Retail Vox Case Studies

British Museum

Automated PA in London’s premier museum.

More than six million people pass through the doors of the British Museum every year to view the galleries, take in temporary exhibitions, and participate in events or just to spend a few moments in one of London’s most spectacular public buildings. Working behind the scenes to make these visits possible are more than 1,000 members of staff, from cleaners, curators and conservators to security, scientists and the schools team.

Opalports Automated touch Screen PA has provided the PA control since the building was upgraded in 2006.

Partner Companies

We are subcontractors to Tannoy Audix – ADT for this project.

Westminster Abbey

We have advanced a long way from the famous ‘foghorn’ style Tannoy speakers. The most important aspect of any sound system is intelligibility i.e. wherever I am in the building, can I actually hear and understand what’s being said?

Both Westminster Abbey (where Kate & William were married) & St. George’s Chapel (Windsor Castle) have our microphone switching systems (we were subcontracted to Whitwam). Our system was chosen because it digitally selects microphones, so minimising cabling requirements. Ideal for listed buildings where cabling is difficult.

Partner Companies

We were subcontractors to Specialist Audio visual firm Whitwam of Winchester (www.whitwam.ltd.uk) to supply the digital microphone control & switching.

Toyota (motor Co.)

Automated CAP with Chronograph. (Essentially an Automated PA system with a fancy clock).

Originally installed in 2000 it was only required to play sections of tunes etc. A pretty basic automated PA, the system was required to play short sections of music at the start/end of shifts, Kanban overtime etc. Timing was required to the nearest 5 seconds so was Interfaced with Rugby real time clock and is programmed by importing a spreadsheet. Toyota decided to use the Opalport system as the main hub to control the timing of the production lines and paint shops etc. so in 2004 the PA system became the controller (start/stop) of all the production lines producing 179,233 vehicles in 2013. Not bad for an automated PA.

The main thing to note is the endorsement by Toyota of the reliability of the Microwatt Opalport Automated PA. In 14 years of service at Toyota (2000-today) the system has never had a failure that has effected production.

Partner Companies

We are subcontractors to WT Parker (electrical contractors) for this project (www.wtparkergroup.co.uk).

Toyota – Main contractor (www.toyotauk.com).

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service

Command and Control Vehicle. Touch screens (3off) control of all video, radio, telephone and PA systems. The ‘C & CV’ is called out to all major fires in Hampshire. All the systems are controlled and monitored by our touch screen system (Sub contracted to Whitwam).

Partner Companies

We were subcontractors to Specialist Audio visual firm Whitwam of Winchester (www.whitwam.ltd.uk) to supply the digital touch screen control & switching.

Faslane (HMS Neptune)

Her Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde (also HMS Neptune) is one of three operating bases in the UK It is the service's headquarters in Scotland and is best known as the home of Britain's strategic nuclear deterrent, in the form of nuclear submarines armed with Trident missiles.

HMNB Clyde lies on the eastern shore of Gare Loch in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, to the north of the Firth of Clyde and 25 mi (40 km) west of the city of Glasgow. The submarine base encompasses a number of separate sites.

This is another system we can’t tell you much about, but it has a number of our ‘touch Screens’ with a few very worrying messages starting with words like “Nuclear” & “Terrorist”. Obviously this is a ‘mission critical system’ so they came to Opalport for their PA automation.

Partner Companies

We are subcontractors to Tannoy Audix – ADT for this project.

Royal Greenjackets Museum

VOpalport don’t only do large systems we also do smaller projects, like the ‘kiosk’ for this museum in Winchester, where we used to be based.

“Situated adjacent to Winchester’s Great Hall and within easy walking distance of the City centre, The Royal Green Jackets (Rifles) Museum, opened in 1989, is one of the best regimental museums in the Country. It is also one of Winchester’s five military museums. Visited by thousands every year, the Museum records, visually, graphically and entertainingly, the history of three of the finest and most famous regiments in the British Army.

What's on Offer

Laid out chronologically, the Museum’s displays tell of the part played by the regiments in campaigning for peace over two and half centuries, and how the regiments’ approach to soldiering and readiness to adopt new ideas were often ahead of the rest. The Museum also provides a fitting focus on courage with a special Victoria Cross display, including a touch screen giving visitors access to detailed information about the actions and personal histories of each of the regiments’ 59 Victoria Cross winners. “

Opalport Electronics Touch Screen System - VC (Victoria Cross) information is displayed for public access. The touch screen guides the user giving them information on all 59 VCs won by the regiment.

Partner Companies

We were subcontractors to Specialist Audio visual firm Whitwam of Winchester (www.whitwam.ltd.uk ) to supply the digital touch screen & the material.

MOD (Ministry of Defence) Abbey Wood

MoD Abbeywood is a purpose-built site in Filton, Bristol, United Kingdom, that houses the Defence Equipment and Support procurement organisation.

