Y Soft
3 min read
Customer Profile
University College Copenhagen (KP), Københavns Professionshøjskole, is one of the main providers of teacher education, early childhood- and social education, nursing, and social work in Denmark.
With multiple campuses in Copenhagen, KP University currently has more than 21,000 enrolled students and approximately 2,500 staff members. The university fosters a democratic learning atmosphere, emphasizing equality between lecturers and students. It promotes an environment where students are motivated to take charge of their educational journey.
Challenge
In this case study, we analyze the key challenges faced by the university's IT department which motivated them to seek out Y Soft. These include enhancing IT security in response to rising cyber threats, a significant concern in today's educational environment. The university also struggled with efficiently managing its IT systems, particularly focused on integrating the SAFEQ system to streamline student printing services.
These issues were further complicated by challenges with vendor support, which called for a careful and strategic approach to improve their technological ecosystem.
Jacob Vejlgaard, System Administrator and Developer of KP mentions these main challenges:
- IT Security: A key concern, driven by a recent security incident in a similar institution and generally looming cybersecurity threats.
- Support: The university faced challenges with its prior vendor, particularly regarding a lack of support for the system, leading to inefficiency and extra work.
- System Integration: The integration and management of SAFEQ 5 and 6 during the fusion of two schools, ensuring the system meets their specific needs.
Solution
The university made their switch to SAFEQ 5, and then later to SAFEQ 6. The upgrade to SAFEQ 6 was a well-reasoned decision and a logical step for the university as they fused with Professionshøjskolen Metropol and wanted a single print solution to work across both facilities. Professionshøjskolen Metropol was using a different solution at the time, but after comparing the products and existing in-house expertise, KP decided to stick with SAFEQ 6.
Jacob says, “I have been working with the SAFEQ 5 for a long time. I had a lot of experience working with it. So I proposed that we keep on going with that. And we finally merged everything into SAFEQ 6.”
One reason Jacob's team went with SAFEQ over another solution was that SAFEQ 6 delivered on specific function needs. Also, the upgrade was influenced by the need for certain features, including a payment system for student printing and an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) engine.
As the university had experienced support difficulties with their prior printer vendor, they had all their printers switched to Sharp – who remain their main provider. It is also through Sharp that they access SAFEQ today.
Benefits
KP has been using SAFEQ 6 for many years now and is very satisfied with the software running smoothly. "You don't have to worry about it for most of the time."
“ SAFEQ 6 is a stable piece of software, and students are actually able to pay on the website. That was a win.”
The main benefits the university has experienced with the implementation of SAFEQ 6 include:
- Enhanced IT Security: By focusing on IT security and utilizing SAFEQ’s capabilities, the university improved its security posture, addressing a critical concern in the current global context.
- Effective System Integration and Management: The transition to SAFEQ 6 and the subsequent system integration during the fusion of two schools were effectively managed, providing a unified and efficient printing solution across the university's multiple facilities.
- Customization and Control: In collaboration with Y Soft, the university could customize the SAFEQ system to meet its specific needs, such as the student payment system for printing, and maintain better control over its IT infrastructure.
The journey of the university with SAFEQ 6 is more than just a tale of technological upgrades. It's a story of adaptation, foresight, and the relentless pursuit of excellence in the academic sphere.
The successful implementation of SAFEQ 6 helped KP overcome initial challenges and embrace the advantages of a more efficient system. This stands as a testament to the university's commitment to innovation and student empowerment. This journey not only reflects the resilience and adaptability of the institution but also sets a forward-looking precedent for others in the educational sector.
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the University College Copenhagen, and Jacob Vejlgaard, for his invaluable contribution to this case study. The insights, expertise, and collaborative efforts were instrumental in demonstrating the practical application of our solution in real-world scenarios.
