by Intertek Laboratories
The Valletta Law Courts had long set its mind on the need to upgrade its IT infrastructure and to install a whole new and state-of-the-art platform so as to enhance the efficiency and reliability of its network…
with a proviso: the Law Courts’ operations had to proceed unhindered.
To get a glimpse of the size of this IT project, and the amount of time, labour and wiring devoted to the project, one must realise that this involved the installation of a completely new DATA Network for the Courts of Justice and Family Courts in Valletta in each court, office, store, archive and corridor.
Design & Build met up with InterTek Laboratories’ Managing Director Etienne Farrugia to get the whole truth and nothing but the truth on this interesting mammoth project!
I n today’s world, having a stable computer network has become more than vital, both in business and home. This has been more than proven with the recent increase of companies or organisations whose employees continued to give clients a service by working from home due to the Covid-19 pandemic that hit these Islands since last March. This standard cannot be felt so much more than in a place like the nation’s home for the Judiciary, where the dispensing and execution of our country’s laws happens in real time.
We all realise that whether we are at home or at the office, ‘access’ is essential to survival. And internal and external access to the Courts of Law to up-to-date information and research – or even for checking records is necessary for much of our work and indeed our lives. A thorough and stable computer network was required (with all the necessary certifications) which assures smooth, seamless and secure data movement so necessary for an information bank of this magnitude of importance.
Intertek presents a range of network infrastructure solutions which can come in cabled or wireless variations, all depending on one’s preferences and needs. Intertek Laboratories Ltd – to use their full name – are even able to give their clients an active segment of the network infrastructure with stellar connectivity solutions.
The company also supplies physical cables and other equipment, including copper or fibre optic cables, patch panels, ducting, wall ports, racks, cabinets, cooling solutions and cable trays. Etienne explained that the Law Courts project in Valletta included the application of latest industry standards with a combination of CAT6a Copper Cabling and Fibre Optic Technology.
He added that the size of the project involved 5,500m of cable containment installed, more than 121 km of CAT6a cabling, over 2,700 CAT6a Data points, 2.3 km of Fibre Optic Cabling, and over 800 fibre optic terminations. “The implementation of the project required massive logistical coordination. This was further exacerbated by the sensitive nature of the place,” he added.
A thorough network design and installation was required to ensure the ultimate success of the project
Intertek’s mission was to deliver an outcome to the highest possible installation standards, on time and with no incidents with the client or the hundreds of Court employees – “a major achievement we feel proud of having successfully achieved,” added Etienne.
Planning vs Reality
Upon bidding for such a project, “our main consideration was the size of the project itself. In reality, we could not have imagined the massive effort required to coordinate the actual installation with the various Court authorities. The logistics of such a project are bound to the sensitivity of the place, and the exact same project but in a different building would have been completely different.
“We had been informed from bidding stage that we might be stopped from work because of excessive noise while drilling or carrying out similar exercises but in reality, the noise generated by us wasn’t the only thing that hindered us from working. If you ever go to Courts on a busy day the public spaces and hall ways in the Court building are so jam packed with people that it’s difficult to move around. Now imagine having to carry out works on a ladder or a scaffolding with all those people moving around! This also meant that certain works had to be done after Court hours,” he said.
The efficiency of their setup, the level of knowledge of their personnel at all staff tiers, and their dedication to technical perfection – and to doing a perfect job well – is what really got the project finalised to the expected standards and deadlines. This also included the fact that the work not only had to look perfectly good, but had to be meticulously hidden, or blended into the environment, as required on the individual sites.
Problems and solutions
Etienne continued to explain that due to the nature of the buildings themselves, and their topography and layout, and especially when it came to the Family Court Building, the installation included relatively long cables runs. “This was very often close to the cabling standard limit of 100m. This meant that from our end we had to have a team of a minimum of five technicians working in sometimes narrow corridors on ladders and scaffolding.”
