University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign Wireless Clock System Case Study

Large university with expansive campus cuts maintenance costs and time with synchronized wireless clocks

Overview

The University of Illinois is a land-grant university that pioneers research to tackle global problems and expand the human experience. It welcomes more than 32,000 undergraduate students each year across its nine undergraduate divisions, hailing from all 50 states and over 100 countries.

Challenge

The university was operating an old Impulse 48-volt jump clock system for which new clocks were no longer available. In addition, the infrastructure needed to change to a 24-volt system was cost prohibitive. The school needed an affordable, easy-to-use time system to keeps its clocks synchronized.

Solution

The university selected the American Time SiteSync IQ wireless clock system. With SiteSync IQ, the University of Illinois has a synchronized timekeeping solution that can wirelessly synchronize and control any device with a signal circuit. All clocks update automatically for daylight saving time (DST) changes. Although the campus is large, the range and strength of the signal only requires one transmitter to cover 37 buildings over the distance of more than a mile.

The university is also 100 percent FCC compliant and enjoys pinpoint accuracy to NIST, the official world time.

Results

Since implementing the American Time system, the maintenance and time spent on clocks has dramatically decreased. For instance, the previous jump clocks, battery clocks and electric clocks all needed attention during DST changes or when a battery needed to be replaced. In the fall season following the American Time installation, time spent on clocks was reduced by two-thirds. The school also had far fewer complaints about clocks not working or not showing the right time.