For TomTom, user experience comes first. Office 2000 interweaves the brand’s philosophy into the AV transformation of its flagship facility in Pune, India.
Modern workplaces now recognise that placing the user’s experience at the centre of the design process translates into a space that enhances productivity. This notion is clearly reflected in the Inavate APAC Awards 2023 winning TomTom Pune project.
TomTom is a Dutch multinational company that specialises in navigation technology and digital mapping solutions for automotive, fleet management, and mobile applications. The brand’s facility in Pune, India underwent a complete AV transformation to enhance the workspaces while adhering to TomTom’s philosophy of high-quality user experience.
For this project, Office 2000 Solutions [O2K] served as the consultant and systems integrator. Prabha Lakshmi, CEO of Office 2000, explains how O2K got on the project: “We are existing incumbent partners with TomTom so we have a sense of trust established with them. Nevertheless, it was through our merits that we secured TomTom’s flagship project in Pune as we submitted design proposals for us to be considered alongside other integrators. Ultimately, we were chosen as they knew what we could bring to the table from the perspectives of quality, delivery, and design.”
Strong displays
Balu Durairaj, general manager at Office 2000, begins: “While Office 2000 has worked on multiple workspaces, TomTom’s Pune office is unique as there is a traffic centre that seeks to provide a 24/7 display of real-time traffic for patrons and employees to stay updated. So, the client requested for strong display visuals that could convey such information in an engaging manner.”
Lakshmi adds: “For TomTom, user experience in every aspect is especially critical so there is a need to present clear and concise visual traffic information for users to grasp. Beyond its positioning as a traffic centre, the space also somewhat transforms into a ‘user experience centre’ that end users can visit to test out TomTom’s products and solutions. With this in mind, Office 2000 made sure to mirror our proposed designs with TomTom’s business propositions and philosophy. Our solutions had to reflect TomTom’s desire in cultivating an unparalleled user experience.”
In the hub of the traffic centre, three 84-in Samsung LED display panels designed for 24/7 operations are installed and connected to Datapath videowall processors which are synchronised with live streams sourced from cloud-based platforms containing up-to-the-minute data on traffic patterns.
A GoBright wayfinder display is strategically placed in the reception area for users to locate meeting rooms within the office premises, offering clear directions in a 3D format. Durairaj details the choice: “TomTom specifically requested for GoBright solutions to be incorporated, which worked in our favour as we have an existing partnership with GoBright. The wayfinding system was specially built and programmed to tailor to TomTom’s Pune office since maps had to be integrated into the system in a manner that was interactive and enhanced the user experience.”
Meeting spaces
When deciding on AV solutions to be implemented, clients tend to prioritise brands that they trust. Durairaj says: “Although we had the liberty to suggest products to be installed, the TomTom team already had a few brands that they were familiar and comfortable with in the company’s European offices. Keeping this in mind, we considered brands that we knew would also have good post-sales support in India and were climate-resilient.”
To address the lack of a unified videoconferencing platform in TomTom’s Pune corporate office, all of the meeting rooms have been equipped with Logitech Rally Bar and touch controllers compatible with Microsoft Teams Rooms.
Durairaj comments: “The client specifically requested for Microsoft Teams Rooms to be the primary video collaboration platform in alignment with their offices around the world, so we worked to curate a centralised Teams Room management system.”
Durairaj adds: “As the client wanted a sleek and clean look for their meeting rooms, we also implemented Crestron cable cubbies with retractors in all rooms to create a distraction-free meeting experience. This way, employees can maintain their focus and productivity.”
On the visual side, Phillips interactive displays of varying sizes are installed in meeting rooms as well as huddle spaces throughout the office premises. Crestron switchers and control systems are deployed to fully enhance the meeting room experience, while Airtame wireless presenting solutions complete the BYOD ecosystem. Larger meeting rooms are fitted with proportionately-sized displays alongside Logitech Rally cameras.