The building project involved over 130,000 m² of buildings including offices, restaurants, library, sports facilities, training rooms, auditoria and conferences rooms, support facilities and a crèche together with landscaping and external works on a 98-acre (400,000 m2) site.

The facility was opened in 1996 and MoD Procurement Executive departments from across the UK, mainly London, relocated to the new facility. Subsequently further consolidation to the site has occurred. The site manages procurement contracts for the Royal Navy, the British Army and the Royal Air Force. Abbey Wood is the largest MoD site in the UK with 7,000 staff – rising to 10,300 by 2012 with the opening of new buildings nearby.

We can’t tell you much about the system (if we did we would have to kill you) but Opalport (Microwatt) automate the PA throughout the site including alarm monitoring. The PA is supplied by Tannoy Audix (ADT).

Partner Companies

We are subcontractors to Tannoy Audix – ADT for this project.

Gatwick Airport

Automated PA (MIA), numbers of Microplay Audio servers, Fibre backbone, Energy Monitoring systems (FGPM).

Gatwick Airport (IATA: LGW, ICAO: EGKK). Also known as London Gatwick, it is London's second largest international airport and second busiest by total passenger traffic in the United Kingdom after Heathrow. Furthermore, Gatwick is Europe's leading airport for point-to-point flights and has the world's busiest single-use runway with up to 53 aircraft movements per hour in late-2012 and a maximum capacity of 55 movements per hour.Its two terminals – North and South – cover an area of 98,000 m2 (1,050,000 sq ft) and 160,000 m2 (1,700,000 sq ft) respectively. In 2013, 35.4 million passengers passed through Gatwick.

Opalport’s & Microwatt’s association with Gatwick goes back to 1983 when we supplied a ‘Fixed Ground Power Monitoring System’. The FGPMS system monitors the power consumed by aircraft whilst on the ground using the high cost 200Hz supplies required by aircraft. This is both a fiscal and maintenance system.

Since 1983 we have supplied a number of systems including the Information Desk system known as ‘The Opalport’. A number of automated PA controllers and in 2008 we installed a 10Gig fibre backbone as part of the PA extension between North & South terminals.

The Opalport system (an early for of email/PA message system) logged 120,002 messages in 2012. This includes all messages to and from all handling agents etc. as well as all the actual PA messages.

In 2013 we supplied Gatwick with the first fully automated Mobile Information Assistants (MIA). Gatwicks Operations manager has described this as the “most advanced Automated PA in any airport in the world”.

Part of the contract was a back indication system for the North Terminal PA system. The SCADA system uses Movicon.

Partner Companies

We were the main contractor.

We used specialised subcontractors:

• Leading Electrical – Cabling installation including fibre termination (www.leadingelectricalservices.co.uk)
• ASL safety & Security – South Terminal PA system Interface (www.asl-control.co.uk)
• Tannoy Audix – ADT – North Terminal PA system Interface
• SearchPath – Software House (www.searchpath.co.uk)
• 4sight – Documentation & planning (www.4sight.eu)
• Movicon – SCADA software (www.progea.com)
• Products 4 Automation – Movicon dist. (www.products4automation.co.uk)
• ALS controls – Movicon software house (www.alscontrols.com)

Gatwick ‘Premium Lane’ Sound System

In 14 days in November 2011 we had to provide and commission a Hi fidelity music system in the Premium lane check-in at ST Gatwick ready for the official opening by Sir Richard Branson. This involved working airside & working at night. Always a learning curve at an airport, even after 25 years working with them.

Contract was less than 1 month.

Go on, spoil yourself, for £22.50, passengers will be able to take advantage of Gatwick Airport’s Premium Security lane before enjoying No.1 Traveller’s lounge facilities which include a complimentary bistro-style menu, fully-tended bar and free Wi-Fi access. In addition, passengers flying out of No.1 Traveller’s ‘super-lounge’ located at Gatwick’s North Terminal will be able to enjoy access to the No.1 Travel Spa (treatments start from £10), showers, cinema, games rooms and family room. Furthermore, No.1 Traveller’s Gatwick South lounge now boasts additional seating facilities after undergoing an extension ahead of the busy summer period.

Partner Companies

Opalport was the contractor (main contract was builders – AA Lovegrove).

We used a Specialist Subcontract Audio visual firm Whitwam of Winchester (www.whitwam.ltd.uk) to supply the Hi-Fidelity speakers, amps & sources.

Sofitel London Gatwick

An established luxury hotel uniquely located within Gatwick Airport, directly linked to the North Terminal and minutes away from the South Terminal by Monorail. Sofitel London Gatwick is only 30 minutes by Gatwick Express from Central London. World-class service includes 518 luxury bedrooms and suites which are all 100% non-smoking, and various dining options all located around the soaring central atrium. The hotel has 11 meeting rooms, most offering natural light.

Opalport supply the PA automation and music at the Sofitel.

Partner Companies

We are subcontractors to Tannoy Audix – ADT for this project.