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Lightspeed Introduces Multifunctional Audio Platform Cascadia

  • By Kate Lucariello
  • 01/17/24

Instructional audio company Lightspeed has announced Cascadia, a networked audio platform for K–12 schools. The new platform allows easy projection of the teacher's voice as well as instant communication outside the classroom and help in an emergency.

The teacher wears the device on a lanyard, and the platform projects low-volume, clear sound regardless of a student's location in the room, the company said.

It also integrates with a school's existing safety and communication systems, such as paging, intercom, and the phone system. Teachers can make two-way calls to the office from anywhere in a building and also initiate silent, mobile, emergency alerts. The platform connects not only to the school's front office, but initiates an alert in the Cascadia web console showing location and type of emergency, thus affording centralized control.

Other features include:

  • Teacher location in real-time during an active alert;
  • Power over Ethernet Plus (PoE+) for network infrastructure;
  • Network with other classroom media (laptops, interactive displays, assisted-listening devices, and distance learning setups); and
  • Sharemike to permit student sharing.

"The need for teachers to communicate with resources outside of the classroom continues to grow, whether in an emergency or simply when help is needed," said Shaun Fagan, Lightspeed's senior vice president. "With Cascadia, schools can now meet this need by providing teachers with a communication tool that offers mobility, simplicity, and immediacy."

For more information, visit the Cascadia product page.

Visit the product support page to download the data sheet, installation guide, and quick start guide.

About the Author

Kate Lucariello is a former newspaper editor, EAST Lab high school teacher and college English teacher.

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