Project overview

When installers Morse Security began updating the security system at former Olympic 400-metre athlete Iwan Thomas’ home, the project covered more than one area of protection. Alongside a new CCTV and alarm system, the existing generic doorbell also needed to be replaced with a solution that would complement the wider upgrade.

Security is a high priority for Iwan, who is also a keen technology enthusiast. The replacement therefore needed to do more than simply alert the household when somebody arrived. It had to provide clear video communication, convenient control from inside the property and a premium finish suited to a modern home.

Morse Security contacted CIE for help selecting the right products. Following a review of the requirements, CIE specified an Akuvox X912 video door phone together with an Akuvox S567G Google GMS-certified indoor answering panel.

The completed system gives Iwan a smart, easy-to-use way to see and speak with visitors, forming a natural part of the property’s upgraded security setup.

The challenge: replacing a basic doorbell as part of a complete security upgrade

The existing doorbell no longer matched the level of security or functionality required at the property. With the CCTV and alarm systems also being updated, Morse Security had the opportunity to introduce a more capable entrance solution that would bring communication and visual verification together.

The chosen intercom needed to deliver dependable performance at the entrance, a clear view of visitors and a straightforward experience inside the home. Its appearance was important too: the equipment needed to feel like a considered part of the property, rather than an add-on to the wider security installation.

The solution

CIE recommended the Akuvox X912 for the entrance. This vandal-resistant IP video door phone combines dual cameras with a 4-inch touchscreen, providing a clear and contemporary point of contact for visitors. Its IP65-rated construction makes it suitable for exposed outdoor use, while PoE support helps simplify power and network connectivity for the installer. Depending on the selected version, the X912 can also provide a touch or physical numerical keypad and all models include an integrated RFID reader, facial recognition and bluetooth for touchless entry and temporary QR codes for deliveries, guests and visitors.

Inside the home, the X912 was paired with the Akuvox S567G. Its large 10.1-inch touchscreen gives the household a convenient display for answering video calls and communicating with visitors. The panel runs Android 14, supports Wi-Fi 6 and is Google GMS certified, giving it the familiar flexibility expected from a modern, connected touchscreen device. CCTV can be easily integrated and the native Ajax security system integration makes securing properties easy from one single device, giving complete peace of mind.  It can be powered by PoE or an external power supply and supports both surface and desktop mounting, helping installers select the arrangement that best suits the property.

Together, the two products provided the combination the project required: robust video communication at the entrance and intuitive call handling inside the home.

CIE’s role

CIE worked with Morse Security to understand what the new entrance system needed to achieve and to identify the most appropriate Akuvox products for the property.

CIE’s involvement included:

• Reviewing the requirements for the domestic intercom upgrade.
• Specifying the Akuvox X912 and S567G as a compatible entrance and answering solution.
• Supplying the selected products to Morse Security.
• Providing product knowledge and technical support to help the installer deliver the project successfully.

This specification-led approach helped ensure that the intercom was considered as part of the complete home-security upgrade, rather than treated as a standalone doorbell replacement.

The outcome

The finished installation gives Iwan a premium video intercom solution that integrates with the property’s new CCTV and alarm systems. Visitors can use the X912 at the entrance, while video calls can be answered from the S567G’s large indoor touchscreen and on mobile phones from any location. 

For Morse Security, the project demonstrates how selecting the right intercom technology can add communication, convenience and a polished user experience to a wider residential security installation.

It also highlights the versatility of Akuvox. Although its technology is widely used for complex commercial developments and multi-dwelling residential schemes, the same combination of design, connectivity and functionality makes it equally well suited to individual homes. From a single private property to a large-scale development, Akuvox solutions can be specified around the requirements of the project.

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Project overview

When the client approached CIE-Group, the brief was straightforward but demanding: create a highly visible, easy-to-use Help Point that would give people in Nottingham city centre an immediate connection to trained CCTV control room operators.

CIE set about identifying the right communication technology for the application and brought together the specialist partners needed to turn the concept into a complete, practical solution. This included specifying a 2N IP Force 2.0 intercom, working with Knoxford AV Tech to develop bespoke metalwork designed around the technology, and coordinating with TIS Group on the final installation.

The result is a purpose-built, four-metre-tall Emergency Help Point that combines dependable IP communication, CCTV coverage and accessible features within a robust structure created specifically for its location on Angel Row.

The Challenge: Turning public feedback into a practical safety solution

The project originated from Nottinghamshire Police’s Walk in My Shoes campaign, which invited women and girls to share their experiences of personal safety across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. More than 3,600 people responded, identifying the places where they felt most vulnerable and suggesting measures that could help them feel safer.

