Prestigious Financial Company, London, VA Upgrade

Delivering a Seamless Voice Alarm Upgrade with VIGIL3

A prominent multi-storey building in the heart of London’s Financial District — home to a leading multi-national financial services firm — has recently undergone a major Voice Alarm system upgrade, enhancing safety and operational reliability across the site.

Previously equipped with a Baldwin Boxall VIGIL2 EVAS digital networked system (installed circa 2012), the building’s life safety infrastructure has now been brought fully up to date with our powerful VIGIL3 fibre networked Voice Alarm solution. The upgrade introduces significantly greater amplifier power, improved network performance, and increased flexibility across all 52 broadcast zones, each featuring full A and B circuit coverage.

A Smooth, High-Performance Safety Solution:

To meet the complex demands of this high-occupancy, mission-critical environment, the building is now protected by:

Four networked 25U VIGIL3 Voice Alarm racks
10 Eclipse5 units
Touchscreen microphone control
Large format control touchscreens in the Control Room, Fire Command Centre (FCC) and Security Room

In keeping with the client’s operational requirements, we made smart use of the existing speaker cabling infrastructure, helping to keep costs low and minimise disruption. Copper wiring was replaced and upgraded to fibre to enable thorough soak testing and ensure a smooth switchover between systems.

Minimal Disruption, Maximum Impact

Due to the sensitive nature of the client’s operations, the system switchover meticulously scheduled for overnight and weekend work — eliminating downtime and ensuring business continuity. Even when a few minor network issues arose, our experienced team responded swiftly and effectively, keeping the project on track and delivering the transition from VIGIL2 to VIGIL3 with minimal fuss.

Confidence Through Collaboration

Comprehensive Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and Site Acceptance Testing (SAT) were carried out alongside our trusted partners at Ventol and the client’s team, ensuring full confidence in the system’s performance.

A Collaborative Success

This project stands as a testament to what can be achieved through careful planning, technical innovation, and strong collaboration. Our thanks go to Ventol for their exceptional work on-site and for being a key part of this successful outcome.