Corden Pharma, acquired by the International Chemical Investors Group (ICIG) in 2009, is a global pharmaceutical manufacturing and service platform. It is a manufacturer of pharmaceutical products and related packaging services with nine manufacturing facilities in Europe and the United States and a R&D research laboratory, with a total of 1,870 employees.

General Requirements

• For maximum security and operational continuity, the system had to be redundant, thus ensuring the management of intercom calls and announcement broadcasts even if one of the two central servers malfunctions;
• High quality hands-free communications with devices suitable for installation in sterile environments: the system had to ensure the intelligibility of communications inside the clean rooms, allowing operators to communicate without interrupting their work;
• The ability to broadcast music through the intercom terminal devices, to offer a minimum of entertainment to staff working in the clean rooms;
• Integration with third-party systems for information exchange and the unified management of communications;
• Communications management of plant entrances with anti vandalism devices equipped with video cameras;
• Communications management of two geographically distant sites, interconnected only by standard IP infrastructure.

The solution

Virtuosis, the Intercom Server Software of Commend was chosen. Installed on the company’s server, Virtuosis is a highly scalable and flexible system that will adapt perfectly to the customer’s current and future needs, which makes the system redundant and therefore extremely reliable and functionally available. Virtuosis has also provided for simple system integration of the emergency and evacuation public address system. A seamless interaction between the corporate telephone system -fixed and cordless- and the entire intercom system is provided. Finally, Commend provides easy management of communications among all intercom terminal devices using the IP infrastructure, without the addition of any local hardware.

Clean Rooms

The equipment had the specific customer requirement that it was aseptic, thus protecting against infections. Commend could also meet this requirement because of its protection Grade. The high speech quality over the speakerphone was also of decisive importance. The voice quality is powerful, crystal clear and provides intelligible hands free communications even 5-7 meters away from the terminal device.

Entrances

Vandal-proof IP terminal devices with video cameras, which communicate with two operator stations equipped with touch screens, are used for the surveillance of the plant entrances. If the operator stations are not manned, calls can be handled from any intercom station. A large touch screen display provides clear visualization of images from the video cameras, and all the information required to manage calls and functions for the entire intercom system. “We were looking for a reliable solution that would solve the various regulatory and functional aspects in the integrated management of communications with sealed and certified clean rooms, and plant entrances and exits. It was essential for us to find a full IP solution for management of communications between geographically distant sites without having to implement any local network infrastructure. Ultimately, the new intercom system also had to be adaptable and expandable to meet future needs. In addition to being technologically suited to our needs, the Commend solution has proved to be comprehensive and flexible”, explains Sabrina Papetti, Information System and Technology of Corden Pharma.