DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, May 10, 2010 - Cisco announced today that American University of Sharjah (AUS) is the first university in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to deploy the Cisco®  Digital Media Suite  (DMS). In a step to enrich learning, enhance campus communications as well as keep its students engaged and informed, AUS adopted DMS as it encompasses a comprehensive offering of social video, digital signage and desktop video solutions.

Highlights / Key Facts:

• The Cisco® Digital Media Suite (DMS), an integrated platform for video collaboration, digital signage and live and on-demand IPTV applications, helps educational institutions extend the learning environment by delivering on-demand tutorials to students' desktops, streaming live broadcasts into classrooms and dormitories, and providing schedules, news, emergency messaging and relevant information on digital signs around campus.
• DMS also helps to improve communications for colleges and universities as it provides students with the flexibility to access live and on-demand content from anywhere on campus.
• The integration of visual networking experiences into a learning environment helps educational institutions create a more dynamic, engaging classroom experience for students. American University of Sharjah will be the first university in the Gulf to utilize the Cisco Show and Share social video system to share educational videos on demand to complement the day's lesson. Teachers will have immediate access to a "playlist" of videos, which gives them the flexibility to alter and create more compelling lesson plans at any time. The solution can also be used to communicate information about campus events including classroom updates and safety concerns to the campus community in real time.
• Cisco Digital Signs will replace the need for posters for communications around campus whilst Cisco Show and Share will enable anytime, anywhere learning by delivering live and prerecorded lectures directly to students' desktops. The Cisco MXE 3000 Media Experience Engine will help extend the DMS deployment by enabling students to create content once, customize it as needed, and share it across all digital signs, desktops and mobile devices.

Supporting Quotes

• George J. DeBin, vice chancellor for finance and administration, American University of Sharjah:

"Today, video is increasingly becoming one of the most important forms of communication and entertainment both in the UAE and globally. At AUS we realize the benefits of bringing digital media into the classroom and the campus environment and Cisco's Digital Media Suite will provide the  university with the capability to utilize video communications in order to greatly enhance our students' experiences as well as accelerate their learning."

• Wayne Hull, general manager, Cisco, UAE

"In order to effectively achieve connected learning societies, we at Cisco believe that the deployment of video in educational establishments is vital for the 21st century education transformation. Video is a critical medium for communicating to all audiences and in education, recent advancements in video technology are helping to change the way school administrators, faculty managers and students are working together to create a stronger community. The Cisco Digital Media Suite at the American University of Sharjah is the first step towards helping transform how educational establishments in the UAE and their students learn, grow, communicate, and collaborate."

Supporting Resources:

• Learn more about  Cisco Digital Media
• Learn more about Cisco education solutions
• Read more about Cisco Digital Media Suite Services
• Learn more about Cisco Academy of Digital Signage

Links / URLs:

• Emerging Markets RSS Feed:
  http://newsroom.cisco.com/data/syndication/rss2/EmergingMarkets.xml
• Middle East News: 
  http://www.cisco.com/web/ME/about/news/index.html

About American University of Sharjah

American University of Sharjah (AUS) was founded in 1997 by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Sharjah, who envisioned the university as a leading educational institution in the Gulf region. AUS is an independent, not-for-profit coeducational institution. AUS is a leading comprehensive coeducational university in the Gulf, serving students from the region and around the world.

American University of Sharjah is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, 215 662 5606). AUS is licensed in the United States by the Department of Education of the State of Delaware. The university is also licensed by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and all undergraduate and graduate programs are recognized by the ministry and have been awarded either accreditation or accreditation-eligible status. All six of the bachelor's degree programs in the AUS College of Engineering are accredited by ABET, Inc. of the United States. For more details visit: http://www.aus.edu/