Tateside carried out the AV and IT integration at IPC Systems’ new offices in Devonshire Square.

IPC Systems provides secure and compliant communications solutions, as well as multi-cloud connectivity for the financial markets. As part of its expansion in the UK, the company has extended its operations in London, relocating from its offices in Canary Wharf to a new headquarters in Devonshire Square.

London-based IT and AV integrator and solutions provider Tateside became involved in the new office fit-out following a recommendation from US-based AV consultant Samuel Conklin of Complex IT Solutions.

We joined the project quite late. We were working to very tight deadlines and adapting quickly to changing requirements during the final stages of the project, recalls Alejandro Roura Labiaga, Project Manager at Tateside.

As part of the project, Tateside collaborated with multiple stakeholders, including IPC Systems’ in-house IT team, workplace design consultants and even furniture specialists, ensuring the smooth integration of AV and IT systems across the new site.

One of the common challenges faced, given the short project timeline, was the procurement of equipment required for the installation. For the project managers, this meant going above and beyond to source the right technology in time. “Being brought in at a later stage meant we had to be flexible, highly organised and proactive, especially when it came to sourcing the required equipment”, explains Roura Labiaga. “There were many moving parts, and we had to make everything come together in just four weeks”.

IPC Systems required a complete IT infrastructure and AV integration across several key spaces, including four standard meeting rooms and one large boardroom, a communal area known as the Tea Point and a space referred to as the Innovation Space. Fully Cisco-based meeting room systems were required, which posed additional challenges due to the tight project schedule. Tateside’s broad experience allowed them to bridge the gap between IT and AV integration and deliver a solution for the new workspace.

The client was looking for professional AV meeting room systems with BYOD flexibility, clean aesthetics and easy-to-use interfaces. Our goal was to create an intuitive experience for employees, based on the client’s preferred Cisco technology standard, continues Roura Labiaga.

To accelerate deployment and simplify installation, Tateside opted for a single, scalable technology standard across the five standard-sized meeting rooms. This was based on Cisco Room Bar Pro kits, comprising a table- or wall-mounted Cisco Room Navigator touch controller and a dual-camera video bar installed beneath the main 55” display. Each room offers a familiar and easy-to-use video conferencing setup, with the flexibility to connect up to three displays or other meeting room peripherals as required. Each space is equipped with a Sound Control Technologies Table Kit, responsible for signal extension, ensuring full connectivity between the meeting room table and peripherals and guaranteeing full functionality for BYOD users.

“We used a standard system in these rooms to ensure consistency, ease of use and future readiness, while leaving room for potential automation and upgrades”, explains Roura Labiaga. “For example, the Future Automation brackets make maintenance much easier, helping to streamline any future interventions”.

The boardroom, with capacity for up to 14 people, required a more complex solution. In this case, Tateside focused on integrating advanced video conferencing, camera tracking and immersive audio.

The room is centred around two 65” Samsung 4K commercial displays, fed via long-reach Blustream HDBaseT extenders, enabling a centralised approach. A quad-camera Cisco Room Kit Pro acts as the core of the system, alongside a dedicated 4K PTZ camera to deliver high-quality, realistic video conferencing with automatic tracking. Once again, Sound Control Technologies extenders were used to transport signals cleanly between the table, AV rack, displays and cameras. A table-mounted Cisco Room Navigator provides one-touch control for calls, source selection and room functions.

On the audio side, six QSC ceiling loudspeakers provide discreet, even coverage throughout the room, together with Cisco ceiling microphones that ensure clear voice capture. The result is a corporate-grade AV and conferencing solution, designed for professional meetings while remaining simple to operate.

The boardrooms were a real technical challenge, but also a major achievement in terms of the final result. During the project, we relocated much of the AV technology into a dedicated communications room, which added complexity in terms of signal management and extension. In the end, the rooms deliver very high performance, are fully compatible with any video conferencing platform and provide an immersive experience that is just as engaging for remote participants, continues Roura Labiaga.

An all-hands area, nicknamed the Tea Point, accommodates up to 30 employees and is used for company-wide events, announcements and social gatherings. In this space, an 85” Samsung 4K display serves as the main focal point and is mounted on a heavy-duty Future Automation bracket, allowing it to be positioned for optimal visibility during events. An HDMI wall-plate input and Blustream extenders allow presenters to connect laptops and share presentations with ease. For audio connectivity, an Audac Dante wall plate is included, ideal for guest presenters, panel microphones or background music.

A Cisco Webex Room Kit EQ system, featuring a built-in quad camera, a separate 4K PTZ camera and a wall-mounted Navigator touchscreen, provides the space with high-quality streaming and video conferencing capabilities for hybrid sessions.On the audio side, eight QSC pendant loudspeakers deliver even coverage for the audience, powered by an 800W QSC amplifier. For presentations, Tateside also supplied a Shure Microflex wireless microphone system, including handheld microphones, lavaliers, bodypacks and a charging station. Two Cisco ceiling microphones manage audience participation, such as Q&A sessions, while Sound Control Technologies once again handles signal extension throughout the space.

On the IT side, Tateside implemented a resilient backend infrastructure to support the new AV and IT systems. The project included the installation of Cisco switches, structured patching of all devices across the office and the deployment of high-performance wireless access points to ensure reliable connectivity throughout the workspace. UPS systems were also supplied, installed and fully tested in both communications racks, providing essential power protection and business continuity. Commenting on the delivery, Project Manager Richard Day confirms: “Clear and accurate patching information is key to a successful project. It underpins efficient installation, effective testing and long-term reliability once the space is in use”.

As employees enjoy their new Devonshire Square offices, the AV systems provide flexible and intuitive meeting spaces that ensure quick and easy BYOD connectivity, professional audio and video quality, and seamless control across all devices and systems. Furthermore, through collaboration with furniture suppliers and an understanding of the client’s aesthetic requirements, Tateside ensured that the integrated technology remained as visually discreet as possible, resulting in a clean and modern finish to the workspaces.

What’s special about this project is that it highlights our ability to deliver complex AV solutions within very tight timeframes, from the agility required to overcome equipment procurement challenges to the technical expertise needed to integrate multiple technologies and licences. We’re proud to have been recommended by a leading international consultant for this project, concludes Jack Cornish, Technical Director at Tateside.