Swiss skiing region Titlis installs Barix audio solution Music and announcements for 35 cable car stations and ski lodges

Zurich/Switzerland, September 16, 2008. People who love winter sports increasingly look for a feel-good atmosphere in which they can wedel or snowboard, in addition to first-class pistes and cross-country trails. This of course includes background music. With this in mind, the Swiss ski region of Titlis has now professionalised and greatly simplified its system for playing music and making announcements: A centralised solution from Zurich-based communications specialist Barix AG provides reliable broadcasting of music and announcements to 35 cable car stations and ski lodges. The Barix devices are based on IP (Internet Protocol) technology which enables simple, reliable and cost-effective audio solutions. The winter sport and excursion region of Titlis is enjoying increasing popularity: many thousands of hikers and winter sports fans, above all from northern Switzerland and southern Germany, love this alpine region with its 82 kilometres of ski pistes, five cross-country courses and a 3.5-kilometre long toboggan run. To offer the tourists a pleasant atmosphere, the Engelberg Trübsee Titlis AG mountain railway has implemented a professional solution from Barix AG for broadcasting music and announcements. The system is controlled by a central PC which transmits the music to 35 cable car stations and a number of ski lodges. A Barix device receives this audio information and forwards it to the speakers connected to the system. It means that the entire ski region can sway to the same sound. If desired, different music styles can be broadcast to the individual stations, for example, children’s songs for the ski kindergarten and hip-hop on the halfpipe. Announcements can also be broadcast to all stations simultaneously, automatically interrupting the music. If required, individual announcements – such as safety warnings or ski race commentaries – can be transmitted to specific stations. Centralised audio system for increased professionalism at lower cost The Barix system replaces a multitude of different music systems in the stations and lodges. This provides a number of advantages for Titlis. The centralised solutions enables simultaneous and reliable transmission of announcements and music in excellent quality throughout the entire ski region. Even if the central PC crashes, announcements can still be sent to the stations using backup functions which also maintain music broadcasts. The cable car stations and ski lodges can also communicate directly with one another using the Barix system. As a result, purchase and maintenance costs have been cut. “Quite apart from these benefits, the Barix devices are very reasonably priced,” says Mr Philipp Ineichen, owner of inroi AG, which was responsible for the implementation of the Barix solution in Titlis. The installation of the components was extremely simple: inroi configured the devices in advance so that they would only need connecting to the existing network. Each station and ski lodge could then adjust the sound level as required. Operating the system is also very simple: the entire ski region is displayed graphically on the central PC in the valley station and individual devices can be selected and separately controlled with a click of the mouse. A solution with a future The current system in Titlis has a great deal of potential for the future: thanks to the modular design, the Barix solution offers virtually limitless expansion possibilities. And it is more than just an acoustic system: “One of the great things about the Barix devices is that additional functions can be added at a later date,” says Ineichen. “Wherever a barrier needs to be operated, a door opened or an intercom system set up, it is really easy with the existing components.” All Barix devices are based on IP (Internet Protocol) technology, allowing the components to be integrated into existing systems easily. The only technical prerequisite is an Internet connection. “Our technology greatly simplifies communication and networking in all areas,” says Johannes Rietschel, Founder and CEO of Barix AG. “This applies to installation and administration as well as managing ongoing operations.” The Barix devices require no maintenance, and with no moving parts, are extremely reliable and durable. They also score on their minimal power consumption.