Tait commissions new radio system for Indonesian oil and gas company

Tait Communications has commissioned a new radio system for Indonesian oil exploration operations on the coast of Borneo.

The Tait network and more than 600 Tait portable radios will be used by field engineers, production workers and supervisors at VICO Indonesia’s oil pipeline.

The TaitNet MPT trunked network will replace an existing Tait system that has been in place for eight years.

Rizal Purwanto, ICT manager at VICO Indonesia, says the original system provided by Tait was still going strong, but investing in a more modern network was a vital step to prevent any risks further down the line.

Technology does start to fail with age, so we want to prepare and mitigate this risk by getting a new system in place now. Rizal Purwanto, VICO Indonesia

“We have been really happy with the service provided by Tait with our existing network system, but technology does start to fail with age, so we want to prepare and mitigate this risk by getting a new system in place now.”

Brett Smythe, general manager for Tait Asia-Pacific, says VICO made an early decision to continue to use Tait portable radios due to their efficiency and the popularity of the products among staff. Tait won the competitive international tender process to provide the network system as well.

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“IT’s not strategic unless it’s interacting with clients or it’s directly involved in the client delivery experiences, because otherwise, you’re just a support system, a cost, an overhead,” says the global CIO of Tait Communications.

“A key requirement for the system provider was that the network could support Tait hardware,” says Smythe. “The reliability of our networks and hardware was vital for VICO, which needed an operationally effective and easy to commission network that would help keep their workers safe.

“TaitNet MPT-IP has been specifically developed to allow for flexibility, scalability and modularity in readiness for changing business needs, making it a great solution for VICO as the company targets growth in its region.”

Based on VICO’s requirements, Tait developed a full package that will be purchased by Tait partner PT. ALSSA Corporindo and leased to VICO. The system will go on air in April.

Tait, with headquarters in Christchurch, supplies critical communications systems to mining, oil and gas companies across the world, including Petrobras in Brazil, Anglo American’s Capcoal in Australia and the Cerrj?n Coal Mine in Colombia.

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