Falkirk Council Votes for Vissonic

POLAR Integrated Solutions supports Efficient Infrastructure Solutions AV systems upgrades at Falkirk Council…

Falkirk Council is a local government organisation providing a wide range of services to residents, businesses, and visitors. One of thirty-two unitary authority council areas of Scotland, its160,000 residents are represented by thirty elected councillors. The Council’s Committee Room is located within its Grangemouth Community Education Building. Full Council meetings take place approximately six times a year, whilst the Executive meets every three weeks. With a number of other committees, such as the Planning Committee and Scrutiny Committee, also meeting regularly, the Committee Room is in use most weeks of the business year. The importance of clear communications during Council business is a vital part of local democracy, and with this in mind the Council recently decided to upgrade AV and conferencing provision in its Committee Room to improve the experience of meeting-participants, both in-house and remote, as well as those watching online.

The Council instigated a tendering process which saw East Kilbride-based specialists Efficient Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) chosen to undertake the project, based on their recommendation of a system combining products by Vissonic and Avonic. Operating primarily in the public sector, EIS specialises in providing end-to-end consultancy, design, installation, commissioning, and ongoing support for AV and IT solutions. With a deep understanding of the challenges faced by public sector clients, including budget constraints, evolving user-requirements, and the need for strict governance and compliance, EIS’s partnership-led approach delivers reliable, intuitive, future-proof solutions which maximise value.

EIS Head of Sales Karl O’Connor describes the brief:

“The Council wished to install a modern fully-integrated AV solution capable of supporting a multi-functional environment and hybrid meeting formats, which was intuitive, robust, and suitable for use by Councillors with varying levels of technical confidence.

“The system needed to support Microsoft Teams for hybrid and remote meetings, provide intelligent camera tracking to ensure all participants are clearly visible, and integrate seamlessly with the existing in-room loudspeaker system. Additionally, it was to deliver a reliable electronic voting mechanism, enable live streaming to YouTube, and allow centralised control of all components via a single laptop interface.”

Based on its extensive experience in the field, EIS recommended a Vissonic wireless microphone and conference system in conjunction with Avonic intelligent PTZ cameras. Karl continues:

“We already maintain the same Vissonic/Avonic solution for the Judicial Institute on behalf of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS), where it has delivered consistent reliability and high user-satisfaction. This prior experience gave us the confidence that the solution would meet the functional, operational, and quality requirements of Falkirk Council. The Council also carried out its own due diligence by arranging a site visit to SCTS for one of its representatives, who was able to observe the system in use and liaise with end-users whose feedback further reinforced the solution’s suitability.”

Vissonic and Avonic products are exclusively distributed in the UK by POLAR, and from the outset of the Falkirk project, EIS consulted with Mark Bracken of POLAR’s Integrated Solutions Division, who provided an initial design outline before helping to stage an on-site demonstration of the technology in a simulated meeting session. Karl has warm words for POLAR:

“Mark worked closely with us, giving technical advice, attending site to support demonstrations, and responding to queries from Council stakeholders. This collaborative approach helped to ensure that the system design fully aligned with the Council’s expectations and operational needs.”

– Karl O’Connor, EIS Head of Sales

EIS installed a Vissonic system comprising 1 x Networked Conference DSP Processor - Wireless (VIS-DCP2000-W) and 1 x Camera Auto Tracking Processor for up to 6 cameras (VIS-CATC-B), 50 x 5G Wireless Touch Screen Digital Discussion units (VIS-MAW-T) with voting function and rechargeable batteries, and 50 x Pluggable Gooseneck Microphones (VIS-M485). 4 x Avonic CM73-IP-W PTZ cameras are connected to the Vissonic controller and triggered by whoever is speaking to provide complete coverage for in-room on-screen, streaming, and recording. EIS also supplied a TiGHT AV audio signal processing unit (DSP-AEC-0606) with 4 analog inputs, 4 analog outputs, and 2 x 2 USB a audio interface for computers, to enable audio feeds from external sources to be routed to the in-house PA.

To maximise the impact of the new technology and ensure a clear listening experience for meeting participants, EIS addressed the room’s lively acoustics with treatment from Primacoustic. The team effortlessly installed 18 x Primacoustic Broadway Broadband Absorber panels, which offered maximum control over primary reflections. The 24” x 48” panels, made from high density six pound per cubic foot glass wool, are particularly effective at improving intelligibility in settings where the reverberant field and echo is excessive.

With the project completed on time and on budget, Karl reflects on the positive outcomes:

“Falkirk Council provided extremely positive feedback following the installation and commissioning of the system. Councillors have noted a significant improvement in meeting equity. The new intelligent camera positioning and microphone coverage ensure participants are all equally visible and audible, regardless of seating position. The placement of cameras adjacent to display screens has also enhanced the experience for remote attendees, helping them feel more engaged and included in hybrid meetings.

“As a direct result of the improved audio quality and overall system performance, Falkirk Council has since placed an additional order for a second Vissonic/Avonic system to be installed in another meeting room. This further investment reflects the Council’s confidence in both the solution and EIS’s delivery capability.”

Mark Bracken of POLAR’s Integrated Solutions Division adds:

“The success of the project with Falkirk Council reflects the excellent work carried out by EIS as well as the added value POLAR brings to customers through combining our extensive portfolio and resident expertise. As a one-stop shop for all the Vissonic, Avonic, TiGHT AV, and Primacoustic products used for the project, we were able to provide expert support from design to commissioning. The response from the Council speaks for itself.”

Products Used