Security Sales & Integration

November 2012

SSI serves security installing contractors providing systems and services; surveillance, access control, biometrics, fire alarm and home control/automation. Coverage in commercial and residential product applications, designs, techniques, operations.

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COLLEGE CENTRALIZES ITS SECURITY down to the door, our installation times were improved." T e surveillance system is paced by ipConfi gure video management system (VMS) and approximately 500 Axis Communications IP cameras (standard and megapixel); while other systems include DMP XR500N intrusion alarm panels and Sentrol (UTC) door contacts, Lynx IP duress alarms, and a variety of emergency call stations. "We started getting our feet wet in security with video surveillance," says Dugan. "One of the things that brought a smile to my face after reviewing all the video management systems out there was ipConfi gure's approach. T ey were very CPCC deployed centralized access control as the basis for its security solution with video surveillance and intrusion detection operating within that framework. Thus the system com- municates security information from any of the campuses immediately back to the datacenter. IT enterprise centric, with a simple interface that was easy to manage and could scale in multiple ways. Both the VMS and SMS " supported the architectural design imperative for a solution that was both centralized and distributed. CPCC's strategy was to fi rst ramp up storage capacity at the centrally based main campus. Expansion would then occur by distributing the system with a backend server at every site to manage the bandwidth locally, and truncate security and surveillance so only necessary data would come back to the main site. T e use of edge devices was another key piece of the puzzle. "One of the great things I've enjoyed about CPCC is we've used all edge device access control readers, " says Alexander. "We don't have a central panel; we have a panel at every door. T ey're all powered over Ethernet at the door. With edge devices if one controller goes down you can still get in at one of the other doors. T at design element, one single point of failure, is a big plus especially from an IT standpoint. " Integration of all the security systems is fed into the SMS' Web-based interface and populates it with live and recorded video when an alarm sounds. So if a door is forced or held open at a certain time, video automatically pops up instead of security personnel having to watch monitors 24/7 and hope that they catch an incident. ONLY THE CRIMINALS HAVE COMPLAINTS As CPCC's security systems have improved, so too has the school's success in deterring theft and increasing apprehensions. Dugan recounts a recent example of the surveillance system delivering on its promise. "One of my employees parked her car in our parking deck while she traveled over the Christmas holiday, and it got stolen," he says. "After reviewing the video not only were we able to tell exactly when it happened, we got a picture of the face of the person. We knew the color, license plate, how many people were involved, 54 / SECURITYSALES.COM / NOVEMBER 2012 when they staked out the job. Everything came through perfectly in crisp HD. We were able to retrieve the car with the help of police within 24 hours. T at really showed the merit of the system. T e access control system is also " contributing in a big way, including cutting costs and boosting effi ciencies. Savings are being realized from no longer having to replace lost or stolen keys and rekey cylinders. Operations are enhanced with security offi cers being able to grant people access to a given door or area remotely rather than having to physically go to the scene. T e solution also off ers forensic features. "Some of the other great things about the access system we're fi nding is the audit trail it provides, " says Dugan. "It's very easy for someone to say, 'No, I wasn't there at the time, ' and you have no way of confi rming that unless you have an audit trail of when the door was opened by their credentials. We've used that several times to prove or disprove someone's word. T at's very benefi cial when you have high-risk systems you're protecting with them. " All that and CPCC has just barely scratched the surface of what the solution could ultimately become and accomplish. Funding permitting, plans include expanding both the scale and capabilities of the system. Future objectives include implementing threat management, elevator control, visitor management practices and an intrusion management system. Dugan estimates 50% completion on the video side, with a third of the three- phase access plan now achieved. By any measure, he is pleased with the outcome. "We've had very good results and I'd recommend anyone who's been involved in the process, speak for itself." " he says. "T e system can Editor-in-Chief Scott Goldfine has spent more than 14 years with SECURITY SALES & INTEGRATION. He can be reached at (704) 663-7125 or scott.goldfine@securitysales.com. FIND IT ON THE WEB For more from this project's integrator and end user, along with exclusive video, check out SSI's Under Surveillance blog at securitysales.com/blog.

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