SEAMLESS SOUND & VISION CUTTING EDGE AV FOR THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE CLOUD

SEAMLESS SOUND & VISION CUTTING EDGE AV FOR THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE CLOUD

As the world s leading managed cloud and hosting company, Rackspace wanted a future proof office. That meant: A Client Hub for customer meetings and presentations (pages 4-7) Café and staff social areas (pages 8-11) Twenty-six meeting rooms (pages 12-15) The Atrium presentation area (cover image, opposite and right) Private meeting booths (above, bottom right and page 9) RACKSPACE Forward Vision Solutions relationship with Rackspace has grown over the past six years as we ve installed audiovisual systems for them across the UK, Europe and Hong Kong. Last Year, Rackspace embarked on a major (as in global) upgrade program, standardising conference and meeting equipment across all their offices. We worked with the US AV team and signal switching and control manufacturer, Extron, to refine the system design before the main installation for the new HQ was begun. This discrete timber cabinet (above) holds the Crestron touch panel, used to control the giant multiscreen display installed in the Atrium. Comprised of 16 NEC 55-inch ultra-thin bezel screens, the overall image is 4.8 x 2.7 metres. Audio is handled by a pair of Renkus Heinz steerable array column speakers, plus two subs set into the front of the stage, giving extra depth to the sound. For staff viewing presentations from the first floor, eight Tannoy ceiling mounted speakers are located along each side of the Atrium. The Renkus Heinz array speakers are programmed to accommodate a range of presentation modes, which are selectable via the Crestron touch panel (above left, on timber cabinet). There are also a pair of stage monitor speakers, so presenters can hear questions from the audience or from remote locations, via the videoconferencing system. 2 3

THE RACKSPACE CLIENT HUB FEATURING OUR SPECIALIST FURNITURE What Rackspace needed was AV which integrated with their presentation suites and supported their pitch to their clients. For group presentations, the Hub s flexible presentation space features 9 linked 46 NEC display monitors (below and opposite). A custommade podium (below and opposite) houses all the AV equipment for the videowall, audio playback and a wireless microphone system. The lectern has a built in Crestron touch screen, and houses all the equipment to run the videowall for presentations in this area. For service and maintenance, the entire back panel can be removed. The unit also houses a PC, so users can choose to present from their own laptop, or direct from the network. The podium provides a place for speakers notes and laptop, and features the same cable cubby and button as the meeting rooms so is familiar to users. The Crestron touch panel allows the user to switch sources and control the volume or mute microphones, etc. ATTENTION TO DETAIL Note the lengths we go to with our custom furniture: the cut-out detail (above) allows the podium to be placed over the skirting rather than just butting up to it. 4 5

Two smaller meeting rooms are available, and are perfect for grabbing a quick catch up. But even these drop in rooms have a display and integrated table top connection for a laptop. All the cables are neatly stowed in our custom built cable columns (further details page 13). MAKING IT EASY All areas are installed with meticulous attention to detail. Equipment is carefully fitted into a custom built Forward Vision Solutions rack sleeve, cables are labelled, and then wired according to a recorded schedule, ensuring instant familiarity for any of our team of maintenance technicians. Forward Vision Solutions supplied all of the meeting room furniture including the tables, credenzas and under-table cable covers. All the furniture is custom-made, in order to properly integrate & accommodate the audiovisual equipment with adequate ventilation, whilst hiding cables and equipment so it s only accessible to the audiovisual technical support team and is not exposed, removing the temptation for users to play or tamper with it. This leads to far more reliable meeting room systems. BESPOKE AV FURNITURE 6 7

STAFF BREAKOUT This relaxed open plan space came with a number of AV challenges, most notably the problem of audio bleed between areas. The client had requested the facility to play music throughout the Café area, with minimal audio spill into the Reception space. We managed this by arranging the speakers into seven distinct zones. And as the Café features a range of ceiling finishes, a mixture of pendant and recessed speakers were installed. The zoning is managed by a Biamp audio DSP, feeding sound to each zone via 5 separate Lab Gruppen Energy Star-rated amplifiers, which only start when they recieve a signal. Visuals are handled by three ceiling-mounted Samsung screens, linked to an Exterity IPTV system which also distributes TV to three adjacent rackspace buildings. First class work from Forward Vision - as ever. The level of care and the quality of the installation is exactly what we ve come to expect from them. The installation engineers were all extremely helpful and nothing was too much trouble. Personally, what blew me away was the audio in the Atrium - just incredible! Kate Freeman International Properties Manager, UK SIMPLY THE BEST We recommend and install equipment from market leading manufacturers, including: Extron switching, control and intable cable cubbies Crestron room booking, control in the Atrium and Client Hub LifeSize videoconferencing systems Samsung commercial grade monitors for meeting rooms NEC videowall displays Datapath videowall processors Biamp audio processing in the Atrium, Client Hub and Café Renkus-Heinz, JBL and Tannoy - loudspeakers 8 9

