Trilogy celebrates 25 years in audio communications

Issued November 2011

Trilogy Communications, the global provider of digital intercom systems and Master Reference Generators to the broadcast industry, this month celebrates a quarter of a century in one of the most dynamic and technologically advanced industries imaginable. To mark this major milestone in the company’s history the management held a company dinner for employees, hosted by both the current management and the original founders.

Trilogy Communications was founded back in 1986 by three individuals: Tim Hardisty, Roger Stanwell and Ian Malcolmson, whose initials are the foundation of the name ‘Trilogy’. Its first days of trading were conducted around Roger Stanwell’s kitchen table before the young entrepreneurs were able to afford the move to more suitable offices close to their current head office location in Andover, Hampshire. The founders built the fledgling business by signing prestigious contracts for its early Sync Pulse generators and intercom systems with major broadcasters like the BBC using contacts from their earlier careers at Link Electronics.

According to founder member Roger Stanwell, pivotal moments in the company’s history include; the decision to move away from the standard practice of making customised intercoms systems to adopt PC programmable systems, and the adoption of digital technology allowing for the subsequent introduction of the first IP based Intercom, Mercury, in 2001. This paved the way for the decision that all future products should be IP enabled.

With the successful launch of its Mercury intercom system the company also moved into the defence, security and emergency management markets and opened its US offices to create another important sales channel for its range of audio communications solutions. These new markets have allowed the company to maintain its growth by leveraging the continued success of Trilogy in its core broadcast market.

Over the years Trilogy has taken a pivotal role in the reporting of Local, European, UK General and US Presidential elections as Barry Spencer, General Manager of Trilogy’s Broadcast recalls, “Using a mixture of large permanent installations augmented by additional ad-hoc rented systems we have been at the forefront of election coverage since 2000. It’s something of which we are all rightly proud.”

Reflecting on some of the more stressful moments of the company’s early history Roger recounts a particularly nerve-wracking moment at the opening of the channel tunnel in 1994 when the Queen was due to meet President Mitterrand of France with two of the new Eurostar trains touching nose to nose. He recalls his horror at realising that the intercom system that was being used to choreograph the whole event had stopped working. Thankfully a few frantic minutes and a new fuse later disaster was averted. Such is life when your products are mission critical!

Today the company employs 60 people and has a thriving business operating in 70 countries around the globe. Its range of intercom systems and Master Reference Generators are installed in broadcasters around the globe that include the BBC, ITV, Al Jazeera, CBS, ABC Hearst-Argyle, Fox TV, France Television, Arqiva, Star TV, Times TV, Qatar TV, Reuters and many others.

When asked about the secret of the company’s success over the years Roger replies, “Trilogy has always been a people business. We deliver a personal service and we believe in building solid relationships with both customers and distributors. It has been this guiding principle that has driven our reputation for reliability and trustworthiness allowing the company to grow and expand even in the tough economic conditions we have seen over the past few years.”