AIA Financial Creates Versatile, User-Friendly Meeting Spaces with Extron AV Systems

AIA Financial Indonesia has nearly a century of experience providing commercial and individual insurance in the Asia-Pacific region, and is recognized as a leader in the global financial services market. When nearing completion on their new AIA Central headquarters, a 20‑story, 45,000‑square meter building in Jakarta, they brought in expert AV integrator PT ESCO Audio Visual to design the AV systems. AIA Financial directed that these systems had to be easy to operate and absolutely dependable. The final design included Extron DTP^® Systems, XTP Systems^®, and Pro Series control products.

“AIA Central is a building designed to anticipate every need of this financial services giant, with highly flexible divisible spaces, multimedia rooms, and areas dedicated to collaboration,” says Vincent Tjoe, Project Sales Consultant at PT ESCO Audio Visual. “Installing DTP and XTP Systems, TouchLink^® Pro touchpanels, and other equipment from Extron assures us that AIA Financial has reliable AV systems that support today’s technologies and are easy to control.”

Installing DTP and XTP Systems, TouchLink Pro touchpanels, and other equipment from Extron assures us that AIA Financial has reliable AV systems that support today’s technologies and are easy to control.

The floors, referred to as levels, at AIA Central include meeting and training rooms in varying sizes. In addition to office space, levels also offer team-related areas such as breakout, commons, and collaborative rooms. Standardization of AV equipment meant effortless operation for the end users and streamlined support.

The design team selected Epson high-end projectors, Samsung flat panel displays ranging in size from 40" to 55", and Extron AV signal switching and distribution solutions with Pro Series touchpanels and control processors. Although product selection was standardized, each room required an AV system tailored to the space’s size and typical usage. To optimize the facility, training spaces and some meeting rooms are divisible.

XTP Systems Optimize Divisible Spaces

One of AIA Financial's main goals was to create multiple spaces for employee training and collaboration. The main training area is on Level 9. It provides a mock bank room and a divisible space that can be configured as one town hall-style seminar room that seats 450 or up to 12 separate classrooms with a common amenities area. Shared resources are rack mounted in a centralized equipment closet, and each classroom includes a projector and AV connectivity.

PT ESCO selected an Extron XTP CrossPoint 3200 modular matrix switcher for this flexible training space. The matrix switcher is populated with a combination of XTP CP Twisted Pair input and output boards for signal extension to and from XTP^® endpoints. An XTP CP 4i HDMI input board is also implemented to distribute shared sources to all rooms, and three XTP CP 4o SA audio output boards support the sound system. The centrally-located modular matrix switcher can accommodate future growth. The features of the XTP system delivered high performance and signal extension no matter what configuration the system was placed into, all of which were transparent to the users.

XTP endpoints connect to the matrix switcher using a shielded twisted pair cable. Each training room contains an Extron XTP wallplate transmitter for sending HDMI or VGA video and audio. The transmission distance of 330 feet (100 meters) easily met the distances between input locations throughout the space. An XTP SR HDMI receiver accepts and scales images for each room’s projector to display the optimal resolution.

PT ESCO reports that XTP Systems met all of AIA Financial’s requirements and exceeded expectations, supporting both HDMI and VGA source signals as well as providing a robust platform for reliable signal switching and transmission over long distances. “The XTP System in our training center is very hi tech but allows us to easily split and combine transmissions to support every room configuration,” says Andrias Gunawan, Head of Properties and Corporate Services at AIA Financial.

Audio signals are extracted from the XTP CP 4o SA output boards, and routed to four Extron DMP 128 AT 12x8 ProDSP™ audio matrix processors. These processors provide in‑room sound reinforcement for each configured space and the capability to route a Dante™ channel in place of a local mic/line input. A digital audio expansion port allows units to be linked together. The units work in tandem, processing audio from the remote wireless microphones, wallplates, and other sources. This allows incorporating the full range of DSP capabilities, including AEC, for incoming Dante channels.

Ultimate AV Flexibility with DTP

The ground level includes a formal reception and waiting area, the Sales Force Walk In room, and customer service. Each location includes one or more displays. At the main entry is a 3x3 videowall in a portrait layout, and the customer service area features a 2x2 videowall. Samsung media players distribute content to the 3x3 videowall. The main hall and the sales areas incorporate a 60" display with a touch overlay. PT ESCO chose the Extron DTP CrossPoint 84 IPCP MA 70 8x4 scaling presentation matrix switcher with DTP extension to support this floor. The integrator appreciated the presentation switcher’s variety of inputs, two HDMI outputs, and two independently scaling DTP twisted pair outputs. Also, the built in features, such as audio DSP, an audio power amplifier, and an IPCP Pro control processor, streamlined integration.

The dual-divisible training room on Level 20 seats a total of 80 and had requirements similar to the Level 9 training facility, but on a smaller scale. The room is divided into Training Rooms A and B. Each room includes the same variety of sources and projection systems, as well as includes a 48" flat panel display to augment student viewing. The design team selected the same DTP CrossPoint ^® matrix switcher models used on the ground floor. To allow flexible room arrangements, Extron DTP T UWP 232 D wallplate transmitters were installed on two of the fixed walls and DTP HDMI 4K 230 Rx receivers were discreetly mounted with the display devices. The integrator was pleased with the presentation switcher’s capability to carry bidirectional control signals to the Epson projector in addition to digital video and embedded audio. This allowed transmission of multiple signal types over the same twisted pair cable, which simplified the installation with reduced cabling requirements. AIA Financial benefitted from the ability to pass 4K video signals and scale source images for the selected displays. Also, the matrix switcher's 2U enclosure size conserved valuable rack space.