Angel Row and Long Row were among the locations highlighted as areas of particular concern, especially during the evening and at night. In response, the Office of the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner and Nottingham City Council set out to provide an additional layer of public reassurance in this busy city-centre location.

The project followed a clear “you said, we did” approach: turning the experiences shared through the campaign into a visible and practical safety measure. However, the requirement extended beyond installing another CCTV camera. People needed an obvious, accessible point of contact that would allow them to speak directly with a trained CCTV control room operator and request assistance whenever they felt unsafe or distressed.

The solution

Following the initial brief, CIE worked with the client to understand the operational, environmental and accessibility requirements of the Help Point.

The communication system needed to be robust enough for a busy public location, straightforward to operate in a stressful situation and capable of connecting users directly with Nottingham City Council’s CCTV control room. CIE specified the 2N IP Force 2.0 as the intercom technology at the heart of the solution.

Designed for demanding environments and suitable for emergency communication applications, the intercom provides simple button-initiated calling and clear two-way audio. When the help button is pressed, the user is connected to a CCTV control room operator who can assess the situation and contact Nottinghamshire Police or another appropriate agency when required.

CIE’s role

CIE’s involvement extended far beyond supplying the intercom. Acting as the link betw

een the client, 2N, the fabricator and the installer, the CIE team helped guide the project from the original requirement through to the completed Help Point.

CIE’s role included:

• Understanding the client’s operational and accessibility requirements
• Identifying and specifying the appropriate 2N intercom technology
• Supporting the technical design of the bespoke enclosure
• Working with Knoxford AV Tech to ensure the metalwork was designed around the selected equipment
• Coordinating with TIS Group during the installation phase
• Providing product knowledge and technical support throughout the project

This collaborative, solution-led approach enabled the partners to deliver more than an off-the-shelf intercom installation. Together, they created a purpose-built public-safety resource designed around the needs of Nottingham city centre and the people who use it.

The outcome

The Angel Row Help Point now gives anyone feeling unsafe or in need of assistance round-the-clock access to trained CCTV control room operators at the touch of a button.

Although developed in response to the experiences of women and girls, it is available to anyone requiring immediate support. Its prominent design, accessible features and direct connection to the CCTV control room provide an additional layer of reassurance within Nottingham city centre.

For CIE-Group, the project demonstrates how the right communication technology, combined with technical expertise and effective project coordination, can help turn a client brief into a meaningful public-safety solution.

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Wendy’s is a global fast-food chain founded in 1969, best known for its fresh, never-frozen square beef patties and Frosty desserts. Guided by its motto “Quality Is Our Recipe,” Wendy’s operates over 7,000 restaurants worldwide, combining company-owned and franchised locations, and continues to expand internationally, including a growing presence in the UK.

System Requirements

Wendy’s franchise owner Julie Bieszczat needed a solution to remotely monitor video across multiple sites in order to tackle operational issues, including unattended cash registers, potential POS transaction misuse, and ensuring employee compliance with health and safety standards.

The Solution – March Networks Searchlight

Bieszczat deployed a March Networks surveillance solution with 8516 Hybrid NVRs managed through Command Enterprise Software. She also relies on March Networks Searchlight for Retail to monitor POS transaction data and perform operational audits across her locations.

The Result

Thanks to the reliability of March Networks and the integration of video with POS data through Searchlight, Bieszczat has improved oversight of cash handling, reduced voids and refunds, and addressed inefficiencies and compliance issues—enabling her businesses to operate more smoothly and profitably.

‘Using Searchlight has resulted in a decrease in voids, refunds, and other potentially suspicious transactions, as managers are now able to bring video evidence of all POS transactions to the cashiers’ attention.’

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NCHA Bridge Street (Nottingham Community Housing Association) is a Leicestershire-based supported housing project helping people with mental health needs to live independently in the community.

System Requirements:

Providing tailored support to adults living in their own tenancy, the on-site management office requires high levels of privacy and confidentiality to allow support workers to discuss each individual service user’s needs.
However, with only thin walls and doors between the offices and main corridor, the Bridge Street Project Manager was becoming increasingly concerned about the potential for service users and visitors to overhear private discussions in the corridor which should remain within the confines of the office.

The Solution:

When Bridge Street Project Manager Michelle Edwards contacted CIE-Group asking us to suggest a solution, our sales engineers carried out a site visit along with installers Midlands Communications and recommended a Sound Masking System, based around our new TSD-GPN1200 – part of the new Atlas Sound ‘Time Saving Device‘ (TSD) range.

