Empowering The Ardonagh Group with Seamless Video Collaboration
The Ardonagh Group is one of the world's leading independent brokers, bringing together specialist and entrepreneurial brands to deliver best-in-class insurance and risk management services.
With over 12,000 professionals operating across 250+ locations, The Ardonagh Group's success is built on its people, expertise and ability to connect and collaborate efficiently—regardless of geography.
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The Challenge
As part of a refurbishment, The Ardonagh Group sought to upgrade and standardise their meeting room technology to better support hybrid working. A key goal was to enhance the user experience and promote early engagement for visitors and staff entering the office. With an existing proof of concept (POC) already carried out on Neat solutions (and a high level of satisfaction with the results), The Ardonagh Group requested that each meeting room be designed around Neat Bar and Neat Bar Pro systems.
The challenge was to deliver a cohesive, user-friendly video conferencing solution across a variety of room sizes and layouts, all while working alongside fitters and interior design elements such as fabric walls.
The Solution
Carillion Communications delivered a comprehensive AV solution tailored to The Ardonagh Group's space and user needs. Seven meeting rooms were fitted with Neat hardware, strategically selected for its intuitive interface, AI-driven camera technology and seamless integration with Microsoft Teams.
Furthermore, The Ardonagh Group's teams were already familiar with Neat technology, having previously tested it in a proof of concept. This meant there was no learning curve, just an immediate efficiency and user satisfaction improvement.
Highlights of the solution include:
- Boardroom: Dual 75" screens were fitted in a slight recess using articulating mounts due to the fabric wall being installed. Equipped with a Neat Bar Pro and Neat Centre camera, as well as six in-ceiling speakers and two Shure MXA920 ceiling mics for optimal audio coverage. All AV hardware, including the amplifier and audio DSP driving the speakers and microphones for the room, is connected to a central comms room, maintaining a clean, professional finish.
- 8- and 10-person rooms: Each outfitted with dual Sony screens (55" and 65" respectively), Neat Bar Pro and Neat Centre for comprehensive AV functionality. BYOD capabilities are included via USB-C and HDMI connections at the table.
- 6- and 4-person rooms: Designed for internal meetings only, these rooms feature single screens (50" or 55"), Neat Bars and Neat Pads at the desk. Simple, effective setups with BYOD options ensure a consistent user experience across all room types.
Every room is supported by a Neat Pad at the entrance for convenient room booking, with Power over Ethernet (PoE) connectivity. The Neat systems provide a seamless user experience across all meeting rooms. Intelligent, AI-driven features such as camera symmetry and auto-framing ensure that every participant is captured clearly and professionally, creating an inclusive and engaging meeting environment, whether in-person or remote.
Professional Services Delivered
Carillion's scope included CAD design, elevations, reflected ceiling plans, system schematics and rack layouts to ensure precise and scalable deployment. Installation accounted for multi-phase works in line with the refurbishment schedule. Once installed, all systems were commissioned and thoroughly tested for optimal performance on Microsoft Teams.
“ We required an intuitive video conferencing system that integrated with Outlook. Meetings need to start up easily and being able to see multiple people in a large room on screen face on rather than down the table. The combination of Neat technology and Carillion’s design capabilities enabled this to be delivered.”
– Tim Brown, Property and Facilities Director, The Ardonagh Group –
The Outcome
Each room was configured with a consistent setup and interface, so whether staff were using a 4-person huddle space or the 10-person boardroom, they could rely on the same high-quality Microsoft Teams experience. This consistency removed barriers to productivity and encouraged adoption across the business.
The infrastructure was also designed with future needs in mind. With BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) functionality included in many rooms and scalable AV systems, The Ardonagh Group has the flexibility to adapt to evolving ways of working.
Ultimately, the project has enabled The Ardonagh Group's global team to collaborate more effectively as if they were all in the same place, strengthening their hybrid working capabilities. This not only supports internal efficiency but also enhances the client service experience.
With technology that simply works and works well, The Ardonagh Group can now focus on what it does best: delivering exceptional service to its clients.
