A network and communications refurbishment for Aspect Capital
Completed on time - without any unscheduled outages - the project incorporated, amongst others, electrical power design, fire suppression, air conditioning, server racking, raised flooring solutions, intelligent data cabling infrastructure (utilising over 300 miles of cable), a 275kvA generator with a Comms Room Services Saturn E33 uninterruptible power supply, and a Comms Room Services shut-down system.

Design, management and implementation – a complete refurbishment
After a full evaluation of the alternatives, Aspect Capital selected Comms Room Services to design, manage and implement the entire solution and, alongside workplace design specialists Morgan Lovell, were contracted to complete the refurbishment of the company's London offices in Wigmore Street. The project presented a number of specific challenges, in particular the server room expansion, which took twelve months from design to implementation.

Implementation in a live environment
Aspect Capital is one of Europe's largest hedge fund management businesses (in terms of assets under management). As trading takes place on a 24-hour basis - from Sunday evening through to Friday evening - the existing server room environment had to remain live while the expansion project was in progress. This necessitated the utilisation of some of the most sophisticated technology and techniques available.

Advanced technical solutions
The scope of the project covered multiple areas including server room and dealing room design as well as the installation of a generator and the construction of a new off-site disaster recovery data centre. To ensure optimum operational efficiency, the project also utilised a range of advanced solutions including a Saturn E33 UPS, Medusa II patching cabinets and SMARTPatchTM intelligent infrastructure management system. Now completed, the solution has proved a resounding success.

Indeed, according to Mike Robinson, Aspect Capital's IT infrastructure manager: "Comms Room Services has delivered exactly what it promised, a highly efficient solution, performing to our precise specifications."