The system is being designed for the Chengdu Handicapped Healing Centre, an eight-floor facility that will offer education, healthcare, healing and entertainments services. 10 induction loops will be installed, using Ampetronic ILD20, ILD60, ILD122, ILD252 loop amplifiers.
Unlike in the Western world, China currently has no legislation that requires induction loops to be installed, as Amtor's Tony Xu explains: "Induction loops are both a new idea and new technology for China. Government officials only recently began to hear about it and they are interested, but up to now there have been no successfully installed induction loop systems in China."
All that is about to change, of course, and Tony Xu sees a huge potential market once the Chinese authorities realise how effective induction loop technology is. Increased multi-national influences on Chinese business are also likely to have an impact, as visitors from other countries expect facilities that they take for granted at home.
For example, the 2008 Olympics will bring athletes, officials and spectators from a wide variety of countries to Beijing. More to the point, Beijing is also the venue for the 2008 Paralympics, where comprehensive disabled facilities will not just be desirable, but absolutely vital.
"The potential market is huge, especially in the big coastal big economic centres such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and so on," says Tony. "These big cities and the areas around them are the economic engine of China with high incomes, massive populations, huge investment in city facility construction and ever-increasing economic globalization. All of these factors will lead to the introduction of facilities like induction loops, which help people to communicate more effectively."
"However, we still have lots of work to do, because the Chinese market is currently zero," he continues. "Ampetronic is the worldwide leader in induction loops. It's not just a business with high commercial potential; it's a business that helps people. That's why I decided to take on the distributorship of the company's products."
(Lee Baldock)
