We had to evacuate our entire building

16th March 2005

Bells and sounders were going off everywhere. People were frantic. We lost all contact with our Fire Marshals. It was lucky that no one got hurt.

Outside the building the employees were getting cold, wet and frustrated. And with every wasted minute, our company was losing money.

If only I'd known it was just a small incident on the third floor.

Mary's not been the same since. She's even stopped eating toast.

To find out how you can evaluate incidents quickly and, if required, manage an evacuation more effectively call Blick Communications on 01793 412212 or download a brochure.

Blick Communications wins Guy's and
St Thomas' contract

9 July 2003

Blick Communications is celebrating a major radio paging order from Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust.

The order will see Blick Communications supply and install two AEN3 PC controlled paging systems using multiple transmitters and in excess of 1,600 pagers.

David Hyde, David Wyllie and Laura Thomas - Blick Communications' team of healthcare specialists - secured the order through a competitive tendering process and ended nearly 50 years of supply by one of the company's major UK competitors.

David Hyde said: "This is one of the most significant orders ever placed with Blick Communications."

Blick conquers the Three Peaks Challenge

12 June 2003

Two employees from Marsh Barton-based Blick Communications were members of a team that successfully completed the gruelling Three Peaks Challenge last weekend (7-8 June).

Paul Sanders and Clive Rabbits were part of a seven strong team from Blick plc, Blick Communications’ parent company.

Raising money for the Wiltshire-based Mitchemp Trust, the Blick team rose above atrocious weather conditions and a number of logistical and injury problems to complete the 24-hour Three Peaks Challenge with just one minute to spare.

The Three Peaks Challenge demands teams to climb Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon, the biggest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales respectively, within 24-hours. The Blick team’s efforts can be put into perspective by the fact that around only half of the 24 teams competing actually completed the Challenge within the time limit.

In total, the team – Paul Witton-Dauris, Kelly Owens, Andrew Ashton, Clive Hudson, Clive Rabbits, Paul Sanders and Geoff Lloyd – raised in excess of £5,000 for The Mitchemp Trust. They were ably assisted throughout the Challenge by a support team comprising Marty Moffatt, Ian Page, Rowland Steele and John Allison.

Vanda Murray OBE, chief executive of Blick plc, said: “We are extremely proud of our team who put in a tremendous effort to complete the Three Peaks Challenge.

“I would like to thank everyone who sponsored the team, including Blick employees and suppliers. We are delighted that this great adventure was in support of such a worthy charity and congratulate The Mitchemp Trust on their continued work.”

Blick Communications helps the DTI

3 June 2003

Stephen Hadrill, director general of the DTI’s Fair Markets Group, said: “We wanted to see examples of good, successful business in the South West, which we have. We have been very impressed with what we have seen at Blick.”

Chris Booker, managing director of Blick Communications, said: “I think it’s interesting to hear from the DTI directly like this. Having face-to-face contact with the DTI in this way is helpful from both our point of view and the Government’s.”

Blick Communications backs football
fundraising appeal

29 May 2003

Community minded Blick Communications has donated £1,000 to its local football team.

Ailing Exeter City Football Club was relegated from the Nationwide League Division Three last season and needs £100,000 to stave off financial meltdown.

Management at Blick Communications approved the donation after being approached by lifelong Exeter City fans working in the company’s electronics factory.

Adrian Sewell, director of operations at Blick Communications, said: “Let’s just hope we can get the club back on its feet.”

DECT is the best system ever!

17 March 2003

A delighted customer has said an Aquarius DECT solution installed by Blick Communications is "the best system I have ever come across".

Blick Communications installed Aquarius DECT at The Botley Park Hotel, Golf & Country Club, Southampton, in August 2002. The system consists of eight mobiles and 12 base stations, and covers Botley Park's 100-bedroom hotel and health spa.

James Leeming, General Manager at The Botley Park Hotel, Golf & Country Club, Southampton, said: "I never come back to a desk full of messages and lost sales opportunities because the calls get straight through to me.

"From a customer service point of view, if I see something out of place or an area in need of support I can communicate this immediately so that the situation is dealt with quickly and efficiently.

"I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it as quite simply the best system I have ever come across."

View further information about DECT.

80 Years of success for Blick

17 April 2003

The Blick Group - a global provider of world-class security, communication and time management solutions - celebrates 80 years of business on 6 May, 2002.

The Swindon-based Group, launched in 1922 under the name of Blick Time Recorders Ltd, today has over 70,000 clients worldwide and offers unrivalled expertise to meet the specialist needs of commerce, industry and the public sector.

Vanda Murray, the Group's chief executive, said: "It is a marvellous achievement that we are celebrating our 80th birthday.

"Throughout our 80 years the success of the Group and its products has been based on a combination of innovation, integrity and customer service and these core values will ensure we continue to thrive in the future.

"Our products can be fully integrated to create a complete networked solution, backed by our comprehensive services which include design, installation, maintenance and customer support."

The Blick Group enters its ninth decade of business with its activity underpinned by the key strategy of product integration.

With its undoubted knowledge and experience, the Group is able to create a uniquely tailored system that delivers the maximum benefits and can be easily adapted to meet future needs.

The Group incorporates seven companies, namely Blick UK, Blick Communications, Blick Alfia, PAC International, Blick France, Blick South Africa and Blick USA.

Blick CEO Receives OBE at Buckingham Palace

1st March 2002

Vanda Murray, Chief Executive Officer of Blick plc, the provider of security, communication and time management solutions, has received her Order of the British Empire (OBE) from HRH The Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace.

