UK airports operator BAA has begun a £250m IT roll-out
at London Heathrow's new Terminal Five.
BAA and its four principal IT suppliers have until September
2007 to deploy IT systems ranging from an IP network to a £50m
baggage handling system.
Terminal Five is using Sonic ESB as the basis of a service
oriented architecture, which will integrate operational systems at
the terminal.
The SOA will focus on managing the interactions and changes of
state as millions of messages are triggered between baggage
handling, passenger information and flight information systems in
relation to real-time events.
NTL Business is rolling out a fibre optic IP network that will
provide the infrastructure for 200 systems and applications,
including passenger management systems, a baggage handling system
and an all IP CCTV infrastructure, including dedicated storage.
Nick Gaines, BAA's IT director for the Terminal Five project,
said, "The technology systems represent the largest risk to our
success." But he added, "The success of the project depends on
sustaining one team and keeping open and honest communication at
all levels."
BAA, NTL Business, Arup, Ultra and Honeywell are testing the
interfaces between different systems before deployment.