The implementation of the project required massive logistical coordination
Like any other project this one too had a number of operational challenges, such as a narrow and rigid timeframe within which they had to complete all works. “So while on one side we had many obstacles to overcome due to how busy the Courts are during operational hours, on the other hand working just in the evening was not an option.” The reason for this was primarily because to enter most of the offices Intertek’s personnnel had to be accompanied not only by the Court security personnel but also by staff pertaining to that particular office wherein works were being executed. Hence they had to find available slots that all parties involved were available to work during these hours, which made the logistics of Intertek’s delivery quite complex.
Security issues of working within the Law Courts also meant that their team was constantly accompanied by security personnel in all areas except public spaces. Sometimes this too proved to be a challenge especially when there were multiple Intertek teams simultaneously working in different areas of the Court buildings. Etienne explained that there were times when “We found ourselves in situations where we had to reschedule planned work because not enough security personnel were available to accompany all our teams.”
Quality of material used
Quality was obviously a primary factor of importance. And this did not necessarily refer to the products themselves that were required or to their own service. Etienne explained that since they are Excel Networking accredited Partners “we could put our client’s mind at rest that all materials and equipment used had already gone through a rigorous process of independent verification beforehand.” Furthermore, he added, third party verifications we gave were an independent ‘tick in the box’, verifying either a product or a set of products’ compliance with a particular standard.
He continued that Excel has invested in such test and verification programmes for over 20 years, working closely with laboratories such as Force Technology (Delta) and 3P based in Denmark, and ETL in America. “Excel Category 6 and Category 6A systems are among a handful in the industry with both channel and component verification,” explained Etienne, adding that when it came to Certification and Testing, “each and every network point and metre of cable installed were individually tested and certified to their relative industry standard so we could deliver a 100% certified network. Upon successful certification, a 25-year product and application warranty is also applied.”
Satisfied clients
Adding a comment about client satisfaction, Etienne said that “the Valletta Law Courts’ own IT Staff and the various Directors of Courts have thanked our teams for the impeccable work they delivered; and with minimal impact and disruption to the court’s operation. This, for us, is the greatest achievement we could hope for upon completion of a project of this nature and magnitude.”
We asked whether there was any difference in their before-and-after expectations to working at the Law Courts now that the job was done as compared to their thoughts before walking in the first time. Etienne smilingly explains: “You know how it is with such places of high esteem and which have an aura around them as to how things are perceived and done. So, when working in such places you are always aware of the stature of the Judiciary all around you.
we managed to achieve not only a technically brilliant solution but also a very discrete execution without causing disruption to the client
We had thoroughly briefed all our staff involved of the respect they had to show to all members of the Judiciary at all times, even while walking in the corridors. So before starting we had reminded all our teams to also be especially careful of their personal behaviour, of the noise created and to make sure to leave each office they would be working in as clean as possible after finishing. As it happened, one day we get a Judge walking out of a hall and going straight up to the team’s supervisor. You already get that feeling in your gut of ‘oh what have we done now?’ The Judge asks our supervisor to shake hands because she was so happy that the works in her quarters had been completed without incidents and to the highest standards. Needless to say, our supervisor blushed as his hands were work-dirty and he wasn’t expecting this but the Judge insisted on shaking his hand.”
you are guaranteed to get a broad range of solutions that will reduce costs and eliminate issues in the future
Etienne adds: “Something like this not only boosts the morale of all those working for months in this building but also makes us proud that we managed to achieve not only a technically brilliant solution but also a very discrete execution without causing disruption to the client.”
“We at Intertek Laboratories Ltd,” he continued, “hold a wide and prestigious portfolio in relation to network installation projects…. And we are proud of it! Our clientele has involved us in anything from large multi location projects to small ones, and we also have handled a number of network projects with great success.
In conclusion, Etienne added that “using our services you are guaranteed to get a broad range of solutions that will reduce costs and eliminate issues in the future. We also offer other solutions in relation to networking which include network design, equipment supplies, network installations and project management. Our portfolio of networking services include structured cabling, laying of fiber optic and WiFi solutions, similar to those as used at the Valletta Law Courts. “The Intertek team consists of dedicated, qualified and experienced people. Our problem solving, “can do” attitude gives us the ability to excel in different areas of expertise and provide tailored solutions for each client in each situation!” he proudly exclaimed.
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