www.inavateonthenet.net
Reprinted from the Jan/Feb 2016 edition by:
EMEA’S LEADING RESOURCE FOR PRO AV TECHNOLOGY, INTEGRATION AND MANAGEMENT
Building with intelligence:
Serving a workforce on the move
CASE STUDY
| UBM Headquarters, UK
UBM Headquarters, UK | C A S E
When integrator Vanti started work on providing UBM with AV and control to support a shift to agile working and provide alternative office spaces it didn’t realise that it would end up taking responsibility for a full smart buildings project. Anna Mitchell reports.
Building clever
T
embarked on a move to
shift
based
its
London
headquarters
a
few metres down the city’s Blackfriars Bridge. The move to a purpose built
as an example of energy efficiency and
make the most of.
Level 19
2|
When you want to control HVAC, turn lights off, book a meeting room; you go to an AMX panel. - Raj Patel, Vanti
aimed for (and ultimately achieved) a LEED Platinum rating for the building.
We wanted to rethink how we use real estate and ultimately drive value from what is a very expensive cost to the business. - Stephen Vause, UBM
Meeting room usage statistics showed
utilisation, the second used smart building. UBM wanted the office to act
office facility provided the company with a blank canvass that it intended to
While the first step centred on space systems to ensure an energy efficient
wo years ago global media company UBM
STUDY
and 60%.
A number of separate external parties –
conditioning control or accessing the
so it could be managed and controlled,”
including builders, electrical contractors,
Polycom phone book.” (Polycom was a
explains Patel. “Security was a big issue.
AV/IT consultants and HVAC companies
perquisite for the installation as UBM
Ownership of problems was another
- tendered and were awarded contracts.
has a global partnership deal with the
one and we had to wait at a number of
Integrator Vanti won the AV installation
vendor.)
stages in the project while the network
portion of the project with a bid based on AMX infrastructure.
One of the benefits for Vanti was the
was being installed and configured.”
ability to start work at an early phase
Whilst UBM wanted everything on one
For them one of the first tasks was
of construction. AV integrators are
network it also had exacting standards
to ensure a great user experience,
often plagued by getting on site when
for the devices that would sit on
consistency and simplicity of use in all AV
the building is virtually finished and
that network. Everything had to
Harman products used
that the majority of meetings were
It quickly became clear that the office
equipment UBM staff had to interface
infrastructure in place. However, Vanti
be on the latest firmware, locked
“We wanted to rethink how we use
between small groups – generally two
footprint could be drastically reduced
with. This was coupled with demands
was able to design and install its own
down and secure.
real estate and ultimately drive value
to four people - and often carried out
resulting in huge yearly cost savings.
from the architects that everything had
cabling infrastructure and make sure
What also became apparent
from what is a very expensive cost to the
in inappropriate spaces such as a ten-
“We were also woefully under-
to be clean and not disrupt the modern
network requirements met its needs,
very quickly was that, with
business,” says Stephen Vause, head of
seat boardroom. UBM also noticed that
provisioned when it came to spaces for
sleek design of the building.
such as supporting multicast traffic to
the
facilities management at UBM.
lots of people were booking meeting
meetings and crucially breakout space,”
“Any client facing room has four walls
deliver Exterity IPTV.
required, someone had to take
JBL loudspeakers and subwoofers
The first step for Vause’s team was to
rooms – even boardrooms – to work
adds Tom Holden, who was nominated
of glass, there is nowhere even for a light
However, the biggest challenge came
responsibility for the entire
embark on research into office culture
in on their own because they weren’t
IT lead for the project. “We wanted to
switch,” notes Raj Patel, CTO and founder
in the level of integration demanded
smart building aspect of the
and how the current space was used.
permanently based in the building and
build an office that took advantage of
of Vanti. “All room functions had to be
across systems that in many other
project. That role eventually fell
Analysis of the body of data produced
they needed a place to sit. Potentially
that low desk utilisation, encouraged
accessed through one single control
installations are siloed.
to Vanti.
sparked ideas about how the new office
the most important statistic was that
mobility and added modern, alternative
interface via an AMX control panel. This
“UBM wanted everything completely
“We didn’t go out looking to
AMX DXLink extenders, Enova presentation switchers, Modero touchpanels, HydraPort table boxes, Novara keypads, control boxes and PDUs, NetLinks control processing
would work for the company.
desk utilisation hovered between 40%
working spaces.”
