Reed Assessment was looking for a security partner to collaborate with on a Nationwide Tender for a CCTV solution. The tender requirement was to cover three regions across both the UK and Ireland Reed was successfully awarded two regions.

Turning to security specialists TouchStar ATC, Reed was looking for a CCTV system that would fulfil the specific tender requirements. Based on shared discussions and a joint understanding of the project, TouchStar specified, developed, and tested both fixed and mobile camera solutions. A bespoke tripod camera solution was specified to fulfil the requirement for a mobile “popup” solution. With both solutions fitting the nature of the brief, Reed was successful in their tender response and were awarded two regions.

The Head of IT and Security for Reed Assessment comments, “The sensitive and confidential nature of the project we were tendering for meant that we were only able to provide limited information to TouchStar as part of our briefing process. We were really impressed with their vision and development of the proposed solution which no doubt helped us secure a successful tender outcome”.

Following the successful submission, Reed was looking to roll out the approved CCTV solution at 135 locations across the UK. The solution, comprising of over 1000 fixed and mobile CCTV cameras in total, needed to be fully installed over a period of 6 months.

Installation

TouchStar ATC provided a complete end to end solution for the project, an effective plan which covered the design, quoting, procurement, delivery, installation, commissioning, support, and preventative maintenance which was key in supporting the scale of a project this size. 

With the project being undertaken at the height of COVID, worldwide challenges and Brexit impacted the availability of components throughout the installation phase. Fluidity of the project meant that there were lots of short notice changes to the project plan which did throw up several challenges. The Head of IT and Security continues, “As with most large-scale installations, plans change frequently throughout implementation. TouchStar provided exceptional support to us through this phase, any delays or challenges were overcome because of their positive can-do attitude”. 

Results and Benefits

With TouchStar engineers on hand to test, commission and provide training, the system was deployed within the required timescales. The flexibility of the support offered by TouchStar meant that some installations were completed within very short timescales and all installations were completed within the advertised lead time. The successful roll out meant that TouchStar met the strict criteria for achieving the NSI Gold Accreditation with a recent audit of the installation see TouchStar ATC awarded two grade A’s for their installations.

With the system fully up and running, Reed can securely manage the CCTV both locally and remotely. Data is available instantaneously enabling the business to manage their individual site locations efficiently, reducing security incidents and maximising confidence.

Offering seamless operation of the final solution, Reed Assessment have access to TouchStar’s UK based, dedicated support team. With the availability of same day/onsite support and return to base/next working day delivery, all sites are managed effectively with minimal downtime.

Reed Assessment’s statement concludes, “As Head of IT and Security for a National organisation, I fully recommend TouchStar to any organisation looking for reliability and the highest professional standards. TouchStar have delivered and continues to service and support CCTV assets across each of our 135 locations. The entire team from MD to operational lead, to engineers, all are highly efficient, flexible, and extremely supportive. TouchStar is commended for their dedicated, flexible support to my organisation, and they continue to provide an exceptionally high standard of service throughout our maintenance and service programme”.

The Future

With the system now fully operational, it offers the scalability to add more cameras and locations should the need arise.

TouchStar’s systems also continue to evolve, with further growth and development of both the hardware and the portfolio of solutions. This will ensure that Reed will continue to invest in a solution that will meet their needs both now and into the future.