Vodafone Campus Düsseldorf

Media Concept with ROI Guarantee
The new Vodafone Campus in Dusseldorf is ranking among the most advanced office buildings in Europe – and that also applies to its media technology: more than 200 video conference systems and 660 displays set a reference point in modern AV technology. Special feature: macom designed not only the entire media technology, but also a comprehensive operational concept, thus ensuring profitable asset utilization. The media concept for the Vodafone Campus in Dusseldorf will also be the future standard for all Vodafone branches in Germany.

Media Technology: A Top Investment If It Is Used In the Right Way
An investment is profitable only if the media technology is run effectively from start-up. The macom client Vodafone Deutschland GmbH was aware of that. From the very beginning, an operational concept was an essential element of the draft for the video conference systems, display walls and operating elements for the new Vodafone Campus in Dusseldorf. The 150-page operational concept stipulates in great detail how the AV technology realized by macom should be operated: what are the potential malfunction scenarios? How are duties allocated between the operators? How should the support work?

Operational Concept: Guaranteed Maintenance of Value + Efficient Use
macom's detailed operational concept provides the answers to these questions.
Sarjoscha Panitz, Line Manager AVmedia of Vodafone Deutschland, praises the operational concept of the Stuttgart-based AV-experts: „This will secure the value of the investment over its entire lifetime“. Vodafone Deutschland feel they are well looked after: an AV service provider should not only take care of the engineering and planning of AV media, but also provide a concept for the efficient use, according to Panitz.

Vodafone Campus Dusseldorf – Successful Brand Communication
The Vodafone Campus opened in 2013 and is considered a state-of-the-art office building: high energy efficiency, an open workplace concept, a modern VoIP telephone system, ID Card printers, two large LED projection screens at the facade which can be used to visualize the Vodafone Logo – the building is home to the headquarters of Vodafone and approximately 5.000 Vodafone employees, fully equipped with latest innovations. Vodafone is actively using the 86.000 square meter complex in the Heerdt suburb (http://www.vodafone-campus.de/) for branding purposes and as a reference object. “Here we are”, says the brand message of one of Germany’s leading telecommunication companies, we do not only sell High-Tech, but we live it. Audiovisual technology plays a major role in this message, like impressive video walls on the ground floor and in the staff restaurant „Skylounge” on the 18th floor. 259 meeting, conference and so-called “Think-Tank” rooms are equipped with an equal number of LC displays. The number of projectors has been reduced to the spaces where they are indispensable, such as an event facility. More than 200 video conference systems are in operation throughout the entire new building and its 430 conference rooms.

In this project, Vodafone Deutschland very clearly emphasizes sustainability. „It is a defined strategic objective to avoid business trips and to increase the use of video conference systems“, says Sarjoscha Panitz.

Convincing Commitment, Expertise and Professionalism
Vodafone had asked four service providers for a bid for the Audiovisual planning of the new corporate headquarters. macom was awarded the contract, because the Stuttgart-based AV engineering group „approached the matter with a strong commitment, expertise and professionalism from the very beginning“, says Sarjoscha Panitz. By his own account, the AV manager was very impressed with the „very realistic“ approach of macom. macom was in a position to explain expenditures in a plausible manner already before the planning stage. „The quality was coherent right from the start“, according to Panitz, who is very pleased about Vodafone's decision to work with macom. The support by the AV specialists during all phases of the realization was „brilliant“ by his own account, especially with regards to the complex challenges which the project teams had to face.

