GRADE II LISTED LINCOLN’S INN GETS NETWORK AND IP SURVEILLANCE UPGRADE BY NG BAILEY’S IT SERVICES DIVISION
27 January, 2015 – NG Bailey’s IT Services division which specialises in the design, supply, installation, management and maintenance of voice, data and structured cabling solutions to contracting, enterprise and public sector clients, has announced completion of a site-wide Layer 3 network and IP surveillance installation at the Grade II listed Lincoln’s Inn, London. The network will also support future IP-based building services such as access control and intercoms.
The Inn is an active and thriving society of lawyers which has been on site since 1422. A tranquil enclave of some 11 acres in central London, it is home to a number of Grade I and Grade II Listed buildings. Principal among the Inn’s operational objectives was to minimise disturbance, both to the buildings themselves and to the studious environment that the site maintains.
Exceptional levels of planning, precision and sympathetic installation were required to meet this objective, which resulted in NG Bailey deploying two project teams to work in unison. One team was responsible for the installation of the fibre backbone and cabling to the camera locations. The second team worked simultaneously, at its Offsite Manufacture facility, to pre-stage all active equipment, including cameras, switches and recording equipment. This innovative approach to the project enabled NG Bailey to reduce time required on site, together with the associated disruption, by more than 30%.
James Hill, Business Development Manager of NG Bailey’s IT Services division, comments: “NG Bailey looked beyond the original brief and delivered an IP network which would not only exceed the Inn’s requirements for a new Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) system, but would also support the Inn’s future IP-migration and centralised management of other building systems. As a result, the project has exceeded expectations; Lincoln’s Inn now has a future-proofed IP backbone which will dramatically reduce the impact of future building systems upgrades on this oasis of tranquillity in the heart of London.”
Paul Knight of Aura Consulting (Security Consultant to Lincoln’s Inn) commented: “Aura Consulting engaged with NG Bailey after a rigorous tender process. NG Bailey responded with an intelligent design that enhanced the work done by Aura and working together, designed a full Layer 3, campus wide, resilient network that will serve the Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn for years to come. The network was designed as a full building services network so that future systems, such as Intercoms and Access Control can be easily added.”
Lincoln’s Inn is a site that covers 11 acres of Central London near Holborn and the whole site consists of Grade II listed buildings. It was vital that the installation was sympathetic to the site and much work was undertaken with British Heritage to ensure that the CCTV cameras and cabling were hidden where possible and disguised wherever on view. NG Bailey powder coated individual cameras to make sure that they blended with their surroundings. One camera was even installed within a specifically sourced external lamp fixture at the request of English Heritage.
Internally, it was imperative that cameras in areas such as the Great Hall, the chapel and the library were as discreet as possible so as not to distract from the aesthetics of each of the buildings.
The Inn is home and workplace to many barristers and it was vital that during the installation disruption was kept to an absolute minimum. To achieve this, NG Bailey performed much of the technical works off-site which also helped it to meet the project delivery time scales that were set.
The whole installation was a success and The Honourable Society of Lincoln’s Inn is likely to involve NG Bailey in its future network infrastructure delivery plans.
The installed Avigilon security system, which enables security managers to real time high definition (HD) images from anywhere at any time, has already proven its worth. Shortly after the project was completed, while TV filming took place onsite, a camera bag containing over £10k of equipment was stolen. HD images provided by the new system enabled the police to apprehend and charge the thief, and recover all of the stolen equipment.
About NG Bailey
NG Bailey is the UK’s leading independent engineering, IT and facilities services businesses with a deserved reputation for excellence. NG Bailey offers integration from the outset of a project, from planning and design through the supply chain, to off-site manufacture, installation and maintenance.
NG Bailey has more than 30 years’ experience delivering IT services to many of the UK’s largest organisations NG Bailey offers a fully accredited, end-to-end IT management service and partners with some of the world’s leading ICT vendors including Cisco, Mitel and Brand-Rex. With nationwide coverage, NG Bailey has 16 offices across the UK and offers dedicated client support 24/7/365 days a year via its Customer Service Centre.
As a market leader, the company is committed to offering tailored and innovative solutions and has a proven track record in doing so in a broad range of market sectors. NG Bailey’s 2,500 people are at the heart of the organisation and it is recognised that the company has one of the industry’s foremost apprenticeship schemes. www.ngbailey.com
