{"id":10637,"date":"2025-11-17T16:30:43","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T15:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.avire-global.com\/en-uk\/?post_type=case&p=10637"},"modified":"2025-11-28T11:50:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T10:50:10","slug":"mass-migration-lift-alarm-premier-inn-case-study","status":"publish","type":"case","link":"https:\/\/www.avire-global.com\/en-uk\/case-studies\/mass-migration-lift-alarm-premier-inn-case-study\/","title":{"rendered":"Mass Migration of Lift Alarm Connections \u2013 A Premier Inn Case Study"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Premier Inn, the UK\u2019s largest hotel chain with over 85,000 rooms across the country, faced a significant technological challenge brought about by the UK\u2019s transition away from legacy analogue telephone networks. With 1,100 lift alarms spread across a wide-ranging portfolio of hotels in the UK, Republic of Ireland, Isle of Man, and the Channel Islands, the business needed a managed, resilient, and forward-looking alternative to PSTN connections. Ensuring passenger safety, maintaining compliance, and achieving cost control were all central priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This case study sets out how Premier Inn<\/a>, supported by VerticA Consulting<\/a> and MEMCO (a brand of AVIRE)<\/a>, successfully navigated the migration of its lift alarm portfolio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

VerticA Consulting<\/strong> is a specialist lift consultancy with long-standing expertise in project management, modernisation, and maintenance oversight across the UK and beyond.
MEMCO by AVIRE<\/strong> has been a trusted global supplier of lift safety and communication solutions since 1972, with a reputation for innovation and reliability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Challenge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The nationwide switch-off of analogue telephone lines, scheduled for completion by January 2027, created an urgent risk for Premier Inn\u2019s operations. Two technical risks stood out:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Analogue signalling support<\/strong> \u2013 Most digital providers could not reliably handle the DTMF signalling used by traditional autodiallers. Without robust signalling, emergency calls from lift passengers could fail to connect.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Power resilience<\/strong> \u2013 Copper telephone lines carried their own power supply, but digital lines depend on mains electricity. This meant that in the event of a power cut, a situation where lift entrapments are more likely, the line itself could fail.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    On top of these risks, Premier Inn\u2019s scale brought unique complications. The estate included more than a thousand lifts in diverse types of buildings, maintained by several contractors across multiple territories. Operationally, the lack of a reliable asset list for telephone lines compounded the problem: lines were sometimes cancelled or reallocated without notice, and issues were frequently misdiagnosed, creating delays and unnecessary expense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This was not simply a technical issue but a logistical and management challenge that required a comprehensive solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    The Solution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Premier Inn turned to its long-term lift consultancy partner, VerticA Consulting, to identify and evaluate alternatives. After extensive research and comparison, MEMCO\u2019s SENTINEL Service<\/strong><\/a> was selected as the solution capable of meeting both the technical and operational needs of the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    \"Sentinel\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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    The SENTINEL Service met every one of the key selection criteria:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    • Reliability<\/strong> \u2013 By replacing fixed copper lines with a 4G VoLTE gateway supported by a roaming SIM, the system could connect to any mobile network, maximising coverage. An onboard battery provided up to four hours of backup in the event of power failure, and the system fully supported analogue signalling.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Management<\/strong> \u2013 SENTINEL offered continuous monitoring and remote diagnostics. A complete digital asset list was created, supported by a full audit trail of connections, giving Premier Inn visibility and control. Proactive alerts meant that problems could be resolved quickly, often before they escalated into incidents.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Established expertise<\/strong> \u2013 MEMCO\u2019s long-standing role in the lift industry meant the company could work seamlessly with multiple contractors while providing reassurance of proven reliability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Cost certainty<\/strong> \u2013 SENTINEL was delivered on a fixed-fee basis, covering both installation and ongoing service. Premier Inn could therefore budget accurately without risk of hidden or escalating costs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • End-to-end project delivery<\/strong> \u2013 Using Premier Inn\u2019s existing maintenance contractors, MEMCO was able to coordinate a standardised installation process across all sites, supported by VerticA\u2019s oversight and specifications.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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      Deployment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      The migration was a large-scale programme covering 570 individual hotel sites<\/strong> and six different lift contractors. Preparatory work involved building a definitive list of lifts and appliances requiring alarms. Platform lifts, for example, were reviewed on a case-by-case basis, as not all required alarm systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The deployment process included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      • Agreement of consistent installation specifications across the contractor base.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Training of engineers on MEMCO equipment to ensure quality and reliability.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Use of a mobile application to test connections and capture legacy telephone numbers for decommissioning.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Deployment of high-gain antennas and directional antennas at sites where signal quality was poor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • A seven-day monitoring period for each installation to ensure stability of mobile signal and mains power.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Challenges were inevitable across such a broad portfolio. At Heathrow Terminal 4, for instance, low signal strength caused by proximity to airport radar equipment had to be overcome using directional antennas. At Canary Wharf, extremely weak signals on upper floors required the installation of extended cabling to position gateways at lower levels. These examples highlighted the adaptability of the solution and the collaborative problem-solving between contractors, VerticA, and MEMCO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        By late 2024, 80% of connections had been migrated successfully<\/strong>. This rose to 90% by March 2025, with the full programme completed by July 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        Results & Benefits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        The completed migration delivered a wide range of benefits to Premier Inn:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        • Safety and resilience<\/strong> \u2013 Fully managed, monitored connections that provide reliable performance even during power outages.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Operational efficiency<\/strong> \u2013 Real-time monitoring and diagnostics reduced the number of unnecessary call-outs, saving time and improving contractor efficiency.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Cost savings<\/strong> \u2013 The project achieved an estimated 25% reduction in costs<\/strong> compared with digital telephone line and UPS alternatives.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Improved asset management<\/strong> \u2013 For the first time, Premier Inn had a complete, digital record of its lift alarm connections, ensuring that legacy lines could be cancelled with confidence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Proactive fault detection<\/strong> \u2013 SENTINEL identified faulty autodiallers that were unnecessarily generating alarm calls, preventing wasted costs and highlighting where replacements were needed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Stronger collaboration<\/strong> \u2013 The project led to new, clearly defined ways of working between Premier Inn, contractors, and MEMCO, improving communication and accountability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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          “This project is a testament to what true collaboration can achieve. By working seamlessly across suppliers, contractors, consultants and the client team, we were able to overcome complex challenges and deliver expectation \u2014 all without disrupting ongoing operations, the team from AVIRE took the challenge and delivered as promised<\/strong><\/em>.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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          \u2014 Chris Holmes, Technical Director, VerticA Consulting Limited<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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          Looking Ahead<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          With the migration nearing completion, Premier Inn now operates one of the largest fully managed lift alarm estates in the UK and Ireland. The business has not only addressed the risks posed by the analogue switch-off but has also gained enhanced resilience, greater visibility, and more predictable operating costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          VerticA and MEMCO continue to support Premier Inn with ongoing monitoring, battery replacements, and proactive maintenance insights. The project stands as a benchmark for how large-scale transitions can be delivered through collaboration, innovation, and rigorous planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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          “Digital transformation isn\u2019t just about replacing one technology with another<\/strong><\/em>. It\u2019s about improving reliability, visibility and safety while reducing administrative burden for the client.”<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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          \u2014 Matthew Davies, Business Development Manager \u2013 Digital & Services, MEMCO by AVIRE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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          Ready to modernise your lift alarms? Speak with our specialists about the best digital solution for your estate.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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