The project volume in Dusseldorf was very high, and the time schedule very tight. The call for tenders started in February 2012, and from the middle of December of the same year the first employees moved to the new campus. On top of that, the project scope was very dynamic, new areas and new requirements were added repeatedly, and internal procedures as well as the many parties concerned had to be taken into account. „We had a long budgeting phase during which macom supported us in a very professional manner“, the Vodafone project manager emphasizes. He is particularly pleased with “the sustainability aspect“ of his service provider for media technology. The macom experts always pursued all matters „proactively“ and thus contributed substantially to the quality control. Panitz: „That really impressed me a lot.“

„State-of-the-Art Media Technology“: An Inspiration for Both Clients and Employees
Barely a year after the Vodafone Campus opening ceremony, all are very happy with the implemented media technology. The video walls in the foyer with a total area of 200 square meters are impressive and striking. About 300 display monitors in the vertical video screens can be operated as an entity or in smaller units. They display stock exchange news, Twitter feeds, time tables of local subway and regional train stations as well as company logos of expected visitors arriving at the Vodafone Campus. Panitz: „We no longer have printed marketing material available at the reception, the entire communication is managed in a very elegant and aesthetic manner through the displays.“ Depending on the occasion, the 100 displays situated at the staff restaurant Skylounge on the 18th floor of the central high-rise building display, ambience pictures or individual greeting messages to visitor groups guided by Vodafone employees. These displays can be easily controlled via tablet PC. Plus, the multifunctional areas on the ground floor and in the staff restaurant can be used for live broadcasts from the London headquarters for up to 800 employees. Sarjoscha Panitz: „The video walls are used in a very creative manner.“

Trend-Setting Video Conference Technology Made Easy
Vodafone is happy with what was achieved in Dusseldorf with regard to the video conference technology. More than 200 rooms have been equipped with this high-end technology and all others can theoretically, be equipped with broadcast technology „within ten minutes“ using modular design, according to Panitz. The systems can be operated very easily. For presentations, for example, just connect a notebook and switch to the graphic card. In the smaller conference rooms, the conference table is equipped with a connector panel with all essential sockets and four menu buttons with which the display technology can be operated. The bigger conference rooms have a seven-inch touch panel for the control of the display and video conference technology. If present, however, the remote control of the video conference systems is the main control, especially because it complies with international standards. The use of keyboards, the touch panel and the remote control provides the users with a redundant control of the units. The software of the touch panels was customized in close cooperation with the Dusseldorf client, so that the entire system can be used „very easily and intuitively“, according to Panitz. All displays have been installed in so-called panel trays – yet another neat development by macom.
Advantage of this installation: It can accommodate the entire connection technology. It is only ten centimeters deep, and the displays can be mounted on the wall without major structural measures and with little expenditure. In addition, they support the use of such modules as video conferencing, IP-TV and interactive whiteboards.

„Simplify Your Communications“ – Service Concepts and Operational Concepts Newly Defined
The service concept is also new: if any questions regarding the presentation or video conference technology do arise during a meeting, a technician is no longer required. The concept developed by macom provides for the following comfortable course of action: just call the hotline, the operating company and its five experts are present in the building and can operate and maintain all systems from an „AV Operation Center“ situated at the ground floor via an AV Management System, which is accessible from everywhere. This excellent service and the simple operating concept are appreciated, and high user volumes, for example for the video conference technology, have been noted at Vodafone only few months after the opening. Sarjoscha Panitz: „The user acceptance increases constantly, we definitely achieved our target.“

The Role Model Function of a Media Concept: „Matchball“ AV Standardization
The media concept realized in Dusseldorf will serve as a role model. The development of the concept included the creation of a company-wide standard, the modules of which can be obtained and used in other Vodafone locations. The advantages are obvious: new planning expenditures are avoided, the configurations have been perfectly implemented and well-established and have proven their reliability and performance. Vodafone Deutschland will not have to come up with any new planning of technologies and systems, they only have to “pick” the modules on the „AV technology shelf“. And this is exactly what is happening during the construction phase of the new Vodafone branch in Eschborn. The media technology, which was designed and planned by macom to Vodafone's standards, will also be used there.

Vodafone GmbH

Konzeption: Boris Storz
Planung: Boris Storz, Michael Kottke
Projektleiter: Boris Storz
Mitarbeiter: Patrick Beckmann, Joachim Claus, David Moor

Vodafone GmbH: Sarjoscha Panitz, Manager Hard Facilities PPFM, AV-Service & Operation