On the Job Surveillance

Nine tenants share a 25,000-square-foot; two-story office building in a small neighborhood in Paramus, N.J. Surrounding the building is an open parking lot for visitors, as well as an underground lot which serves workers.

The property manager had problems for many years with individuals from neighboring office buildings attempting to use their outdoor parking lot spots. Adding to that, the dumping of illegal trash in the building's dumpsters was also a common incident.

Not to mention that the tenants also felt insecure walking to their cars at night and working in the building after hours. Although the last person through the door each night was supposed to lock the main entrance, no one was even sure who that last person was. To ensure that the property was properly locked the building owner would have to drive by the property at night

A New Jersey security integrator called Visentry was hired by the building’s administrators to deploy an integrated access control and intrusion system at the building to answer to these security issues.

With all workers having a card access key that gives them access to the lobby the resulting GE Alliance access control system can now lock the building after hours. This surveillance company was an intelligent security platform that connects intrusion and access control with remote communications and smart card operations.  From a single control panel all of its functions can be carried out. Users can grow the system and its capabilities to match their changing security needs due to the fact that the system is built using modular components. This integration company also works with existing equipment and wiring, even interfacing with existing Wiegand-based card recognition devices.

Furthermore, a keypad on the outside of the building enables authorized visitors to gain access after hours of operation. Not to mention that, visitors who do not come to the facility are issued a PIN, that is only good for one day to access the building for appointments of other functions. After one day, the numbers disappear from the system.

On top of that, a number of tenants in the building requested access cards to their individual offices, so the building’s administrators added sub-branches of the integration system to individual tenants, requiring only another card reader, not an entirely new system.

Moreover, the surveillance cameras monitor the property inside and out, and a DVMRE triplex video recorder allows constant and uninterrupted 24/7 recording. The security personnel of the property at the central station monitor the video cameras using the Virtual Alert System of the company.

The company’s Virtual Alert device is basically an audio monitoring system and an IP-based intelligent remote video. The system automatically connects video and audio to the central station, as soon as an alarm is received from the security integration panel. The company’s operators can then view the video, listen to the audio from the site and communicate with the personnel present on or near the location of the incident. If for any reason the alarm is not resolved, the security personnel can call the police and provide assistance in locating the cause of the alarm and the exact place of the occurrence.

Unauthorized intrusions, such as trash dumping, and securing the parking lot are also being monitored by the Virtual Alert of the company. Not to mention that it also delivers as a great performance as a lobby assistant. By significantly enhancing security and by reducing costs associated with on-site guards, the system provides value to the building.

The chief operating officer of the company is very pleased with the security integration system due to the fact that there is only one panel that monitors all the security events. Whenever you need to add another card reader you can drop many gathering panels, without installing a new card system for every tenant who needs it.

Therefore, property managers only have to supervise one system for the entire building, adding hardware as new tenants come in. Not to mention that the distributed access control system is easy to use and very flexible.

The building manager never thought he would be able to find a system that would meet all of their security needs; he didn't know that such a device even existed. He was merely searching for locking systems and took bids on cameras for the common areas, but he has never seen a security system with these capabilities.

Incorporated Features

Setting up a suitable, integrated security platform will add value to a multi-tenant property on top of making life easier for today's hurried property manager.

The manager also expressed how this integrated access control system has added value to their building and enhanced their profitability. He further believes that this system demonstrates that they have state-of-the-art technology and has remarkably elevated their status in the market. Furthermore they can use the system as part of our lease negotiations due to its immense benefits to the tenant. Because of their security system they can charge more for their office space

One of the company officials has pointed out that the lack of a common interface between access control and intrusion detection systems can be disruptive to security procedures. The building manager who had been under pressure to discover a way to make his building's access management and intrusion detection systems work together cordially, has now found what he was looking for.

For a multi-tenant situation, such a system is ideal; this allows the tenants to have unique individual security needs and also shared rights throughout a facility.

It is logical to Have a Smart Security Panel

Proprietary formats is, according to a company official, is the simple reason for the high cost and laggard performance of old generation security management system. Conventionally, access control systems and intrusion detection have been required to work separately. Users had to add many interfaces and incorporate extra programming code when attempting to integrate them. A platform that uniquely combines the functionality of intrusion and access control with built-in central monitoring was clearly needed. Users, mid-range multi-tenant commercial buildings, such as light-industrial offices, shopping malls and community hospitals, can install just one system for both applications only after the discovery of this dual integration system. Furthermore property managers can provide their tenants with the convenience of coming to work and using one access card, on one occasion, to disarm alarms and unlock doors.

Advantages of an Integrated Setup
A company official was quick to point out that the benefits of an integrated system are numerous. For instance, property managers now have the capability of installing one system for both access control applications and intrusion, such as CCTV, and building and communications management. Furthermore, there is only one platform to study, administer, sustain and repair. In addition, remote diagnosis of the system is also available when needed.

Installation costs, labor and materials are cut down significantly by Implementing an integrated system, rather than two isolated systems that may or may not work smoothly together.

In the same way, this company requires one cable instead of two and only one panel instead of two. The advantage was clear after the installation since there was only one system to learn instead of two different systems. Adding on, an integrated system offers greater reliability versus two interfaced systems. Also, definitely most notably, there is only one monitor is required to view both the intrusion detection systems and access control.

An integrated intrusion detection and access management system provides the added ease of using just one access card for the two solutions. Flexibility and enhanced functionality has been added to both the access control and intrusion detection systems through the use of smart cards at the nine-tenant building facilitated by the integrated security solution.

The building manager will never have to use multiple cards or multiple readers to accomplish what one card and reader can easily accomplish. He can competently handle intrusion detection, access control and building systems remotely without re-deploying the operating system and IT network. He is now better capable of focusing on eliminating false alarms since the security alarms can be handled onsite during the day and at central monitoring at night, as well as on holidays and weekends.

Integration of technologies in general, especially in our time an age, provides an unparallel advantage. And when this integrated technology deals with security, the results are more outstanding since they enable the protection of valuable assets for individuals and business alike. Constantly striving to obtain an integrated security technology will simply and enhance your surveillance experience all at the same time.