Our special projects programme stretches much further than regular business. It could be that we get invited to be a sponsor, asked to be a strategic collaborator, or sometimes we get involved just for the thrill of it. Regardless of how these opportunities and challenges appear before us, we welcome them with open arms as they inevitably push us out of our comfort zone and really test our innovative and creative spirit.
These projects empower us to take a vision that, on the surface, appears to be a mission impossible when using standard OEM radios and infrastructure, and by embracing the latest technology bring them to life.
The experience, knowledge and ingenuity that become the foundation for a project’s success results in our engineers being able to maximise the output of all manufacturer’s standard equipment. We can boost connectivity with programming and increase functionality with bespoke connectivity to sensors, switching and other business critical infrastructure.
Servicom strives to identify the ultimate solutions that address the challenges faced by organisations that rely on high value controlled items such as two-way radio equipment. This faultless dedication enables our clients to continually optimise the power of their most valuable assets and overcome some of the limited capabilities of transmission protocols.
CiCO, Check In and Check Out solution is the latest in the line of innovation developed by Servicom’s in-house team to help organisations work smarter, not harder.
Lost and damaged devices are a huge problem. Without a robust solution in place for checking in and checking out, many organisations experience disruptive volumes of missing items every week. Specifically, the loss of hand-held radios has a detrimental effect on businesses.
With the revolutionary system they have reduced their losses to virtually zero and significantly reduced the need for device repairs. Not only does our solution offer comprehensive traceability, but it also reinforces accountability and a sense of ownership among all employees for the equipment they’re issued.
Start each shift on the right foot with a fast and efficient asset collection process.
After a busy shift, the user must return their devices to be recharged ensuring readiness for the next shift.
With CiCO, third-party contractors issued with any item must return it before leaving your site. Any devices that aren’t returned can be fully traceable and recalled.
With a clear record of who is in possession of every item, you can easily track usage and identify issues before they become a problem.
Any radios not returned, or reported as lost or damaged, will be immediately removed from the network to make sure all your communications are only ever received by the intended recipient.
The Check In and Check Out solution can be adapted to inject even more accountability to a range of issued assets such as radios, access keys, portables scanners, and body-worn devices including cameras.
The CiCO system can be adapted for virtually any sector including logistics, manufacturing, defence, civil engineering, retail and hospitality, energy, and utilities.
In today’s fast-paced business world, equipping employees with the right tools is essential for success. Two-way radios are no longer just a basic communication device, they are an essential part of an employee’s PPE. These devices offer a wide range of features that go beyond simple voice calls, including location tracking, lone-worker and man-down features, messaging services, job ticketing, and life-saving emergency response capabilities.
Devices / assets are checked in and out quickly and automatically using unique device barcodes or RFID tags. Every device is paired to its user’s unique ID card or RFID tag.
Devices can also be paired with fixed checking in and out stations. Ideal for when there is more than one Check In and Check Out area. This solution will ensure that employees pick up and return devices to their designated area.
A secure portal is provided with different access levels for administrators and users. At administration level, the manager can view a real-time dashboard that dynamically shows the allocation and usage of all items and allows them to accurately manage and allocate the right amount of asset resources every day.
Radios will be switched on and off and registered on the radio network in accordance with your policies. Lost devices will be barred and removed from service. This robust security measure prevents all missing devices from accessing your radio network to prevent unwanted eavesdropping and the monitoring of sensitive traffic.
Intelligent management of devices will be embedded in accordance with the user’s pre-determined rights. For example, maintenance personnel would not be authorised to collect a radio from the security team group.
Radios will be permanently paired to an individual based on their user ID. This can be customised so that certain individuals can carry additional radios allowing them to fulfil their particular role. Fine-grain parameters can be setup. To explain let’s look at an example that involves an eight hour shift. If the radio is not returned on time the radio will be automatically removed from your network service.
Emergency situations can be escalated to include all radios. For example, radios that are off duty will automatically be activated in the event of a fire alarm.
This special project is not without its challenges. But as we always say, ‘where this is a challenge, there is an opportunity’. Powerboats are very small and agile. There isn’t the room to house anything that isn’t 100% necessary, and they accelerate faster than a F1 racing car. And at these breakneck speeds they have the capability of turning 90° at 150km/h, just centimetres away from their competitors.
As you can imagine with the sound of the powerful engines and the rush of water, noise and vibration are big issues to combat. Not to mention the lack of visibility due to constant spray. Robust, crystal clear, real time communications between driver and their ground team is crucial.
Our engineers designed a custom two-way communications system consisting of Motorola DP4600e radios for the land-based team and a Motorola DM4400e housed in the boats’ bulkhead. The noise cancelling microphones are hard-wired into the drivers’ helmets for optimum clarity and stability.
We have been working alongside the JRM Racing Team for several years now and have built a fantastic working relationship with them. And we’re with them every step of the way and on hand to find solutions to any further challenges that crop up.
Working alongside experts in other fields, our engineers focussed on the car’s integrated communications system with Press to Talk controls easily accessible on the steering wheel, and to develop an antenna robust enough to withstand extreme speed. We’re talking 1000mph!
It was imperative that the driver remained in constant contact with their crew and to transmit real time data on the car’s performance. The digital mobile radio fitted inside the cockpit has an inbuilt ambient noise reduction feature allowing the driver to hear crystal clear instructions while literally sitting in close proximity to a jet engine!
After intense calculations our engineers worked out exactly how tall the mast had to be and the optimum distance away from the desert track. A tall mast was necessary to remove the effect of the curvature of the earth - to talk to someone several miles away, this really gets in the way! And the optimum distance was identified to make sure the radio remained in range and unaffected by Doppler which could potentially change the frequency band.
The vision is still very much alive, and we will continue to support this exhilarating project.
As you can imagine, working at an ice track in Arjeplog in Sweden, our engineer encountered harsh sub-zero conditions. This vision takes adrenaline junkies with a passion for driving on an adventure of a lifetime where they take to a frozen lake to learn how to drift and power slide at high speed.
Safety and clear, reliable communications are key to this sport.
Our engineers designed and built a communications system to provide the best experience for the drivers and one that could withstand potentially life-threatening weather conditions. The Motorola MOTOTRBO digital radios used for this specialist project don’t require additional infrastructure as they connect using a secure ‘direct mode’ allowing the crew and driver to remain in constant real time communication. These innovative radios have digital channel segregation allowing for user group control and emergency priority features.
Temperatures in this Swedish wilderness can fall as low as -18c so our equipment was really tested to the max! Thankfully our radio equipment is certified to operate in these harsh temperatures and can be relied upon to be part of a survival package. Our solution didn’t let us, the customer, or the client down!
Project Hero is home to this operation and based at the Austrian Red Cross training centre in mountainous Erzberg. For a period of 12 months, vehicles and technology were tested to their limit to simulate the most arduous disaster relief expeditions.
It was the responsibility of our experienced engineers to design an integrated communications system for the designated rescue vehicles. The cutting edge infrastructure for the multiple frequency radio system was located within the cars to achieve optimum coverage no matter their location or situation. It was also agreed that as lives could be at stake, the equipment could also be removed and deployed outside of the vehicle to allow for even wider coverage.
The sophisticated solution allowed for high quality visual data captured from drones at the rescue scene to be sent in real time to remote teams for enhanced awareness of the situation.
The simulations were successful, valuable lessons were learned, and we are proud to have been a part of such essential life-saving work.
Our greatest strength is to go beyond voice communications, to be by your side every step of the way. For over 30 years our expertise has empowered personnel to reach their full potential, enabled organisations to grow, kept communities safe and protected assets.