Vanda Murray, who was promoted to become Chief Executive Officer of Swindon-based Blick plc in October last year, was awarded an OBE in the New Year's Honours list in recognition of her services to industry and export.

A marketing specialist, Vanda is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and has spent her whole career involved in the marketing of business-to-business products and services.

She joined PAC International in 1991 as Sales and Marketing Director and became Managing Director in 1996 after the Blick Group acquired the company. In June 1999 she was appointed to the main board of Blick plc as Group Sales and Marketing Director, before taking her current position. Vanda is also a Non-Executive Director of Ultraframe plc.

Prior to joining PAC, Vanda worked for ICI plc, GTE Inc. and BET plc.

Speaking after the award ceremony on Wednesday 27 February, she said: "I am deeply honoured to receive this award. I regard it not simply as a recognition of my achievements to date, but as an acknowledgement of the hard work, innovation and commitment of my colleagues at Blick."

Blick Communications launches ADEPT at CeBIT

1st March 2002

Blick Communications - one of Europe's leading manufacturers of radio-based products and services, providing security and communications for people at work - is launching an innovative two-way messaging, alarm and location reporting system at CeBIT on Stand E58, Hall 13.

Blick ADEPT provides a time-critical messaging system that is up to 150 times faster than other conventional paging systems.

In addition, Blick ADEPT includes call confirmation as a standard feature, meaning that you are able to know:

• where key personnel are located
• if they have received specific messages
• if they have responded to messages
• if any staff need assistance
• if a messaging unit is faulty or switched off

This means, for example, that Blick ADEPT can be used in hospitals to call nursing staff to a patient emergency with the option of automatically calling those staff who are located closest to the patient.

It also allows you to know the status of all messaging devices at any one time, so messages that aren't received for whatever reason can be redirected to another staff member.

Blick ADEPT supports between two and 2,000 individual users across single or multiple sites and, although it offers the option of operating as a stand-alone unit, it has been designed to link into already established alarm systems and IT networks.

Chris Booker, Blick Communications managing director, said: "ADEPT is a major breakthrough in increasing the level of wireless security and communications. Keeping in touch with your staff is always important and ADEPT allows you to do this quickly, efficiently and reliably at all times."

Blick Communications has created a range of portable units for Blick ADEPT which will allow you to keep in touch the way that you want to.

As well as receiving text messages, which can contain information linked from any alarm or I.T. system that is linked to the central messaging terminal, the Messager sends confirmation when it receives a message.

The Messager Plus adds the option of replying to messages with users able to either select a pre-set message or type their own text message using an on-screen alphabet.

The Alarm Unit incorporates a 'tilt switch' and 'panic button', so that any attack on a member of staff will be automatically detected. And, because the devices are continually monitored, the victim's location is immediately known.

Functioning as wall-mounted 'call for assistance' units, the Fixed Alarm units can replace conventional nurse call units in situations where wiring is impractical or inappropriate.

The Gateway Unit gives the opportunity to connect portable electronic devices wirelessly to alarms, control systems and computer networks. This means that staff can use handheld computers anywhere within a site to read and reply to email messages, and a facilities team could control a building management system wherever they were.

Gemini IR

April 2001

Gemini IR new infrared lone worker system from Blick Communications. Blick Communications has recently added to their staff protection range with the launch of "Gemini IR". In an environment where staff feel vulnerable they need the ability to call for urgent help. Gemini IR is a simple but very effective way of getting messages for assistance and emergency from remote points back to a central unit, giving information on the location of the problem. The Gemini IR system can be linked with BCL's other radio solutions so that these alarms can be automatically routed to other mobile personnel who may be in the same area. With Gemini IR, assistance can be at hand within seconds!

Roadshow Programme

May 2001

BCL is assisting its dealers through a programme of roadshows. In Germany, BCL presented its security portfolio to around 30 people in Dusseldorf and Hamburg last month. This month, the roadshows move on to Munich, Frankfurt and Berlin. This type of promotion is very successful in getting key contacts to start to specify our products. The effects of such a promotion are short to medium term but they will have a large effect on future business in the target markets. The roadshow programme will also be applied to Norway in April, June and July.

Multiple port receiver

Archive 2001

The Multiple Port Receiver is a stand alone control unit coupled with an integral base receiver. Radio signals from Gemini and Guardian alarm units are used to change the state of any of six open collector outputs. Six inputs are also available. The unit can be programmed to operate or modify the operation of any output from any input.

Main features

• Six radio controlled open collector outputs. These can be used to drive a remote equipment.
• Units that can be used to operate outputs: Guardian mobile alarm unit, GPM2G Gemini fixed alarm unit, GBH Gemini pendant, GPN
• The outputs can also be operated from encoder/control consoles types AEN2 and AEN2G when they send paging calls to Aquarius pagers or Guardian mobile alarm units (this feature will only apply if the paging transmitter uses the same frequency as the MPR receiver).
• 6 buffered inputs to accept remote switch closures.
• Output states can also be changed by the state of any of the six inputs. This feature can be used to modify the action initiated from a radio controlled input. The unit can be programmed to operate or modify the operation of any output from any input.
• Switch configurations can be tested before storing. This allows experimentation with new settings without affecting those previously stored.
• Any number of configurations can be saved to disc and retrieved at any time for use. This allows the unit's purpose to be changed easily.