dock10 implements IPE eMU3 automatic changeover units at MediaCityUK

UK television facility, dock10, has implemented IPE’s eMU3 automatic changeover (ACO) units at its MediaCityUK studios in Salford, Manchester. To meet the needs of systems administrators, IPE provides a range of intelligent PDUs, and in this case, the eMU3 ACO.

IPE’s eMU3 ACO includes twelve power outputs, dual inputs with automatic, local or remote changeover, and an embedded web server enabling remote control and monitoring facilities. With the eMU3 ACO, users can control up to 48 individual outputs from one ethernet cable, reducing the overall network deployment cost. Its intuitive web interface provides quick and easy access to control and configuration facilities. The unit also monitors the health of racks, and provides visual indications of the status of every output and provides email alerts if pre-set limits are exceeded.

Dock10 technical operations manager, Darren Jones, said: “As a facility that boasts an annual output of 1000+ hours of live transmission including Match of the Day and Blue Peter, as well as providing campus-wide services to the whole of MediaCityUK, 24-7 resilience and reliability are key to our operation. The ability to monitor in real time and have clear visibility of equipment ‘states’ and pre-empt potential issues by SNMP and email alarms was also important.”

All IPE PDUs provide continuous polling and at-a-glance system status for every output on every connected PDU with the ability to configure individual PDUs and outputs. On the eMU3 ACO, each input is also monitored and the active input clearly displayed.

Network settings including IP address, subnet mask, gateway and API port numbers can all be configured, and SMTP server and email addresses can be set so that systems operators can receive pre-set email alerts.

Jones added: “We continually evaluate equipment and infrastructure as part of an ongoing tech refresh programme to stay at the cutting edge of technology, and all of the technology under consideration was tested against market competitors in a ‘shoot-out’. The IPE PDU won out and is now a central component of a robust technology hub in MediaCityUK, enabling us to provide the resilience that our clients expect.”

Head of IPE product sales and support, Reuben Such, said: “dock10 is a long-standing user of our IDS Intelligent Display System and the PDU deployment is a natural extension of the total visibility and control dock10 provides for its clients across the board.”