The limited rack space in this room meant that the audio amplifier integrated into the DTP CrossPoint matrix switcher was a valued feature. The 70‑volt amplifier allows audio signals to be output directly to the four pairs of Extron SI 26CT two way ceiling speakers in Training Room A. An Extron XPA 2001 power amplifier is connected to one of the switcher's four audio outputs to drive the speakers in Training Room B.

While small meeting rooms on various levels provide simple AV systems, specific meeting spaces required more comprehensive designs. The six, dual-divisible meeting rooms on Level 18 had requirements similar to the dual-divisible training rooms. This same degree of flexibility was mandatory within the exclusive meeting and collaboration spaces on Levels 19 and 20.

Boardroom

The most sophisticated meeting room at AIA Central is the board room, an elegant space on Level 19 with an amazing view of the city. AV equipment for this 18 seat meeting room includes two 55" flat panel displays, an Epson interactive projector, a superior sound system with support for 10 wireless microphones, a videoconferencing system with HD cameras, an automated lighting system, and remote control of the window blinds. Transmission distances are up to 200 feet from the equipment rack. The AV system had to be capable of quickly switching among this diversity of devices, as well as scale the video and distribute AV and control signals over long distances.

PT ESCO again chose the DTP CrossPoint 84 IPCP MA 70 for its flexibility, audio capabilities, and built‑in control processor. The switcher's high performance scaling engine easily accommodated the diverse signal formats, and delivered quick switching between all inputs to further enhance customer presentations.

The videoconferencing system uses two of the DTP CrossPoint matrix switcher’s six HDMI inputs, and Extron DTP T UWP 232 D decorator‑style wallplate transmitters extend in room source signals to the two DTP twisted pair inputs. The unit’s two HDMI outputs support the videoconferencing system and a nearby flat panel display. The two independently scaled DTP outputs transmit AV signals to DTP receivers mounted behind the second flat panel display and above the projector. The presentation matrix switcher scales images for display on the projection system’s 16:10 white board.

Audio signals are routed to an Extron DMP 128 C P 12x8 processor, which provides eight channels of AEC for in room sound reinforcement and enhanced communication during videoconferencing sessions. The model's POTS analog telephone capability enables a presenter to answer and initiate telephone calls to remote meeting participants.

Bidirectional RS‑232 signals are transmitted alongside the video signal over the DTP twisted pair connections, allowing a remote device to be controlled without the need for additional cabling. The projector in the board room is controlled in this way, receiving the RS‑232 signal from a connected DTP receiver. For the flat panel displays, control signals are sent directly from the integrated control processor’s RS‑232 outputs. The IR/Serial and Relay outputs on the presentation matrix switcher enable control of the environment.

TouchLink Pro for Easy AV System Control

Each individual and configured space needed to be easily controlled from within the room. PT ESCO selected Extron Pro Series TouchLink touchpanels for the larger spaces and the Extron MLC 62 RS MK and similar MediaLink ^® controllers for the small meeting rooms.

Content displayed on the ground level is controlled using an Extron TLP Pro 720T TouchLink Pro tabletop touchpanel with a 7" screen. Rather than installing a separate control processor, the touchpanel is connected directly to the built in IP Link Pro control processor on the DTP CrossPoint 84 IPCP MA 70. In addition to communication, the touchpanel receives power over Ethernet via an Extron XTP PI 100 power injector. Not only did this arrangement simplify the design, it eliminated the need for a local power supply. Formal meeting spaces such as the board room include touch control using this same method.

In divisible training spaces, it was vital that an instructor be able to operate the AV system without interference from another class. The preference was for a user-friendly touchpanel that had a small footprint while still offering full AV system functionality. Divisible training rooms on Level 9 each have an Extron TLP Pro 520M 5" TouchLink Pro touchpanel mounted to a fixed wall. It is similar in capabilities to the tabletop model, but the dimensions are well suited to training rooms.

Installation of an Extron IPCP Pro 550 control processor allowed quick examination and assignment of button action conditions. The main training space needed only two of these units to enable AV system control, regardless of room configuration. “We just wanted to easily control all devices in a configured room from one screen,” says Gunawan. "TouchLink Pro touchpanels give us that and much more."

A wall-mounted Extron TLP Pro 1020M 10" TouchLink Pro touchpanel in the amenities area offers students on break the ability to select from a variety of sources. “Deploying touchpanels from the same TouchLink Pro family and being able to assign access rights with a PIN makes for a very user-friendly, yet secure, environment,” says Tjoe.

Results

The building’s AV systems were installed and commissioned in seven months. According to PT ESCO, the easy integration of the XTP system, the all-in-one design of the DTP CrossPoint presentation matrix switcher, and the fast customization of the TouchLink Pro touchpanels were very helpful in meeting the project deadline.

AIA Financial is quite pleased with their new headquarters, and especially the high-performance AV systems they rely on every day. They agree that the AV systems are easy to operate and provide rock‑solid performance. “Extron’s reputation for product reliability is well earned,” says Tjoe at PT ESCO. “They have the technical know-how and delivered on their promise of outstanding after-sales support.”