Distributed into the public corridor area using an InterM MA106 Mixer Amplifier connected to 3 i-ceilings BP4500 Sound Panel loudspeakers (which provide broader area sound coverage), the resulting system provides a constant but unobtrusive ‘Pink Noise’ frequency (similar to the sound of an air conditioning unit), which ‘masks’ the voices from the offices, making them unintelligible to passers by or anyone who may try to listen in to the meetings from outside the offices.

The NCHA Project Manager and Support Workers are now able to discuss confidential issues in the offices, confident that their voices cannot be overheard in the adjoining spaces of the building.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION:
  – Atlas Sound TSD-GPN1200 Sound Masking Generator
  – InterM MA106 Mixer Amplifier
  – i-ceilings BP4500 Surface Sound Panel Loudspeakers
  – Clever Little Box SLA100 Volume Control

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Halifax, known previously as Halifax Building Society, is a British bank founded in 1853, West Yorkshire, as a building society. In 1913 at the peak of it’s trade, Halifax had developed into the UK’s largest building society, maintaining it’s position through stregth and growth until 1997.

System Requirements:

The current trend for open plan layout ‘retail banking’ in the high street creates new privacy problems for customers wishing to discuss their personal finances.

The Solution:

Halifax  have overcome this problem using i-ceilings-based ‘music masking’ systems. By installing evenly dispersed low level music and marketing messaging, private conversations between customer and advisor are ‘masked’ restoring ‘virtual’ confidentiality using non-imposing, pre-recorded audio.

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Vodafone is one of the UK’s leading mobile satellite network providers with 500 retail stores located in various towns and cities across the country. When the company decided to upgrade the background music audio systems in all of their stores, they called upon in-store music providers Imagesound PLC for help.

System Requirements:

They needed new amplifiers to connect to the existing speaker network in each store to enable sales staff to demonstrate music playback to customers via mobile phones on display.

Solution:

Working with AV professionals CIE AV Solutions, the Inter-M MA106 professional compact amplifier was selected as it allowed easy interface with the existing speaker network and system inputs. The MA106 amplifier also supports low power consumption when in stand-by mode, thereby saving power and reducing the green footprint of each store.

Only 1U in height and just 30cm wide, this newly styled MA106 60W D-class amplifier provides both power output and features beyond the expectations of a unit so small.

Imagesound and CIE  worked together to supply and install the amplifiers in all 500 stores over a strict three month period.
Darren Nicklaus, Operations Director at Imagesound said; “We have worked with CIE for a number of years and have always worked successfully together to deliver projects for clients. We were delighted to work with them again on this project for Vodafone.”

Kevin Sherwood, Field Sales Director at CIE, said; “This is another great example of the effective collaborative working relationship that we have established with Imagesound which enables us to deliver projects within short timescales for prestigious client such as Vodafone.”

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Port Glasgow Community Campus is a new £44m combined schools complex in Inverclyde – an amazing new learning environment shared by Port Glasgow High School, St Stephen’s High School and Craigmarloch Additional Support Needs School.

Hosting all three schools within one Campus, both high schools have their own entrances, foyers, classrooms and teaching studios, all of which are linked through a shared social hub.

System Requirements:

To co-ordinate and implement the Mechnical & Electrical System throughout the project, one of Scotland’s leading M&E Contractors – Reliance High Tech – were brought on-board, also delivering the specification and installation of campus-wide PA, Soundfield Voice Re-inforcement and Induction Loop Systems as a key part of their project brief.

The Solution:

Reliance High Tech engaged the assistance of leading PA / AV specialist distributors CIE AV Solutions to design, specify and supply a fully-integrated, robust audio system which would provide zoned coverage throughout the building.
CIE’s specialist, in-house audio system design team provided free on-site / off-site consultation and system design service in order to specify (and later supply) a complete public address and induction loop system, together with 36 Soundfield systems to be installed into each classroom to provide teacher voice re-inforcement for an improved learning environment.

All amplification, audio control and loudspeakers were supplied by CIE AV Solutions, including two bespoke built PA racks built in-house by CIE’s technical services team. The racks also make full use of CIE’s own-brand Clever Little Box LB-8A Digital Audio Store, which has been integrated to provide bells, tones and messages triggered by the LEA’s own class-change system.

