Triteq Ltd
Case Study
Sector: Product design - electronics
Employees: 29
Location: Berkshire
The big idea :- to develop a communicating safety device that looked like a name badge to protect the lone or isolated worker.
What they do
Established in 1992 by Jacqueline Berry and Stephen Lane, Triteq has evolved to become a leading innovator in the design, development and manufacture of electronic devices for a variety of industrial sectors.
The challenge
...was to design a communicating device to protect lone workers that was quicker to operate than a mobile phone and more discrete to use. After attending a Suzy Lamplugh Trust seminar on "handling conflict", Craig Swallow, then Triteq's Commercial Director, realised the extent of the dangers faced by some community-based workers around the world. The technology available to help protect these workers was also limited - indeed, a mobile phone was often the only device available to contact help.
An important element of the design was the need for it to be discrete - when people are under attack the obvious use of a phone or other alarm device could exacerbate an already difficult situation, and might even provide the flashpoint leading to a violent attack.
The solution
The designers at Triteq decided to develop an alarm device to mimic the ordinary identity card worn by all community workers. Called Identicom, each unit features a discrete button on the rear of the badge which when pressed covertly opens a voice call to a dedicated and responsible third-party point, such as a call monitoring centre, where it can be managed, recorded, listened to, and if necessary relayed to the emergency services.
In addition, Identicom hides a clever "rip alarm" in the carrying strap, which automatically triggers an alarm if it is forcibly removed from the wearer.
Each card incorporates GSM, battery and power management technologies, and pinpoints the location of the wearer. The use of GSM also enables the identity card to trigger text messages to be sent automatically and directly to colleagues. Furthermore, it allows users to pre-record useful information before going out in the field. If they do not then respond to the incorporated timer, the card will make an emergency call to initiate a response to the possible incident.
Issues arising
As a design and development company with a range of world-class expertise in electronic and software skills, Triteq has less experience of mass production or marketing of products.
Triteq set up a subsidiary company, Connexion2, to develop the Identicom under the leadership of Commmercial Director, Craig Swallow, who became CEO. Industrial designers worked on the form of the finished product to ensure that it looked and felt exactly like a standard ID badge, and a third party manufacturer was engaged to take the prototypes into volume production.
Such a team approach to projects is a key feature of Triteq's business model - maximising its own potential and blending in external expertise.
The outcome
Launched in 2005, around 5,000 Identicom units have already been sold, reaching in excess of £870,000. This is a great start, and the future looks very promising as these figures only represent less than 5% of the UK market, with global markets as yet untapped.
Triteq founder Jacqueline Berry Is extremely happy with the success so far. She explains: "Identicom has proved to be a highly successful spin-off from Triteq and hopefully sets the trend for future business enterprises. This has been an especially significant year for Triteq with Identicom winning Design Application of the Year at Elektra, Munich. We are all extremely proud."
What could you do?
Very often smaller companies are reluctant to work in partnerships such as the one featured above. They fear loss of Intellectual Property or control of the project. Yet such partnerships can shorten the time taken for an innovation to reach the market - providing the partners are in agreement, possibly aided by written contracts or memoranda of understanding, outlining responsibilities, costs and timelines. You could explore the possibilities of working in partnership - see http://www.businesslink.gov.uk for more information/help.
Triteq website: http://www.triteq.com
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