This informal meeting space is used for impromptu team get togethers. The coffee table (below) was made by Forward Vision Solutions and houses the equipment. It also adheres to the meeting room AV standard of a button cubby and Extron Show Me Cables. Each meeting room features integrated desktop AV: A simple green/on red/off tabletop power button An Extron cable cubby with power, HDMI, and Mini Display Port cables A built-in Show Me push button system that instantly sends a laptop display to the room s large screen(s). A LifeSize touchscreen phone, which controls the videoconferencing system A Crestron room booking system with in-room occupancy sensor 10 11

SECURING THE ROOM The Crestron room booking system (below) also allows users to book via Outlook at their desk and check the room s availability now, or in the future. One of the design decisions reached in our discussion with the US team was a single common interface principle: that all Rackspace meeting rooms would feature the same hardware. This would mean any employee, in any meeting room anywhere in the world, would be instantly familiar with the kit and able to take charge. Welcome to - THE UNIVERSAL MEETING ROOM KEEPING IT ALL TIDY To hide the cables that run from the table to the credenza that houses the audiovisual rack sleeve, a custom-made cable cover with locking door is fitted to the underside of each of the tables. UNIT-MOUNTED DISPLAYS In two of the meeting rooms, we were presented with a challenge: how to install a pair of 65 screens in a room with glass walls. The roof construction meant we couldn t hang them, and the client wasn t keen on suspended screens, so we incorporated a stand into a custom built triple-width credenza. Our team of specialist makers have hand-built the furniture for all 26 meeting rooms. Because we install the equipment in secure racks with proper ventilation, and make sure the wiring is secure and only accessible to technicians, the system stays dependable and lasts longer. That means the AV letting you down in the meeting is one thing you won t need to worry about. 12 13

Staff have ready access to a suite of ten, 3-person videoconference rooms, each with a custom-made trapezoidal table with integrated credenza. We designed and built the tables and credenza units so they butt up to the wall beneath the screen, maximising the available space. Each room is equipped with a Panasonic HD camera with wide angle lens, so everyone at the table can be seen. EVERYTHING IN PLACE A Forward Vision Solutions installation is easy to spot by the quality of the finish. We fit all the equipment into a Forward Vision Solutions custom-made rack sleeve, the cables are all labelled, and then wired according to a master schedule. This means any maintenance engineer called out to service the equipment is instantly familiar with the layout. 14 15

Specifications Atrium Visual NEC sixteen screen video wall Datapath VSN970 processor Extron Show Me cables Samsung ED55 confidence monitors Humax Freeview Audio Biamp Forte audio DSP Renkus-Heinz IC live speakers Renkus-Heinz active subs Nexo PS8 stage monitors Sennheiser radio microphones Lab Gruppen Energy Star amplifiers Tannoy ceiling speakers Control Crestron TSW 750 7-inch touch panel Crestron CP3 processor Videoconferencing Lifesize Icon 600 codec with I0x camera Client Hub Visual NEC nine screen video wall Datapath VSN970 processor Extron Show Me cables Audio Biamp Forte audio DSPs Sennheiser radio microphones JBL pendant speakers Control Crestron TSW750 touch panel Crestron CP3 processor Furniture Custom-made presentation podium With Extron CC500 cable cubby Café Visual Samsung ED46 46-inch screens Exterity IPTV Audio Biamp Nexia audio DSPs JBL pendant speakers JBL ceiling speakers Lab Gruppen Energy Star amplifiers Meeting Rooms Visual Samsung ED series displays Extron IN1604 presentation switchers Control Extron IPC Pro 350 processor Extron Show Me cables Videoconferencing Lifesize Icon 600 c/w 2nd generation phone, Panasonic AW-HE2 HD camera with wide angle lens Furniture FVS custom-made credenzas and racks FVS custom-made tables fitted with Extron cable cubby with HDMI and Mini Display Port and Show Me cables Liberty digital adaptor ring FVS cable containment columns Room Booking Crestron TPMC 4SM panel Crestron room sensor Forward Vision Solutions Unit 23, Grove Business Park, White Waltham, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 3LW. sales@forwardvisionsolutions.co.uk www.forwardvisionsolutions.co.uk Telephone: 01628 829100