Gautrain speeding to the finish line with telecoms solution from Bytes Communication Systems
 In order to meet its voice technology requirements, Bombela, the company tasked with the deployment of the Gautrain Rapid Rail Link
has turned to an enterprise telephony solution from Bytes Communication Systems.
The system will provide operational telecommunication services between the 11 stations, depots and sites of the eagerly awaited Gautrain,
as well as providing a crucial link between the stations and the control centre, for the more than 600 anticipated users. The main system
will be hosted at the Gautrain’s main site in Midrand.
When going out to tender to find a solution to meet its needs, Bombela insisted on a list of unbending requirements. These included full
stability, 100% availability, and redundancy, that fell in line with the stringent safety requirements mapped out by the railways. The
technology deployed has to be reliable, as any potential downtime could yield serious repercussions for the railway network.
According to Bytes Communication Systems the system will be wall-to-wall Alcatel Lucent technology including a voice installation,
telephone management solutions, as well as integration with the Gautrain’s voice, public address and emergency telephones.
That said, Bytes Communication Systems has partnered with third party supplier
Ninzi Connect to provide the voice logging system.
“Bytes Communication Systems was selected amidst steep competition in the industry, as we were the one company whose technology
supported the exact requirements laid out by Bombela in its tender documents,” says Kenneth Ellwood, at Bytes Communication Systems.
“The most critical component in our mind, of this project, is the availability and uptime of the system. We know through experience
of using the Alcatel Lucent technology that it will meet and exceed these expectations.”
Technology used will include the Alcatel Lucent OmniPCX enterprise with dual CPU’s for all of the 11 sites and the more than 600 users
who will ultimately be linked via the system. Project roll out has already begun at the main site in Midrand, with final completion being
earmarked for 2010, when the railway system itself will be completed.
Bytes Communication Systems will be required to provide installation and implementation services as well as factory acceptance testing, and
ongoing maintenance and support of the system. According to the company it will also be providing training for the Gautrain staff to be able
to manage and support the system themselves in time.
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