gives them control over lighting, air
integrated and sitting on their network
be the smart building contractor
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level
of
integration
AKG omnidirectional boundary, gooseneck and wireless mics BSS Soundweb audio processing and BLU-100 DSPs Crown amplifiers
AMX Xpert IS-XPT-2100 digital signage players
|3
CASE STUDY
| UBM Headquarters, UK
UBM Headquarters, UK | C A S E
STUDY
and we weren’t appointed that in the beginning,” says Patel. “Of course you have an electrical consultant designing access control systems, a mechanical consultant
designing
BMS,
an
IT
consultant designing networks, an AV consultant designing AMX or Crestron systems. What you typically won’t have is someone designing all these systems. That was reflected when the contracts came out and I think it’s quite typical of most projects. You end up with lots of companies who are working on the same project and not talking to each other. “When issues came up, we were the ones raising them because essentially AMX was at the centre of everything. We were the ones says ‘guys this doesn’t work’. So it got to the point A flexible presentation space can host large groups or be divided for smaller meetings and events.
where we thought who is best placed to manage this integration process? Our
Room booking
job is getting different systems to plug together and in the end it was felt we
which allocates them a desk and
has an IP power bar and the AMX
automatically calls a lift to take them
were most qualified to propel the project
A Manhattan room booking system
control system can shut it down over
to their floor. Lifts at UBM don’t have
forward.”
from Trimble was deployed. The
the network. It’s not on standby, it’s
buttons as each one is programmed
resource
completely off.
to take the user to their destination
“UBM really picked up on our IT
based
booking
system
capability as well,” adds Mike Brooman,
allocates spaces according to the
CEO of Vanti. “On top of that we were
facilities
able to talk about data and where it
videoconference,
users
require
such
“It also works really well for
floor.
as
diagnostic
anything
“We wanted a visitor management
or
needs to be restarted that can be
system that allowed people that
would live as well as things like electronics
even whether they require refreshments
done remotely or from a local touch
had
and RS232 control. I think there is an
or not.
panel.”
to
smartboard
purposes.
If
meetings come
to
in
the
building
reception
and,
opportunity for AV integrators to get
“It’s a web based booking system,”
Vause says from the client perspective
using a key pad, auto check in as you
into smart building projects but only if
notes Patel. “Staff can book from
automation was absolutely key for
would an airport,” continues Vause.
they have the correct IT expertise.”
Outlook or via the AMX touchpanel
energy efficiency. “No matter how
“The system provides instructions of
From the client perspective Vause
interface. The booking system also
hard you push and educate people
where to go, calls a lift and messages
notes: “There were lots of areas outside
ensures that when users come into
to turn things off, they might for a
the host.”
of Vanti’s contractual scope that they
a booked room the lights are turned
short period of time but they fall back
Starting in the reception area
got involved with. For example while
on, the system is warmed up, the
to old ways of doing things. People
and throughout the building an
they were contracted to put in AV and
temperature is set and they’re ready
are busy, they forget, they disappear.
AMX Xpert digital signage system
VC, they weren’t initially tasked with
to go. In terms of doing business, it’s
The key for me was to automate that
offers wayfinding alongside other
managing the interface with the ShoreTel
very efficient.
process.”
content displayed on a range of
“If a meeting finishes and another
telephone system and they took that on, bringing a high level of expertise in voice and interfaces to the table.”
4|
bit of AV equipment in the building
Vanti helped UBM create meeting spaces for scenarios ranging from two to four people up to a more formal boardroom environment or breakout presentation and collaboration areas.
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Access control was also linked
one is not booked, the power is
with
turned off to all the equipment. Every
Staff
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the
room
enter
booking
with
their
system. card,
Samsung
and
NEC
screens
and
mounted with B-Tech and Peerless brackets.
|5
CASE STUDY
| UBM Headquarters, UK
UBM Headquarters, UK | C A S E
Biamp Tesira handles DSP. Project
setup is used in other common areas
rooms
with screens mounted on a mixture of
add
Smartboards,
ClearOne
ceiling microphone arrays and Tannoy
Peerless and B-Tech mounts.
spaces use Smart 84-in interactive The
divisible
Management & support
process
also
captures
a
project rooms as well as the CEO
bag full of data in terms of how
Agora, boardroom and a divisible
deployed
we use the building,” says Vause.
presentation space.
throughout the building to meet
“We have approximately 140 people
LEED
“We did technical training, provided As everything is on the network
systems support and were on hand to
built a custom floor to ceiling mount
the
support IT and technical service teams
for, which allows easy one touch
deal of input from UBM’s US based
adjustment of the huge unit.
IT
installation
required
department,
while
a
tackle service desk issues.
