Case Study: Paging Modernisation at Canberra Hospital
Nearly a decade of partnership. A campus-wide paging overhaul.
Ikonix Technology extended reliable paging into Canberra Hospital's major new clinical building and modernised the messaging platform behind it, delivered in stages inside a live 24/7 hospital, with no loss of paging capability.
Executive Summary
Canberra Hospital's paging system carries some of its most time-critical messages, including medical emergency calls, duress, and security alerts. As the hospital opened its major new Critical Services Building and its enterprise architecture evolved, Ikonix Technology was engaged to extend coverage into the new building and modernise the core messaging platform. Across three staged phases, reliable paging was established across the new building, the messaging environment was consolidated onto a single virtualised Unified Messaging Suite, and the platform was set up for future resilience work. This was done in a live 24/7 hospital, with rollback available at every step. Canberra Hospital now runs on the same proven platform trusted by 40+ hospitals across three Australian health jurisdictions.
Challenge
Reliable paging reception was required in a major new clinical building while the core messaging platform needed modernisation onto current-generation software and hardware infrastructure, without disrupting a live hospital.
Journey
Ikonix Technology has supported the hospital's paging since 2017. A decade of reliable service and deep system knowledge made us the natural partner for the modernisation.
Solution
A staged, low-risk rollout: a DAS for the new building, then consolidation onto a single virtualised UMS platform, run in parallel with the existing system, with rollback at every stage.
Result
A modern, unified messaging platform that carries medical and facility emergency messaging reliability into the new building, consolidates onto current-generation infrastructure, and adds IP-independent business continuity.
The Challenge: When a Code Blue Depends on Paging
When a medical emergency or critical safety or facility alert is sent at Canberra Hospital, the paging system is used to get the right clinician or responder to the right location to provide support. It underpins emergency response, clinical coordination, duress alerts and security across the whole campus, so it has to be fast and dependable, every time.
In the mid-2020s, the hospital was opening Building 5, its major new Critical Services Building, and its enterprise architecture was evolving as part of a broader ICT modernisation. That made it the right moment to extend paging into the new building and bring the messaging platform onto a single, current-generation, virtualised foundation which consolidated components that had served the hospital well over many years.
Ikonix Technology's signal survey of the new Critical Services Building (home to the emergency department, intensive care, operating theatres and the helideck) confirmed that paging coverage needed to be established across levels 1 to 5 before clinical teams moved in. Getting that right was the first priority.
The Journey: Nearly a Decade of Reliable Partnership
Ikonix Technology has supported paging at Canberra Hospital since 2017, providing maintenance and support for the existing system.
Over that time, Ikonix built detailed working knowledge of the hospital's paging infrastructure, its integrations with clinical and switchboard systems, and its coverage across the site.
When the new Critical Services Building required paging coverage, and the messaging platform was due for modernisation, the hospital engaged Ikonix to deliver both. The upgrade extended an existing support relationship into design and delivery.
The Solution: Staged, Low‑Risk, Future‑Ready
The work was staged in three phases, targeting the highest priorities first while minimising disruption to a 24/7 hospital.
Phase 1 – New Building Coverage
We designed and installed a paging Distributed Antenna System (DAS) across levels 1 to 5 of the new Critical Services Building. This included:
- A 250W POCSAG transmitter
- VHF antennas and a coaxial cabling network
- Full integration with the existing broadcast system
The same proven approach we have deployed at Blacktown, Prince of Wales, Nepean, and Westmead Hospitals. Pagers now work reliably throughout in the new building.
Phase 2 – Communications Platform Upgrade
We consolidated the hospital's messaging environment onto a single, modern, virtualised Ikonix Unified Messaging Suite (UMS). The hospital now has access to:
- Ikonix Messenger as the core messaging engine.
- A modern browser interface for switchboard operators, with emergency code hotkeys, on‑call rostering, and a full personnel directory.
- Upgraded paging hardware for both primary and backup encoding and broadcast.
- A business continuity paging path that works even if the hospital’s IP network goes down.
- Consolidation and retirement of earlier-generation components (serial devices and standalone hardware) onto modern, virtualised, IP-based infrastructure aligned to the hospital's current enterprise architecture
The entire cutover was designed to run in parallel with the old system, with rollback capability at every stage, so the hospital had only minimal, planned downtime and no loss of paging capability.
Ikonix continues as the hospital's paging and messaging partner for future stages of work
The Results: A Future‑Proof Platform Across the ACT
After nearly a decade of support, Ikonix Technology has modernised and consolidated Canberra Hospital's paging onto a single, virtualised unified messaging platform, and carried reliable coverage into the major new Critical Services Building. Switchboard operators have a browser‑based console with emergency hotkeys and on‑call rostering. The hospital has a business continuity paging path independent of its IP network. And the entire platform is aligned to the current enterprise architecture, ready for the future.
Key takeaways:
- Continuity into the new building. Medical emergency pages now reach clinicians right across the campus, including throughout the new Critical Services Building.
- Modernised and consolidated. Earlier-generation components brought onto a single, current-generation, IP-based platform aligned to the hospital's enterprise architecture.
- Switchboard efficiency improved. Ikonix UMS replaces outdated terminals with hotkeys, rostering, and a live directory.
- Business continuity built in. A dedicated paging path operates even if the hospital’s IP network fails.
- Long‑term partnership. Ikonix has supported Canberra Hospital's paging since 2017 and now delivers its messaging platform. One partner, end-to-end: RF infrastructure, software, integration and support delivered together under a single five-year agreement
- National footprint expanded. Canberra Hospital joins 40+ hospitals across SA Health and NSW Health on the same Ikonix Technology platform.
Planning a new building, or ready to modernise your critical messaging?
Whether you're extending paging into a new facility or bringing your messaging platform onto current-generation infrastructure, Ikonix delivers staged, low-risk projects that keep critical communication running throughout, backed by a partnership that lasts.