Case Study

University of Essex

Essex, UK

The University of Essex was founded in 1964 and is a leading academic institution that comprises of three campuses in Colchester, Southend, and Loughton. It offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in fields like Accountancy, Management, Sciences, Journalism, Drama, and Engineering. With a focus on excellence in teaching, research, and student experience, the University is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for its students and staff.

Drax360 has been servicing the fire alarm systems and other safety systems of the University for over 8 years. In addition, Drax360 also service and maintain the University’s Emergency Voice Communications Systems (EVCS), Automatic Opening Vent Systems (AOV’s), and Dry Risers.

The University faced a challenge with the fire alarm network at the Colchester Campus, which was particularly long and interconnected, with over 80 fire alarm panels. The original network was copper-based and had been susceptible to lightning strikes, which had caused delays in signal transmission speeds to the main security office. As a result, the University needed to find a solution that could improve the efficiency and reliability of the fire alarm network across the campus.

To address this challenge, Drax360 collaborated with the University's specialist fibre installation company to convert the fire alarm network from copper to a fibre network. The new fibre network would offer faster signal transmission speeds and increased reliability, providing a more secure and efficient fire alarm network across the campus. Drax Technology, alongside Drax360 designed, manufactured, and fitted copper to fibre modem conversion panels for interconnection into the new fibre network. Drax360 worked closely with the University and the fibre installation company to ensure that the conversion process was carried out smoothly and efficiently, with minimal disruption to the campus activities.

The implementation of the new fibre network for the fire alarm system was a success, and the University's signal transmission speeds improved dramatically, providing greater safety and security for students and staff. The University expressed satisfaction with the new network, and Drax360 was praised for their expertise and professionalism in managing the project.

Furthermore, the project also demonstrated Drax360’s commitment to customer service and innovation. Drax's engineers were able to design and install bespoke copper to fibre modem conversion panels, which allowed the existing copper-based fire alarm system to be connected to the new fibre network. This approach saved the University both time and money, as it avoided the need for a complete replacement of the fire alarm system.

The collaboration between Drax Technology, Drax360 and the University resulted in an efficient, cost-effective solution that improved the safety and security of students and staff. Drax360’s expertise and innovative approach allowed for the conversion of the fire alarm network from copper to a fibre network, providing faster signal transmission speeds and greater reliability. The success of this project demonstrated Drax360's commitment to customer service and innovation, and the University was satisfied with the results.


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