same multi-user annotation. There was no hesitation, no relearning — just walk up and start teaching.
With NFC login, staff simply tap their ID card to instantly access their personalized settings and content. No typing passwords. No wasted minutes at the start of class. Just a seamless, walk-up-and-use experience.
The result? No training required. No friction between rooms. Just confidence and continuity.
But the benefits didn’t stop in the classroom.
Behind the scenes, IT teams gained just as much efficiency. Using SMART Control, SMART’s centralized device management platform, they can monitor displays, deploy updates, and manage software remotely across the entire campus. That means fewer on-site interventions, reduced overhead, and the assurance that every room is running the same up-to-date experience.
The MX series delivered reliable, high-performance functionality for everyday teaching environments, while the RX series offered enhanced durability and responsiveness needed in their high-use environments.
Despite serving different classroom needs, both displays provide educators with the exact same user experience.
As Stafford Lund, Sales Manager at Roche AV Pro, puts it:
"The SMART portfolio, with its NFC login and cloud-based management, is perfect for the College, and we're excited to support them as they roll out more SMART solutions across their campuses in the future."
Immediate impact in the classroom
The change was noticeable from the start. Dan Walsh, Learner Support Technologist, said the boards have already "proven invaluable" in the classrooms.
For the digital pedagogy team, it’s clear in how students are engaging. Emily Birchall, Digital Pedagogy Team Leader, shared that students are excited to use the SMART screen from their phones and tablets, then come up and interact with the board directly.
Installation was just the first step — adoption is what really counts. And here, students and teachers are using the technology confidently, making lessons more interactive and collaborative.
The value of true partnership
Technology alone doesn’t guarantee success. Execution does.
At SYIoT, installations were phased carefully, coordinated with building contractors as each floor became ready. Because Roche AV Pro has fully trained, in-house teams, they could maintain control over delivery, adapting quickly to site changes and tight schedules without compromising quality.
Azhar Iqbal, Director of IT at Barnsley College, sums it up:
"The [Roche AV Pro] team worked with us to carefully plan installation around our operational needs, and their flexibility in deploying the screens was a real differentiator. It felt like a genuine partnership rather than a traditional supplier-customer relationship — and that's something we've really valued."
The outcome speaks for itself: every space ready, every screen operational, all in time for the SYIoT opening.
Building trust with technology
The SYIoT project sets a new benchmark — not only for Barnsley College, but for what a modern Institute of Technology can look like when digital infrastructure is designed intentionally from day one.
By prioritizing standardized technology, teachers are more empowered to use their tech investment to engage their students.
We were delighted to support Barnsley College with the SYIoT project, delivering MX and RX displays that enhance teaching and collaboration. We're looking forward to continuing our partnership and helping the College expand SMART technologies across their campuses in the future.
~ Dan Nicholson, Channel Manager at SMART Technologies
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