Abcam centralizes its activity in a building equipped with a complete AV system

For the display solutions, NEC's large format screens have been chosen, while sound is handled by Shure and QSC technology. All this, is managed and controlled through Crestron systems.

Abcam Identifies, develops and provides high-quality biological reagents and tools that are essential in a wide range of fields and applications, including drug discovery, diagnosis and basic research.

For more than two decades the company Abcan has been dedicated to identifying, develop and provide antibodies and products for scientific research. To support its growth and centralise the four locations it had, it decided to move to a new building on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.

Designed around the creation of collaborative spaces, new Global HQ facilitates open collaboration between teams to improve efficiency and innovation.

To carry out the AV part of this project, Abcam turned to the firm Snelling Business Systems. The challenge was to equip with different solutions 37 meeting rooms and conference spaces. Spaces that required advanced IPTV and signaling systems, plus room reservation and interactive guidance systems. Snelling Business Systems opted to use the screens of NEC Display throughout the facility.

“The nature of Abcam's business demands precision and reliability, NEC supported our meticulous delivery for this highly complex project. They offer quality products, good service, agile and flexible, that guarantees a smooth implementation", explains Toby Wise, Managing Director of Snelling Business Systems.

To centrally and intelligently manage and control all the equipment of this building has been installed Crestron NVX.

Each of the 37 meeting rooms, with glass walls responds to the requirements of informal face-to-face interaction between small and medium-sized groups of between two and eight people. This is facilitated thanks to the NEC large format screens.

The collaboration rooms for 8 people are used for interdepartmental collaboration, 'brainstorming' and conferences. These are equipped with NEC InfinityBoard equipment from 65 inches equipped with an OPS Slot-in PC.

To manage a Skype call from the OPS slot PC or a user's own device, a Crestron USB extender, connected on the back of the display holder, allows connection with microphones Shure MXA310B Tabletop and Bidirectional Ceiling Speakers QSC.

Integrated within the room reservation system, participants invited to the meeting receive an email snapshot of the contents of the NEC InfinityBoard screen after the meeting ends. A camera has been installed on the roof Kaptivo which captures a 'snapshot' when the user selects the option on the Crestron touchscreen of 7 Inch.

The infrastructure of these rooms is completed with a QSC I/O bridge for camera and audio routing through AVoIP, Crestron AVoIP DigitalMedia NVX encoder/decoder and Crestron room reservation screen 7 inches with state lighting.

"InfinityBoard provides us with a tailor-made solution that increases computing power, removes the camera option and loads the software packages that the customer chooses. Even now, we can continue to reconfigure the system as Abcam's needs change.", clarifies Steve Royans, Snelling Sales Director.

Conference rooms
The building also has three conference rooms for groups of up to 16 people. These have a separation space separated by a divisible wall. Both have been equipped with an advanced AV infrastructure that includes two InfinityBoards screens of 84 inches and two of 55 inches that are installed in adjoining spaces. When selected through the control panel, display the same content as large format content.

They also have two Bose Panaray MA12-EX speakers ,compatible with three QSC speakers, located in rest area; a QSC PTZ camera; a Ceiling-Located Shure MXA910W Matrix Microphone and Four QSC Speakers, QSC I/O bridge allows you to route the microphone and cameras as USB devices; Crestron AVoIP DigitalMedia NVX encoder/decoder, Airmedia Solution, room reservation screen 7 Inch, touch panel of 10,1 inches from the same manufacturer.

"The InfinityBoard's advanced InGlass touchpad provides incredible touch accuracy. The scientific material abcam works with makes this level of precision vital.. InfinityBoard supports a natural experience, similar to writing, which has been well received”, adds Royans.

Orientation stations, installed in different locations of the building, provide high-resolution graphical maps to guide the visitor. These are configured with touch screens of 48 ShadowSense inches with OPS Slot-in PC are deployed in multiple locations around the building and display interactive maps to help staff and visitors navigate the building.

For its part, NEC MultiSync P484 SST with an OPS slot PC was deployed in designated locations.

Other spaces
AV integration has also affected other spaces such as the games room, laboratory meeting rooms, logistics offices and cafeteria.

In certain areas a NEC screen of 98 Inch, while in the cafeteria and the games room has opted for two of 84 Inch, display equipment used for signage, TV streaming over IPTV, Presentations.

In the leisure area there is a table football, a pool table and a tennis table for staff and visitors to relax. There are also two laboratory meeting rooms, one for four people, another for up to 10, equipped with NEC screens of 65 "inches that are used for video conferencing and presentations.

The logistics office has NEC screens 65 Inch, wall mounted, showing key performance indicators, relevant to Abcam's logistics operations within the laboratory block, this is repeated throughout the building through screens 43 Inch, which are also used for digital signage and, IPTV streaming.

A mobile presentation system that can be taken where needed to maximize space usage and for impromptu meetings, features an 84 NEC UHD display″ mounted in a cart.

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