Hi-tech shopping centre opens in Leicester

Leicester will be home to the UK's most IT-enabled shopping centre

The UK's most technologically advanced shopping centre opens today in Leicester at the newly refurbished Highcross complex.

The centre's whole IT infrastructure is built on technology from Cisco Systems, including everything from IT and comms systems to security, energy metering and ventilation.

The network was designed to smooth the running of the centre for retailers, while providing a safer, more convenient experience for residents and shoppers.

It is also hoped that the infrastructure will help in reducing the centre's environmental impact.

All apartments and retail units have automatic instant energy monitoring to tell the occupier how much they are using and where in an effort to encourage energy efficiency.

The centre is capable of regulating its own temperature and ensuring that ventilation can be used instead of air conditioning where possible.

Highcross will host the UK's largest IP controlled CCTV network in the UK, with nearly 500 cameras monitoring the site day and night and providing instant information to a central control room.

The centre will be one of the most technologically advanced buildings in the UK, according to Nick Blofeld, head of Cisco's UK Connected Real Estate division.

"Highcross uses technology in the very best way: innovatively, cleverly and with real benefits that everyone can see," he said.

"Intelligent buildings of this kind have yet to flourish in the UK, and it is exciting to see cutting edge technology combined with the latest retail design to produce what is undoubtedly one of the UK's most advanced buildings."