For audio, Shure MXA910W ceiling array microphones are installed, tuned to each room’s size, while Shure IntelliMix P300 units, Crestron amplifiers and speakers elevate the acoustics of the room. As for the room booking system in the revamped space, Philips’s scheduling panels – integrated with GoBright’s cloud-based capabilities – have been installed outside each room, providing employees with a one-touch panel to manage meetings. Notably, information security was a top priority for the client, especially when handling sensitive and confidential data.
The proliferation of AV over IP and related technologies has led to heightened concerns due to the increased integration of devices with the network. To mitigate these fears, Office 2000 collaborated extensively with TomTom Pune’s in-house IT team to meet the client’s expectations of ensuring the safety of proposed devices on the network.
Lakshmi shares: “AV is no longer an independent entity once it is integrated into the network and this makes clients paranoid for rightful reasons. TomTom wanted to ensure that despite the AV solutions being implemented were heavily network-dependent, there would be no compromise on security and no presence of vulnerability. Hence, the involvement of TomTom’s IT team was very critical and Office 2000 had to go through stringent checks to assure them that every gadget going on to the network was a sound product.”
Premium acoustics
One of the highlights of TomTom’s Pune corporate headquarters is the town hall – a multipurpose space intended to be used for communal activities such as birthday celebrations and company events. Lakshmi comments: “Given that the town hall would be heavily used by people of varying skillsets, we had to ensure that the products selected were user-friendly and intuitive to use. Moreover, the clients requested for premium quality products in this area as the space is meant to showcase TomTom’s commitment to being a technologically-forward company.”
Audio is of high significance in the town hall which thus required careful consideration of solutions deployed. Lakshmi details: “During the designing process, we relayed to our client the importance of having an environment that is acoustic friendly so that speeches, meetings, and conversations can be conducted in a space that is open in nature. So, we had to be wary of noise spilling over into the meeting rooms from outside and vice versa. For the town hall specifically, we also had to ensure that sound reaches each end of the room in a unified and pleasant manner. Once the client recognised the importance of good acoustics, they were willing to invest in products that could deliver high-fidelity audio and consequently, a better experience for workers and visitors alike.”
The sound system in the town hall is powered by QSC high-end directional loudspeakers while Shure wireless microphones are used.
For smaller spaces such as training rooms, Office 2000 chose to retain the existing audio solutions. JBL speakers and amplifiers, together with Beyerdynamic microphones, make up the current audio infrastructure. However, QSC Core8 Flex is a new addition to the training room space, transforming the system into a Microsoft Teams-certified one.
Navigating delays
What was the biggest roadblock that Office 2000 faced? Time. Over a span of six months, the integrator had to contend with multiple infrastructural constraints that caused project delays. Durairaj elaborates: “The entire project took much longer than we had expected and planned for. Since we were onboarded before the architects, there were multiple revisions to the layout of the space after we had planned out the designs. For example, the meeting room sizes changed multiple times and the town hall went from an open to semi-open space. So, changes to the infrastructure and architecture set us back in time as we had to start from square one all over again.”
Solutions had to be continually reworked in order to accommodate the constantly evolving spatial design. Durairaj reflects on the challenges faced: “Although being onboarded first gave us the benefit of foresight as we knew what kind of room concept TomTom was aiming for, there was a lot of back-and-forth communication between the architect team and t he AV folks. Collaboration became important as we had to work co-dependently to move forward. Despite the time-consuming nature of the project, we were able to work together to complete the implementation.”
Lakshmi adds: “The project demanded a lot of our patience as it felt like we spent 90% of the time planning and only 10% on actual implementation. The AV industry moves fast and things are always changing so when a project gets delayed, our solutions will inevitably change as we are always trying to implement upgraded and improved versions of a product. This was something we had to justify and communicate with our clients. Thankfully, Office 2000 was lucky to work with an awesome team – from the architects to TomTom’s in-house AV/IT team.”
A representative from TomTom Pune offers a testimonial for the project: “Office 2000’s knowledge and professionalism never fails to surprise us, not to mention their talented technicians who made sure all the products were installed to perfection. Their onsite presence and assistance throughout the events were commendable.”
Lakshmi concludes: “As an AV consultant and integrator, the success of any design and implementation depends on how much the place is being exploited from an AV perspective – this makes the work we do gratifying, and pushes us to do better for our clients.”