Gateshead tech specialist wins six-figure contract for medieval North West castle project

North East technology specialist Advantex has won a six-figure contract to provide digital connectivity and internet services at an 800-year-old castle in the North West that caters for corporate events.

Medieval fortress Rose Castle in Dalston near Carlisle, the home of the Bishops of Carlisle from 1230 until the 21st century, has completed a five-year, multi-million-pound renovation project to upgrade facilities across the building.

This is a move by new owners Rose Castle Company to open up the building for corporate and leisure events with a strategic focus on “best-in-class” broadband services and capabilities to deliver a “world-class” digitally connected location.

A new Cisco Meraki optimised network infrastructure together with new superfast enterprise grade connectivity and high-speed cabling are part of a package of measures introduced by Gateshead based Advantex.

A crucial achievement by the firm has been to guarantee 1GB of superfast connectivity across the 16,500 sq ft of the Castle as well as at various locations across the extensive grounds and gardens, to accommodate corporate events, product launches and company offsites.

John Snyder, director of the Rose Castle Company, which owns the estate, said: “Advantex approached our project with both altruism and passion, and a basket full of fresh ideas to deliver a corporate quality IT solution.

“They shaped a cost-effective tech solution around our ambitions and vision for the castle and in particular, they have been sensitive to the conservation needs of the castle, delivering cost-effective services and products to meet our immediate 1GB bandwidth designs, but also factoring in future wireless requirements across our 60-acre site.”

Advantex, which currently employs 50 people at its Follingsby Park head office, is currently eyeing additional growth and expansion, targeting a £6.5m turnover in the next 12 months as the economy continues to recover and demand for products and services remain strong.

Stephen O’Connell, sales and marketing director, added: “This is both a very prestigious and challenging project for us; showcasing our skills and expertise in delivering and commissioning challenging and complex installations for heritage-type projects.

“We continue to be at the forefront of delivering advanced and high-performance services as part of integrated turnkey solutions to leading organisations not only in the North West but across the UK.”