Controlware wins top award for second year in a row

Specialist IP CCTV supplier and value-added distributor Controlware Communications Systems has won the award for Best Project at the IFSEC Security Industry Awards.

Having also won the same award last year this represents a unique double for Controlware.

A panel of independent industry experts, who were specifically looking for innovative solutions, selected the leading edge IP CCTV network at St Pancras International as the Best Project for 2008.

The awards were presented in the evening of Monday 12th May, during the annual IFSEC opening night party held at the Motorcycle museum, Birmingham.

The development of the IP CCTV network at St Pancras International was part of the station’s refurbishment for the High Speed 1 (HS1), the UK’s biggest ever construction project, formally known as the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL).

Controlware provided technical design, product supply, integration, commissioning and operator training services for a new 450 camera surveillance solution, working with the Costain, O'Rourke, Bachy and Emcor Rail (CORBER) consortium and Rail Link Engineering (RLE).

The new surveillance solution improves security and safety for passengers and staff throughout the station. The solution includes Bosch cameras, IP codecs, networked storage and an advanced management platform.

Based on IP technology St Pancras International benefits from a comprehensive surveillance solution that is highly flexible enabling video to be monitored from multiple locations.

This enables surveillance operations to become more resilient, allowing control and monitoring functions to be managed from other locations on the network in the event of an emergency or network failure.

Easy to use management tools provide users with fast access to live and recorded video while at the same time the surveillance network is scalable to support growth of cameras and storage requirements in the future.

Her Majesty The Queen accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh officially opened St Pancras International on 6th November 2007. Rob Holden, chief executive of London & Continental Railways, and the company behind HS1, said:

 “The completion of High Speed 1 and the opening of St Pancras International, on time and within budget, is a great source of pride for the thousands of men and women who have been involved in one of the most significant projects in UK railway history.

For Her Majesty to have been here to officially declare the new high speed line and station open is a fitting tribute.” Commenting on winning the IFSEC Best Project award for the second time Matt Caine, General Manager of Controlware said:

“Controlware are very proud to have played a part in such a nationally important and prestigious project as the refurbishment of St Pancras International and are especially honoured to have our work valued so highly by our peers in the security industry.

Winning the IFSEC award for the second year in a row is a great achievement for the UK team and represents a superb level of consistency.”