UK
“We then took N-Vest through the
team
systems and devised a training course
led the project and now manage the
with them that covered how it worked
installed systems.
and set out the key things that needed
management
the
great
(FM)
UBM also noticed high costs for
UBM’s IT department appointed a
to be covered. N-Vest filmed that and
external event space hire and spotted
project manager to work alongside FM
made video clips that could be used to
an opportunity in its new building.
and effectively join the FM team. IT
support their user training.”
“We’ve started an initiative called
directors in America have insight and
Vanti has now signed a full managed
‘Bring It Home’,” explains Vause.
access to the system remotely and
service agreement with UBM which
“Level 19 of the building was designed
conduct videoconferences once a day
covers not just AV but the entire smart
as an events space to bring those small
with all their teams.
buildings element.
events back into the business.”
“We’ve
built
something
that
“It makes sense because it’s all
The glass walled Level 19 boasts
allows UBM’s FM team to work
through
breath-taking views over the city and,
more strategically and not battle
Patel. “When you want to control
and
whilst it’s an events space UBM can
issues such as double booked rooms,”
HVAC, turn lights off, book a meeting
appointed to a floor where there
signal processing and distribution
be proud of, it’s also been designed
notes Patel. “Now the questions they
room; you go to an AMX panel. When
is a maximum of 100 desks so
supported by some Kramer switching
to accommodate small group work.
can deal with are things like ‘we’re
you leave your meeting it’s a lighting
“Everyone in the building hot
we operate on a mobility ratio of 1
and Extron and Lightware extension
Employees
wall
at 60% capacity, we need to allocate
system PIR that detects that you’ve left
desks so there are no permanent
to 1.4. No one uses a desk without
products. In some places iKon AVS
mounted displays via AMX HydraPort
more desks’ and the business runs
the meeting and our AMX software
PCs,”
“Everyone,
booking it because they wouldn’t
wall plates and floor boxes were
table boxes.
more smoothly.
that we’ve written understands that
including the CEO has to book their
get power so the data is real and it is
also used.
desk and each desk has an IP switch
accurate.”
NEC
monitors Platinum
were
requirements
for
energy efficiency.
explains
Patel.
can’t just go and sit at a desk because
AMX
handles
control
Most spaces use AMX HydraPort
underneath it. The idea is that you
desk
Meetings and presentation
boxes,
Kramer
retractable
can
connect
to
our
interface,”
explains
For presentations Vanti installed a
“I don’t think we’ve made their job
Samsung 95-in unit on a raised stage
easier necessarily but before they had
area.
a technology estate of about £50,000.
“We’re in the middle of everything
someone’s left without checking out and cancels the booking.
cables and Crestron AirMedia to
A hefty Harman sound system was
They now have one of £2.5 million and
and we’re the first port of call if
facilitate wired and wireless screen
deployed in a basement gymnasium
the key thing is that the management
something goes wrong.”
sharing on a range of displays.
where control is accessed via AMX
overhead hasn’t gone up significantly
Meeting rooms at UBM come in a
Logitech web cams are provided
Modero Panels and an iPad housed
between the two.”
merely
variety of flavours that range from
for web conferencing.
in a Mode-Al wall mount. NEC 55-in
“The biggest time-saver for IT is desk
requires staff to swipe their card
a single person ‘shush room’ to the
and 80-in displays are mounted on
moves,” says Holden. “In the previous
at the station. When an employee
company
Peerless brackets.
building
leaves the building the booking
been provided with meeting rooms
Australian
and
Technology can even be found in
about two desk moves a year. Each one
Video case study
system reads the fact that their card
for 4-5, 6-8 and 10-12 people.
JBL loudspeakers. In these spaces
‘Tea Points’ that boast Kef speakers,
required a hardware shift and manual
Raj Patel gives InAVate.TV a
has left the building and the desk is
There are also informal breakout
Vanti
Polycom
powered with Kramer amplifiers and
re-patching of networks. The new set
tour of the UBM London HQ
powered down.
spaces,
videoconferencing
while
Samsung 55-in displays. A similar
up has saved all that time.”
tinyurl.com/hc3b3rs
there won’t be any power so the monitor and the USB dock will not work.” The
6|
help and support people,” says Patel.
houses an 80-in NEC LCD that Vanti
Additional spaces
“This
key members of our team on hand to
room
facilities
Hot desking
N-Vest for this project. everyone moved into the office we had
Some of the informal breakout
UBM employees are allocated a desk when they check in each morning.
Vanti outsourced user training to “During the opening week when
loudspeakers.
whiteboards.
booking
system
boardroom.
telepresence
Staff
rooms
have
and
Larger meeting rooms use AKG, Shure or beyerdynamic microphones;
has
Monitor also
amplifiers
installed systems
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STUDY
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each
employee
averaged
|7
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