Hurrairah bin Sohail speaks with Vega Thailand about how the integrator helped its client dtac create a modern workplace with VC-enabled spaces and content creation capabilities.
Total Access Communication Public Company Limited, or dtac, was established in 1989 and is now one of the leading GSM mobile operators in Thailand, providing 5G, 4G, 3G, and 2G services to over 19 million subscribers. Keeping up with the evolution of workplace technology, dtac made the decision to invest in tools and systems that would empower its workforce to continue performing in the context of the modern corporate landscape.
Atkrist served as the consultant for the project while Vega Thailand was appointed as the integrator after tender submission.
Piyada Srichat, country manager for Vega Thailand, starts the discussion: “Atkrist had a design based around the technical specifications of products and solutions that would be required at the dtac office. The requirements covered things like videoconferencing and the displays that would be needed but the design provided us the scope to recommend solutions and products that we as an integrator felt would meet the technical specifications that had been set out.”
The project has some unique elements based around end user requirements and Srichat details: “One of the most interesting spaces at dtac from a design perspective was the boardroom. The client had a very specific vision on how this space was to be used and how it had to function with regard to videoconferencing. The first requirement was that this was to be a Microsoft Teams Room [MTR]. Based on this requirement we recommended Crestron products, but the IT team at dtac was not able to clear these products for use on their network in time. Which is why you find Cisco conferencing solutions in the boardroom. We’re using CVI integration on the backend connecting to the cloud and providing the access to Teams that dtac needed.”
She continues: “Secondly, dtac wanted to have the far end, near end and shared content to be properly represented on the displays in the boardroom which is why you will see three displays. And they also needed to be of sufficient size to be properly seen by all participants in the boardroom. We’ve gone with the LG 130-in LED display, and it is flanked by two screens. The LED display is used to display any shared content while the two displays on the side show the participants of the VC meeting.”
The Cisco conferencing solution and LG displays in the boardroom are augmented with three Aver cameras. Extron MediaPort200 is used for wired content sharing. A Crestron HDBaseT 16 x 16 switcher is used for signal transmission.
Srichat sheds light on the selection of HDBaseT for signal transmission: “dtac is a telecommunications company, and the IT team is very particular about what they put on their networks. Security is their main concern and once again they didn’t have enough time to properly evaluate AV-over-IP solutions for this project. So, we went with HDBaseT which is a very stable and secure platform.”
Audio in the boardroom is picked up by Audio-Technica tabletop microphones which are integrated with the Aver cameras for speaker tracking. QSC ceiling speakers provide audio and a QSC Q-Sys Core DSP sits at the heart of the audio system.
Crestron control and touch panels manage the technology. Creating an effective control system was a particular challenge and Srichat details: “The boardroom is meant for use by directors and high-ranking officials at dtac. So, the input and requirements of the users had to be taken into account. But, every individual has their own preferences. Some prefer BYOD, some prefer to just walk in and start the meeting, some prefer different camera layouts. After doing our research on user preferences, we ended up with more than 10 different profiles and we had to program the presets for the boardroom accordingly. And of course, these had to be refined over different iterations after the users had tried them out. Managing to get the presets just right and still easy to select and use was our biggest challenge.”
The dtac facility also features a number of more templated, VC-enabled spaces. Small conference rooms are equipped with 55-in LG displays and a Crestron soundbar. As the spaces increase in size so does the display, with 65-in and 86-in LG flat panel displays being used, and Crestron Mercury is added to the mix when required.
Srichat says: “The smaller meeting rooms are very simple. The Crestron Soundbar has a camera, microphone and speakers. We provide wired connectivity via USB-C in the space and this means that the user can just come into the room, plug their laptop and they are good to go. It is a simple experience that can be replicated across the office and the users are familiar with it.”
She continues: “Our challenge however was the fact that dtac required about 100 of these smaller, VC-enabled, meeting spaces. The simplicity of the technology solution means that the task of deploying, and commissioning AV is made easier, but we still need time to be able to ensure that all the work is completed with the high-quality that Vega is known for globally. Managing the scale and the timelines was difficult, but we were able to deliver according to what the customer required in the end.”
Moving on, the dtac facility features combinable training rooms. Panasonic projectors are used as the display due to the flexibility provided by projection as well as the large screen size requirements for the space. Once again, Crestron HDBaseT switching is employed for signal transmission.
And like the boardroom, a combination of Audio-Technica microphones, QSC ceiling speakers and QSC Core DSP form the audio system.
Lastly, taking into account the modern working routine, dtac has created a special content creation space at its facility called the Library.
An LED videowall powered by Digibird processors serves as the backdrop for the space. Panasonic broadcast cameras have been supplied.
Srichat says: “The technology at the Library is like a broadcast setup, something that was very new for Vega Thailand. We’re very good with commercial technology deployments and of course some of the skills translate to broadcast as well, but we did have to learn on the job. Thankfully we were able to consult with one of our partners that specialises in broadcast.”
Content created in this space can be broadcast across the office via Zoom videoconferencing.