System integration specialist Livingstone Productions has provided an end-to-end Audac BGM system for IntegriSure, one of South Africa’s largest motor and home insurance brokers and its subsidiary company VIA Soft, which specialises in extended IT and administrative systems for financial service.

Based in Roodepoort, Johannesburg, the IntegriSure Group required a stripped-back audio system that would blend with a modern corporate environment. As exclusive distributor of Audac in South Africa, Stage Audio Works (SAW) oversaw the design of the project, the supply of the equipment, and the commissioning of the system before handing back over to Livingstone Productions, who carried out the integration.

At the centre of the install, Livingstone Productions integrated an Audac M2 8x8 Matrix Mixer, a multi-media audio distribution system that can handle a array of input signals, and providing a good fit here, where the client required seven zones for its workspace. A total of 23 flush-mount Audac CALI660 ceiling loudspeakers deliver audio playback throughout IntegriSure’s headquarters with minimum visual impact. A further two surface-mounted Ateo6 loudspeakers were used where greater horizontal dispersion was needed – recommended by SAW for their ease of installation. The system is brought together by two Audac PMQ480 Quad Channel 100V amplifiers.

The dashboard for control was set up in conjunction with IntegriSure’s IT department. Volume was adjusted to an optimal level, taking the acoustics of each individual area into consideration. Although there is flexibility to alter these settings, SAW recommended only minimal changes be made as the system was designed expressly for BGM.

Livingstone Production’s implementation of the Internet Radio SourceCon Streaming Card allows the client to integrate and control what is played across the zones via Soundtrack Your Brand. When combined with Audac’s   Audac Touch 2 software, the result is an accessible and familiar interface, all contained within a phone app. This software provides IntegriSure with total system control at their fingertips and the ability to create and customise application specific dashboards at their discretion.

Significantly, a further advantage of Audac control is its scalability. The various components interlink in a way that creates a dynamic system that is easily expandable. SAW created the control functions to meet IntegriSure’s brief, but additional functionalities can be added as required. For example, upgrading to a Bluetooth streaming card in the future would allow an even greater level of control.

‘We often recommend Audac products to our clients due to their solid reliability and competitive pricing,’ says SAW CEO, Nathan Ihlenfeldt. ‘However, the versatility of an Audac system should not be understated – elements can easily be implemented post-integration, which futureproofs the investment. With Audac, adding new loudspeakers and zones to an existing solution is simple, allowing for the system to grow as the company grows.’

‘We were quick to realise the Audac audio system can be a vehicle to achieve so much more than just providing background music to our employees,’ says Bruce Nortjé, Manager of Media & Communication for the IntegriSure Group. ‘Some of the ideas we are investigating implementing are playing audio files in between the music to serve as a reminder of our value proposition to the motor and home insurance market and our marketing messages. Other fun ideas we are looking at implementing are birthday messages and a Friday Dedication Hour. Employee communication is crucial for any organisation to achieve its goals, and we believe the Audac audio system will increase awareness and engagement amongst our most valuable asset – our people.’

‘Livingstone Productions carried out an extremely efficient integration of the BGM system, with minimal disturbances to our business operations,’ says IntegriSure Group CEO, Hermanus van der Linde. ‘WWith the return of all of our employees to the office after the third wave of Covid-19 infections, we identified the need to create positive energy in our already technology-enhanced workspace; the new Audac audio system has done just that, elevating our office to the next level by improving the work experience for employees. After months of isolation and working from home, the Audac audio system has proven to be a valuable tool – increasing productivity while sustaining employee satisfaction.’