Soundfield Specification:

– 17 x i-ceilings Soundfield Pack A Classroom Voice Reinforcement System
– 19 x i-ceilings Soundfield Pack B Classroom Voice Reinforcement System

PA / Bell Timing Rack Build Specification:

– CIE-Group AV Rack Design & Build Service
– Inter-M DPA-430H 4x 300W 100v Power Amplifier
– Inter-M PAM480A 480W Amplifier
– Inter-M QD-4480 Multi Channel Amplifier 4 x 120W 4ohm
– Inter-M OT-4480 4 x 120W 100v Transformer Unit
– Inter-M PP9213 Pre Amplifier / Mixer
– Inter-M RM-05A 5 Zone Microphone Console
– Euromet 01513 22U Rack Enclosure
– Clever Little Box AVB5 Audio via Bluetooth Wireless Interface
– Clever Little Box LB-8A Digital Voice Store

Loudspeaker Specification:

– 290 x FBT CSL106T Ceiling Speakers
– 30 x IC Audio DAP20-130T Music Projector Speakers
– Majorcom IMC250T 30W Omni Suspended Speakers
– Inter-M CU940 Indoor Column Speakers

Contact the CIE AV Solutions experts for help with your next audio system

CIE’s in-house team of AV experts provide free consultation and system design services for many of the UK’s largest Public Address and AV integrated systems. Contact the team to discuss how we can help with your next AV project; please call T. 0115 9770075 or email to [email protected]

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With 55 sites throughout the UK, Grosvenor Casinos is one of the country’s largest Casino brands.

System Requirements:

As part of the development of one of its latest venues, Nottingham-based Leisure Installations & Service were brought in to design and supply a complete AV over Cat5e AV Distribution System throughout the building.

Basing their system on the latest HDBaseT distribution range from CYP, the system integrates HD signage, video, advertising, TV and CCTV, via 24 channels of HDMI HDBaseT matrix switching.
The system also allows for integration with legacy equipment providing signal feeds from up-scaled Composite and VGA devices.

The Solution:

The solution is based around 3 x interconnected CYP HDBaseT 8×8 Matrices, with a mixture of single and three port RJ45 HDMI receivers.
Along with the media converters, outputs from all permanent and on the fly hardware are distributed to video walls, single signage displays and projectors throughout the casino floor and staff areas. Content control is via iPad, PC, RS232 and infrared.

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Brookway Court Tower Block in Manchester features 94 one and two bedroom social housing residencies set over 17 floors. In order to ensure a safe and secure environment for the residents, a system of intercom-based access to each individual floor has been implemented.

System Requirements: 

This 1960s tower block provides social housing in the form of 94 flats. A recent refurbishment programme included a full overhaul of the access system to provide residents with improved safety & security, easy access to on-site concierge staff and remote communication and identification of any visitors wishing to enter the building.

Covering almost 100 dwellings and requiring almost 130 intercom end points, the application of an IP-connected intercom system allowed for reduced cabling & installation costs, as well as increased levels of system management and remote system monitoring.

The Solution:

With the help of CIE’s IP Intercom System Design Team, security installers – Technology Solutions – designed and delivered an integrated door intercom and access system using the market-leading 2N range of Verso Modular Intercoms, IP Force vandal-resistant Intercoms and Indoor Touch Answering Units.

As a large social housing complex with large numbers of residents, ensuring their safety and security – and that of visitors – is of paramount importance.

Entry to the high rise building requires 3 stages of access, beginning with the front or rear main entrance doors. Each of these doors features a 2N IP Force – arguably the world’s most robust, vandal-resistant door intercom – which allows residents to access the building via a numeric keypad. Visitors can use the 2N Force intercoms to call the on-site concierge to request entry.

Access to individual apartments and throughout the building has been strictly limited by each of the 17 floors having locked doors at the lift lobbies and stairwells. Each corridor doorway features a 2N Verso IP Intercom with 6 call buttons – one to each of the apartments on that floor.
When a visitor presses one of the buttons, a high resolution video call can be answered by the resident via the 2N Indoor Touch Answering Panel installed in each of the 94 apartments. These stylish, yet robust touchscreen answering units enable residents to quickly allow access to visitors at the touch of a button on the screen.

In addition, for any residents installing home automation devices into their homes, the 2N Indoor Touch can be fully integrated with platforms such as Control4, Savant, RTi and Crestron.

Project System Architecture:

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Asda Stores Ltd trades as Asda and is based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. It is a British supermarket retailer founded in 1949 by the combined forces of the supermarket-owning Asquith family and the Associated Dairies company in Yorkshire.

Expanding into the south during the 1970s and 1980s, Asda was purchased by American retail group Walmart and has continued as one of Britain’s largest supermarket chains.

Customer Requirements

Asda’s flagship store in Basildon is extremely impressive, not least because of its scale. The new store’s vast area, combined with highly reflective hard surfaces, could make for an acoustic nightmare. Using i-ceilings Sound Panels throughout the store for in-store marketing and public address announcements has resulted in highly intelligible, high-quality sound reproduction.

The Solution

As the Asda store features Armstrong metal plank ceiling tiles, rather than standard 600 × 600 mineral fibre tiles, the system requirements were accommodated by providing an i-ceilings metal plank solution.

Product

• i-ceilings Metal Plank Solution

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