Page 20 - Campus Security & Life Safety, April 2017

or educational campus, including on-edge video content analysis, the robust features available with IP technology, the quick adaptation of IP offerings to emerging technologies, and the substantial integration capability offered by the most robust IP offerings.
Kim also cites another foundational aspect of IP technology essen- tial to SARC’s virtual guarding offering: remote management, noting “IP cameras can be managed and monitored in detail (health condi- tions, connectivity grade, etc.) by trained operators and technicians at remote monitoring centers, streamlining maintenance, improving per- formance, and reducing downtime.”
PARTNERING TO STANDARDIZE OPERATIONS
AND OPTIMIZE PERFORMANCE
In the constantly evolving and progressing security market, it’s essen- tial to deliver solutions that deliver a wide range of customizable options for solutions of any size, scope, or circumstance, while also keeping both the installation and user experience streamlined and simple for installers and operators. SARC quickly determined that a technology standard for their virtual guarding operations was required, allowing their elite operators to train on and master a comprehensive suite of technology and single user interface.
To begin, SARC needed simple IP configuration, while maintaining third party IPC support, to accommodate installers who had grown accustomed to analog installation methodologies. Maximizing flexibil- ity to cater to each of their client’s needs was also a priority and any solution had to have surveillance components that were scalable, ONVIF compliant, and compatible with a wide range of third party products in order to build off existing analog installations while still reaping the benefits of HD quality. Finding highest quality solutions with low maintenance requirements and no licensing fees—and result- ing lower total cost of ownership for end users—was another require- ment for SARC.
After more than a year and a half of inquiry, testing and evaluation of numerous industry options, SARC selected the comprehensive IDIS total solution, featuring DirectIP technology and the powerful IDIS Solution Suite VMS as a technology standard. DirectIP is an optimized HD surveillance platform based on an IP framework consisting of a complete range of IP cameras, network video recorders (NVRs), net- work equipment, and client software, all offered as a complete package or available as individual, optimized components.
The simple plug-and-play functionality and automatic network detection of DirectIP made the entire surveillance system quick and easy to set up for SARC’s installer partners, and centralized functional- ity allowed every IP camera to be installed without the need for indi- vidual configuration. The IDIS “future proof” guarantee further met SARC’s needs by guaranteeing backwards compatibility with future IDIS surveillance components, eliminating security vulnerabilities that come with hiccups in future system upgrades.
The powerful video management software (VMS) options offered by IDIS also allowed SARC to provide its clients with a flexible and cost effective surveillance virtual guarding solution. IDIS Center is a com- pletely license-free VMS, with no upgrade charges or annual fees, and, for more specific or complicated requirements, IDIS Solution Suite pro- vided a powerful modular functionality, affordably customizable to any user need. Near identical user interfaces between IDIS Center, IDIS Solution Suite, and IDIS Mobile simplified the user experience and reduced training requirements for SARC’s operators, allowing more time for a laser focus on client needs and not wrangling technology.
REAL WORLD APPLICATIONS DEMONSTRATING
THE POWER OF VIRTUAL GUARDING
Two Phoenix-area installations demonstrate the power of an enhanced
virtual guarding solution and the applicability to campuses of all sizes and levels of complexity. The Mesa Grande Cultural Park in Mesa, AZ is a remote site, part of the Arizona Museum of Natural History cam- pus, is a working excavation area, bustling with archaeologists, researchers, students, and tourists. Trespassing, litter, vandalism, and theft frequently plagued the site, particularly at night, but the costs and logistical challenges of 24-7 manned coverage of all areas of the site proved prohibitive, placing the cultural discovery and legacy of the ancient site at risk.
Similar challenges were faced at Tempe’s Hayden Ferry Lakeside mixed-use campus, where private spaces are co-located with open retail and restaurant options, public gathering spaces, and a vast park- ing garage supporting the area’s many businesses, schools—including nearby Arizona State University—and community gatherings. This greatly expands the number of daily visitors to the property beyond a regular residential community—with its easily predicted schedules and patterns—requiring heightened and dynamic security operations 27/7. Event crowds, including the presence of alcohol at times, con- tributed to the unpredictability of the security challenge.
The installation of the SARC virtual guarding solution, powered by IDIS total surveillance technology, has already resulted in sub- stantial benefits for the caretakers of both the Mesa Grande Cul- tural Park and the Hayden Ferry Lakeside campus. On a nightly basis, the SARC operations center identifies and deters potential threats to the site using IDIS technology and SARC’s remote “voice down” protocol, which SARC’s trained law enforcement, military, and intelligence veterans inform would-be bad actors via loudspeak- ers that they are under live surveillance and should cease and desist immediately. This successfully mitigates many potential issues, managing and preventing full blown incidents whenever possible. When not possible, the early engagement by trained professionals results in more competent identification, documentation, and response, as well as seamless coordination with clients and local law enforcement, when required.
Since the IDIS-powered SARC virtual guarding solution went live, both sites have reduced, if not effectively eliminated, common security challenges, and staff, visitors, equipment, and property are measurably more secure as a result, something Kim is pleased to hear. “I can’t speak for everyone, but our team and our partners are in this industry to keep people and property safe and secure. This is especially true when you look at where our people come from—the military, law enforcement, etc.—or at the stated corporate values of our partners, like IDIS. When the results speak for themselves,
as they do, it not only validates the power and potential of next-generation virtual guarding, it lets us know that we’re doing what we set out to do: keeping things safe. We like that.”
Benjamin Bryant is a freelance writer based in Washington, D.C.
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