RTS brings Palais des Congrés de Paris into the IP era

• OMNEO media networking architecture allows intercom system modernization for more flexible comms and more efficient events
• RTS KP-Series keypanels and ODIN digital intercom matrices ensure clear communication for all rooms throughout the convention center
• RTS ROAMEO DECT-based wireless beltpacks and access points provide convenience and clarity

Paris, France, May 2023 – Situated in the heart of the French capital, the Palais des Congrés de Paris is one of the most important and active convention centers in France. Hosting every type of event from medical conferences to the Tour de France presentation, the Palais des Congrés needs a powerful yet flexible AV infrastructure to ensure it can meet the needs of its various users. At the heart of this system is an RTS intercom backbone which has been modernized to work with OMNEO* IP networking architecture.

At over 40,000m³ the Palais des Congrés is a vast complex boasting meeting spaces of all sizes. The largest of its 29 conference rooms, Le Grand Amphitheatre, can seat 3800 participants, while the smallest caters to 90 people. Various spaces within the complex are in daily use, with the in-house AV team ensuring that the technical infrastructure for all events is functioning correctly and with the utmost efficiency. In step with the evolving day-to-day demands of a venue complex of this size, Palais des Congrés recently updated its AV infrastructure to become fully IP networked.

For the intercom side of the upgrade, the venue turned to local RTS partner Pilote Films. The team at Pilote Films highlighted that OMNEO would enable the congress center to get the most out of its IP architecture, as it allows RTS equipment to integrate into existing network infrastructure with the benefit of a range of built-in device control and audio technologies, such as Dante™ digital audio. Equally, the backwards-compatible nature of RTS equipment allows seamless integration with RTS legacy systems.

The fully IP-based system now features an ODIN 96-port digital matrix interconnected with an ODIN 48-port matrix alongside 40 KP-Series keypanels and several PH-88 headsets. Completing the solution are 13 ROAMEO AP-1800 access points and 24 ROAMEO TR-1800 beltpacks, with six of the access points and eight beltpacks reserved exclusively for Le Grand Amphitheatre.

“A fully IP-based solution from RTS allows us to deploy intercom devices simply and quickly across the whole 40,000 m³ of the Palais des Congrés,” explains Peter Siffre, Audiovisual Technical Coordinator at Palais des Congrés. “OMNEO media networking technology fully supports Dante, which allows us to connect to all our Dante products without adding any additional interface. Moreover, the OMNEO protocol guarantees an excellent audio quality, even at very long distances.”

Reflecting on the overall project, Siffre can see the advantages that the migration to IP and the RTS equipment has brought to the congress center. “RTS intercoms allows us to distribute the intercom system over two ODINs that have been placed as close as possible to the analog connections,” he states. “Some spaces are modular and could be arranged to comprise private meeting spaces. Our mobile PA systems have been equipped with an RTS intercom keypanel and are deployed to cover a single private room. In this configuration it is important that the convention center’s general intercom system does not pass through these private rooms, and that is managed automatically by the smart internal logic of the RTS devices.

“We continue to evolve our infrastructure by connecting our old two-wire system to our IP components,” concludes Siffre. “RTS has successfully brought the Palais des Congrès into the IP era.”

RTS equipment:
ODIN intercoms
PH-88 headsets
ROAMEO wireless intercom systems
AP-1800 access points
KP-Series keypanels
TR-1800 beltpacks

_{*OMNEO onboard}

_{OMNEO is an architectural approach for connecting devices over IP to exchange information, including audio content and device control. It is built upon multiple technologies, including IP and open public standards, to support the technologies of today — such as Audinate’s Dante™, AES67, AES70 and SMPTE ST 2110 — while evolving to support those of tomorrow.}

_{OMNEO architecture is based on two main components: (1) an IP media transport solution that offers low-latency, high-quality, fully-synchronized multi-channel audio exchange; and (2) a robust control protocol that provides reliable, secure and highly scalable system control and monitoring for professional applications of all sizes – from a local board room to an intercontinental communications system.}

_{OMNEO is fully compatible with Audinate's Dante™, AES67 and SMPTE ST 2110-30 for media transport. In addition, OMNEO has been designed to support emerging and future standards as they come to the market. The control solution in OMNEO is AES70 and is part of the OCA (Open Control Architecture) Ecosystem. It includes many features for flexibility, reliability, scalability and compatibility for today and tomorrow. OMNEO features many additional elements to ensure a complete and superior solution for the applications and products in which it is used, such as flexible networking topologies, optional encryption, optimized network performance and more.}