Keeping Telecity Safe and Secure with Motortrbo Applications
EARS plc in partnership with Teldio are in the process of rolling out a complex radio communication and alarm system for Telecity, one of Europe’s largest providers of premium carrier-neutral data centres. TelecityGroup has large sites all over the UK which specialise in the design, build and management of secure environments for customers to house their telecoms, internet and IT infrastructure. They represent some of the largest companies in the world, including TSystems (Tmobile), Transport for London (TFL), Spotify and Toys R Us just to name a few. Telecity supplies an extremely secure service and because of this they required a supplier who could guarantee a high quality and extremely reliable product.
EARS plc and Teldio have added systems to five of Telecity’s UK sites ranging from London to Manchester. All five sites were already equipped with radio and radio/telephone systems. However, these sites have now been upgraded so that two dedicated phone channels, which are common to all sites, are connected via the internet using the Motorola Internet Protocol Site Connect system (IPSC). This technology was vital to Telecity’s new communication system because it enables them to still communicate in areas of the sites where work is being carried out, yet there is no mobile phone reception and no land lines available, ie plant rooms and basement areas. Before EARS and Teldio installed the new communication system Telecity relayed hand written messages between staff members causing major delays in service as well as the possibility of health and safety emergencies. The hand held radios which EARS and Teldio have supplied to Telecity have paging and interrogation functions which enable users to determine if other radios are within communication range.
As per Telecity’s Service Level Agreements they must ensure that they know where their staff members are on their sites at all times, this is aimed at enhancing their client’s network security as well as ensuring the productivity and safety of Telecity’s staff. The old communication system which they used to employ had no way of providing them with this information, in order to rectify the situation EARS and Teldio installed a Zonith alarm software which allows independent lone worker operation. The system tracks the radio users through a series beacons which are strategically placed throughout the sites. Every time a registered radio passes by the beacons the software is activated and it records the user’s position.
To ensure security throughout the Telecity sites the software application has an independent lone worker application which text messages radios at predefined intervals, even if that person’s radio is turned off a lone worker alarm will be sent to other personnel via radio, mobile phone, text or email. If the alarm is still not acknowledged it will keep escalating the call until the individual is found. Further, if the individual activates the alarm the radio will text the staff member’s co-workers informing them of his/her position.
Altogether EARS plc and Teldio have supplied Telecity in excess of 100 Motorola Mototrbo Digital radios, 8 Motorola digital repeaters, a Zonith software application and a Motorola Internet Protocol Site Connect system (IPSC). As the system is deployed EARS are continually upgrading with new applications and new communication technologies to help Telecity provide the most secure and safest service available. In the near future EARS will add the Motorola TRBOnet software to Telecity’s network to allowing them to have both remote and local monitoring of all communications throughout their sites.
