Extron Collaboration Technology Enhances Productivity for Malaysia’s Petronas Oil in 240 Meeting Rooms

A key reason we adopted the HC 404 system midway through the project was its ability to turn off the projectors automatically after meetings, solving an issue Petronas had with projectors being left on. The HC 404 has been in use since phase 3 of this 8-phase project. User feedback is uniformly positive.

Mr. Mohd Nizam Bin Razalie,
Managing Director
Cantuman Wawasan (M) Sdn Bhd

Challenges

Petronas is Malaysia’s state-owned oil and gas company. It is responsible for developing Malaysia’s oil and gas resources and is also engaged in petroleum activities in 35 countries on six continents. The company headquarters are in the landmark Petronas twin towers in the Kuala Lumpur City Centre. Petronas wanted to equip several hundred conference rooms accommodating up to 24 people with simple-to-operate collaboration systems to facilitate employee and customer meetings. In addition to conference rooms at its headquarters, Petronas also required collaboration systems at satellite offices in the nearby ExxonMobil and Dayabumi buildings.

System integrator Cantuman Wawasan, Sdn Bhd, private limited company, with offices in Kuala Lumpur, began installing collaboration systems for Petronas March 2018 and finished December 2019. 320 rooms now have collaboration systems. Collaboration systems from another manufacturer went into the first 80 rooms. Petronas opted to use Extron HC 404 Meeting Space Systems and Cable Cubby 202 Cable Access Enclosures to fit out the balance of the project, 240 rooms. The decision to change to Extron mid-project was based on the HC 404’s superior projector control capability and its input port diversity.

Solution

The Extron HC 404 combines video switching, scaling, signal extension, and system control into a transmitter and receiver pair that is economical, easy to install, and simple to operate. It checked all the boxes for Petronas’ meeting collaboration needs.

Efficient Meetings, Effortless Collaboration

The HC 404 system is ready to begin the meeting when Petronas attendees arrive and tidies up after they leave. The display powers on as soon as the first presenter connects a source device. As new sources become active, the HC 404 automatically switches to display the new content, facilitating group shares. The system automatically powers off after a preset delay when all AV inputs are removed. The transmitter has two HDMI inputs and one VGA input to accommodate a broad range of devices. The receiver has an HDMI input port for local source connection. The HC 404 EDID Minder feature and powerful video scaling capability automatically match inputs of varying resolutions to the display’s native resolution for optimum image detail and color accuracy.

Streamlined Installation and Commissioning

The HC 404 installation process was easy and allowed the integrator to make quick progress commissioning Petronas’ large number of conference rooms. Signal extension between transmitters and receivers utilizes a single CATx cable, simplifying runs. The receiver supplies remote power to the transmitter as well. The Cable Cubby 202 mounting clamp quickly secures the enclosure to the furniture surface using common hand tools, and cables install from the top. Initial system setup is expedited using Extron PCS – Product Configuration Software which walks technicians through the process with intuitive menus and buttons. PCS allows configurations to be stored and replicated, saving time when commissioning so many rooms for the Petronas project.

Result

According to Mr. Mohd Nizam Bin Razalie, Managing Director at integrator Cantuman Wawasan, “A key reason we adopted the HC 404 system midway through the project was to take advantage of its control capabilities to turn off the projectors after a set period of no signal activity. Petronas indicated that with the previous system, projectors were often left on after meetings, causing premature bulb burnout. The HC 404 solved this problem, and at a price that fit the budget. The HC 404 has been in use since phase 3 of this 8-phase installation project, and user feedback is uniformly positive.”