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Xpert cabling at The Sage, Gateshead, the 70 million home for music and art wired to the world.

16th December 2004 - The Sage, Gateshead - the latest addition to Gateshead's developing quayside - will open its doors to the public on 17 December 2004. Inside will be a structured cabling and Integrated Building Management System provided by Xpert Communications.

Xpert's high performance, cabling solution provides the centre with a resilient backbone that will cope with the ever growing demands of a high speed network, analogue and digital video and IP voice systems as well as building automation systems.

Haden Young, who contracted Xpert Communications, acknowledged from the outset that structured cabling was the foundation of a successful network and the basic investment on which all other network equipment depends. Ray Henderson, Project Manager, Haden Young, comments "With this in mind we chose Xpert Communications as our partner for this project. The Xpert team was responsive and flexible to the complex demands of the project and managed to deliver the project within the deadline and on budget. With a willingness to provide solutions and assist with every stage of the project, I am positive Xpert's excellent standard of installation will benefit visitors to the centre for years to come."

Councillor Mick Henry, leader of Gateshead Council, said "The completion of this spectacular building is a major milestone in the area's regeneration that will once again put Gateshead on a world stage and we are tremendously excited about the programme of activity planned, which promises to maintain Gateshead's growing reputation."

A representative from Gateshead Council finishes, "The unique scale and scope of The Sage Gateshead project necessitated working with a technology partner that not only had first rate project management experience but that would really add strategic value to the solution we required. It goes without saying that a robust communication infrastructure was critical to the success of the project and Xpert's knowledge and experience really paid dividends for us in this area."

Rob Coyne, Chief Commercial Officer, Xpert Communications said, "We are delighted to be working on such a prestigious project and it's rewarding that our products and services will further the objectives of The Sage, Gateshead as a home for music and arts."

About The Sage

The Sage Gateshead is owned by Gateshead Council. Winner of the 2004 Robert Stephenson Award for concept and design and housed in a spectacular Norman Foster building on a riverside site on the south bank of the River Tyne, the site promises to have world-class facilities for music performance and education, conferences, meetings and a wide range of different kinds of events.

The Sage will have three halls for a wide range of different kinds of music and state of the art acoustic and technical facilities throughout all of its performance and education spaces. It will be 'wired to the World' for all kinds of traditional and future web broadcasting. More than half a million people a year of all ages are expected to use the centre.