The solution and result
Jacob Sprayson, Operations Support Manager at Housing 21, discusses their experience of working with Appello to install the analogue to digital converter, SmartBridge.
Why did you choose Appello for your digital telecare project?
Appello was the natural choice. We already have a strong, established partnership as they have installed and supported digital emergency call systems across schemes in our wider portfolio. They have a good knowledge of our organisation, systems and expectations, so this gave us confidence in them from the start.
Why did you decide to go for an analogue to digital converter?
We're committed to pragmatic digital innovation and wanted to retrofit our existing emergency call systems. Many of the schemes had functioning analogue infrastructure, so didn't need a full replacement at this stage.
An analogue to digital (A2D) converter offered a low disruption and future proof solution. This gave us the modern functionality and resilience we needed to prepare for the digital switchover, without the cost and complexity of a full system overhaul.
Appello's A2D converter, SmartBridge, was exactly what we needed, offering compatibility with our systems, while providing digital call routing and two-way audio capability.
How did you find the installation process?
This ran smoothly overall. It was particularly important that service continuity and the safety of residents were not disrupted during installation and testing. We achieved this through strong coordination between Appello and our contractor DFP with our internal IT team and local scheme employees.
We did face a few complex scenarios. For example, one scheme required two analogue telephone adaptors to enable full signal integration, while other schemes needed additional digital lines to be installed in coordination with IT. We also discovered that speech units on the emergency call system were blocked during fire alarm activation, which prevented Appello from dialling in to verify alerts or communicate with on-site teams. We resolved this by agreeing a fallback procedure where Appello would call employee’s mobile phones which are answered 24/7 with the support of our third-party care providers, if a fire alarm signal was received to make sure that no alert went unacknowledged.
These kinds of challenges were to be expected. But they were addressed quickly and effectively with a high level of communication across all teams.
What impact have the analogue to digital converters had?
We've seen fewer first time call failures and a greater consistency in the calls since implementing the SmartBridge converter.
There's weekly structured testing in place now. This means employees can be more confident in the process as Appello proactively verify that the signals are being received correctly. This has created a clear feedback loop between teams.
The digital connection is also inherently more stable than relying on ageing analogue lines, so overall reliability and assurance have definitely improved.
What lessons have you learned from the project?
We've found flexible planning has been key to deal with variations in infrastructure across different schemes. This has included adapting equipment setups as well as looking at alternative processes to ensure resilience is built-in – for example, implementing mobile call protocols during system interruptions.
Strong collaboration with internal and external teams has been essential at each stage. It's also been important to have operational clarity and buy-in, which has supported sustainable testing following installation and helped ensure a faster resolution to any challenges.
We're now using this approach as a model for future upgrades across our organisation.
Would you recommend SmartBridge?
Yes, I would. SmartBridge is a strong option for any organisation looking to modernise their telecare infrastructure without undertaking full replacements. It’s ideal for schemes with functional legacy systems that need to be made digitally compliant. The installation is relatively straightforward, the system is reliable, and with the right partner – like Appello – the project becomes much more than a tech swap. It’s a joint effort to deliver safer, future-ready housing. Given our experience and the results we’ve seen, I would confidently recommend it to others across the sector.
