Case Study – AV Control System
AV Control System - UK Government Department - Command & Control
Business Challenge
Having last refurbished their Crisis Centre in Summer 2012, the UK Government Department were keen to maintain their ‘best in class’ infrastructure and provide state of the art equipment to support their crisis management. In 2018, they set about procuring an updated crisis centre which incorporated an interactive video wall, additional audio and visual equipment and digital signage.
Our Approach
Ajar Technology were awarded the project after being successful in a competitive tender process. When approaching the process, Ajar Technology reviewed the specification provided, attended site surveys with the in-house technical teams in order to design the most appropriate solution.
Our Solution
Ajar Technology supplied, installed and commissioned the required equipment for the Crisis Centre as per their specification:
- An interactive video wall
- Additional screens across the estate
- Screen control
- Digital signage
- Wireless roving microphone
- Multi time zone world clock
Ajar Technology reviewed the requirements and the use case and put forward a design which met the specification and provided added value to the client.
The videowall displays used are ultra-narrow bezel (0.9mm) 24/7 rated commercial displays for seamless image reproduction, ultra-high brightness of 700cmd and Full HD resolution. Specifically manufactured for control room environments, there is no perceptible bezel, the high brightness will exceed ambient light requirements and provide the required resolution to view maps/tv feeds from any angle.
The videowall processors provided for displaying sources simultaneously in any size, in any location across the videowall as a single canvas. Catering for 18no. hardwired inputs, 2no. spare hardwired inputs and 180no.+ multicast inputs, it exceeded the existing requirements and futureproofed for additional sources.
The AV control system provided for infinite pre-set layouts via an initiative 10” touch panel on a central desk. An additional management PC provided for simple custom layout changes for ultimate flexibility. 6 additional displays are integrated to the system; any source can be displayed in these locations for multi-crisis management. 2no. wireless content sharing devices provide for the wireless sharing of smartphones, tablets, laptops and PCs as necessary.
The Management PC also manages the digital signage system, providing real-time updates to the 10” signage displays across the 30no desk positions wirelessly, text, data and video can be shown as required. A roving wireless microphone solution was provided, one lapel for the crisis lead and one handheld for ad-hoc participants. A replacement 6 zone time clock with simple drop-down management software for ad-hoc time zones was provided which eradicated the existing usage issues described on the site survey.
The Benefits
The solution provided the Department with a significant improvement over their existing solution at a budget friendly price point, meeting and exceeding the stated requirements. Following the successful award, Ajar Technology and the department worked together to discuss variations and additions to the original specification, following our planning phase of the project. The collaborative approach at the pre-start stage allowed further design and for the Department to input on their requirements.
