Described in the Guardian as ‘one of the world’s great arts venues,’ Edinburgh’s Summerhall is a renowned multi-purpose space all kinds of events, parties, workshops, festivals, weddings and meetings which delivers diverse programmes of visual and performing arts.
As well as being home to a varied community of creative artists, Summerhall is also a thriving businesses hub with more than 50 companies and organisations on site, including arts charities, tech start-ups, a pub, café, brewery and distillery. The site also hosts Techcube, an incubation space to help small tech start-ups grow and reach their full potential.
Texaport has worked closely with Summerhall since 2012 supporting both the venue and events side of its operations and its thriving community of artists and businesses, all of which requires hands-on IT support and excellent connectivity.
With hundreds of artist’s studios within Summerhall, our IT support has been essential in ensuring this community has full WiFi access to enable them to collaborate and, in many cases, provide them with a reliable sales and marketing channel. Meanwhile, businesses within the Summerhall campus typically require a more robust wired form of internet access with ethernet ports to accommodate heavier online traffic levels, as well as a dependable WiFi service for mobile devices, PCs and laptops.
After being initially approached by Summerhall, Texaport got to work implementing a robust and effective IT system to support the IT needs of the venue and its wider community. We designed and installed network cabling around the whole campus, an essential requirement to enable businesses on the site to connect via ethernet ports.
Texaport then installed more than 70 WiFi access points to ensure every space on the campus, including those occupied by businesses and artists, had access to a strong signal. The ultrafast internet system we installed gives everyone within the community a quick and reliable service. We also enabled public WiFi access in Summerhall’s busy event spaces which welcome thousands of visitors a day during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Texaport also supplied, installed and support over 35 network switches that distribute the WiFi network around the site to ensure access to all. We continue to maintain these on a 24/7 basis for their clients.
IT Security is another important aspect of Summerhall’s system. Texaport put in place an access control system where tenants gain entry through a fob that permits access through secured doors. This solution has kept Summerhall and its community safe by preventing unauthorised access and it also notifies our client of who is on-site in the event of an emergency or incident. To promote on-site safety and deter potential crime, Texaport also installed a CCTV system in Summerhall’s public areas, event spaces and galleries.
The support we provide to Summerhall’s management includes Texaport’s Fully Managed IT services where we maintain their computers and servers. In addition to providing long term strategic advice to optimise technology efficiency, we also ensure our client’s hardware is fit for purpose and fully secured, with ongoing IT support provided across their team.
Summerhall’s reputation as a leading arts space continues to grow along with its wider artist and business community. Texaport has been proud to help support its aim of being a major cultural destination where audiences meet and mix and where artists and performers are inspired to make and present their best work.
