The UK's analogue-to-digital switchover is not moving fast enough. With the PSTN deadline fixed in January 2027, roughly 480,000 housing connections across the country still need to be digitised. At the scale required, more than 1,000 schemes per month, traditional warden call solutions simply cannot deliver. There is not the budget, the time, or the technical capacity to replace systems on a like-for-like basis. Someone needed to build something different.
The Challenge: A Solution That Didn't Exist
When The CCTV Company set out to address this gap, they quickly identified that what the market needed could not be sourced off the shelf. Their client required a system that was cable-free, dispersible across multiple building types, interoperable with existing infrastructure, and adaptable across 18 schemes, each with different legacy systems, ARC configurations, and physical layouts.
On top of that, the solution needed to include proactive wellbeing features, specifically daily "I'm OK" checks, a capability that did not yet exist in the dispersible alarm market.
Recognising that no single organisation could solve this alone, The CCTV Company brought together Chiptech and Skyresponse to co-produce the solution from the ground up.
The Solution: Built in Five Months
What would typically take a minimum of two years from concept to market entry was delivered in just five months.
At the hardware level, Chiptech developed the SmartCare Home solution, centred around the SEVEN alarm unit. The device can be positioned wherever it is most needed within the home, accepts calls and controls door entry from a range of cellular door panels, and links seamlessly to existing fire systems. It includes warden call-specific functionality, including daily "I'm OK" checks and inactivity alerts — all without a single cable being pulled through a wall.
Skyresponse provided the platform that made all of this work in practice.
As the vendor-neutral backbone of the solution, Skyresponse connects the SEVEN devices, on-site wardens, mobile responders, and Alarm Receiving Centres into a single, intelligent alarm management flow. Alarm routing is handled automatically: calls are directed to whoever is best placed to respond, whether that is a warden on-site or an external monitoring centre, based on availability and pre-configured response plans. If a contact is unavailable, the system escalates instantly, without manual intervention, and without gaps in coverage.
The platform's open architecture was central to meeting the project's core requirement: interoperability. Across 18 schemes with varying legacy systems and ARC setups, Skyresponse ensured that the solution could be deployed consistently, reliably, and at pace. A 30-way system can now be implemented in just two days.
The Value: Outcomes That Matter
The impact of this project is measurable across every level of the service.
For residents, the transition to digital has meant greater independence, reduced anxiety, and a smoother installation experience. The "I'm OK" daily check-in feature gives residents and their families reassurance between visits, while the cable-free installation means minimal disruption to their homes and routines. Feedback across all 18 schemes has been consistently positive.
For housing providers and operators, the new infrastructure removes the fragility of analogue systems: no more single-point failures caused by a damaged bus cable, no more alarm calls lost to PSTN outages. The platform delivers full visibility across all schemes in a single dashboard, with automated logging of every alarm, response, and site visit. Compliance reporting is built in, not bolted on.
For the wider sector, the project demonstrates something equally important: that the pace of digital transition can be dramatically accelerated when the right organisations work together. The scalable model developed here can be replicated across future schemes, reducing long-term costs and compressing the timeline to digital readiness across the UK.
What Made It Work
Three things defined this project: the right partners, a shared commitment to outcomes, and the technical infrastructure to deliver at scale.
The CCTV Company brought operational capability and a resident-first culture. Engineers were embedded throughout the process, attending resident engagement sessions and coffee mornings alongside surveys and installations. Chiptech brought hardware innovation purpose-built for the housing environment. Skyresponse provided the platform layer that connected it all, ensuring that every alarm signal, every response, and every escalation happened reliably, securely, and without the system ever having a single point of failure.
The result is not simply a digitised version of what existed before. It is a fundamentally different approach to safety in sheltered housing. It’s proactive, preventative, and built to scale.
Ready To Make The Switch?
Whether you are mapping your current systems, evaluating partners, or ready to start your migration, we are here to help.
Skyresponse works with housing providers, technology partners, and ARC operators across the UK to deliver reliable, scalable digital alarm management, from a single scheme to a full portfolio.
Have questions about your digital transition? We're here to help. Contact us to discuss how Skyresponse can support your next steps.
