Rackspace Case Studies - Brentwood Communications

Rackspace

Rackspace knows a thing or two about keeping people connected. As the world’s biggest managed cloud computing services provider, Rackspace keeps the IT systems of thousands of enterprises worldwide running, remotely, over the internet. Its list of high profile clients includes half of the Fortune 100 global enterprises. Tech experts themselves, Rackspace’s management team has a very clear understanding of the systems they need to keep their enormous operation running. They contacted Brentwood to ask for our help updating the fleet of two way radios used at their UK headquarters in Hayes, west London.

The company owned an existing fleet of old analogue models used by site management and security staff. Their main request to us was to recommend a new network solution which would provide better coverage across the site.

With five multi-storey buildings plus underground car parks, the main issue facing the existing deployment was the sheer size of the complex. Maintenance workers and security personnel would often lose signal when working towards the perimeter of the site, underground or on one of the higher floors.

Our solution

The first thing we did was send one of our specialist engineers to the Rackspace headquarters to survey the site and talk through requirements with management. We recommended an upgrade from analogue handheld radios to a fully digital system. This would improve network coverage and call quality across the site, and also provide a number of new features useful to safety and maintenance operatives.

We built the new fleet network around a Motorola DM4600 Digital Base Station. This unit was recommended because it is built to operate on multiple channels across different sites. We were therefore able to use it to programme four separate channels, with the base station itself operating as a control centre for the radio system.

For handsets, we recommended the Motorola DP3441 and Motorola DP4800. The DP3441 is a compact, lightweight non display model with an extremely robust outer casing, making it perfect for maintenance work in all weather conditions and easy mobility when on the move. The DP4800 is a premium digital two way radio with a full range of advanced digital features.

Both models include specific safety and performance features requested by Rackspace. These include lone worker and panic button functions, providing additional peace of mind to workers operating alone or on night security patrols. The entire network also supports private and group calling, meaning communications can be targeted to specific users, and radio check, useful for seeing who is on or offline.

Click here to read the testimonial from Jonathan Gigg, Lead Physical Security Specialist for UK, APAC & EMEA Regions at Rackspace.