Page 42 - Security Today, January 2018

DATA STORAGE
STREAMLINING TODAYS CAMPUSES
Evolving technology is keeping campuses more secure By Mitchell Kane
As K-12 and higher education campuses work diligently to advance security measures in the wake of increased risk across the nation, more administrations are searching for ways to make smart capital investments. With the rising focus on software- and cloud-based solutions, it is easier than ever to achieve integration between security-specific systems and database management systems for a streamlined approach. Students are constantly on the move from one building to another, and today’s open campuses have many scattered points of entry, making access control technology crucial for protecting not only the students but the staff and school’s assets as well.
Card readers and alarm systems provide the valuable access control data required to keep intruders out and safeguard a campus, while administrators manage dining hall or dorm access and classroom schedules from completely different systems. With today’s evolving technology, modern campuses are using security and IT functionality to address more than just security, allowing more streamlined data management and information to be gleaned from all systems to aid administrators in determining how that data is best used. Here are a few ways this can be done.
Energy. When access control systems are integrated with other technology, the simple act of swiping a card can communicate to the
building management system to turn on lights in a specific area of a building. The same type of integrated system can also record when the last person leaves a building and turn down the temperature or light- ing once the building is no longer in use. Not only does this contribute to gathering data on building usage for management purposes, but using access control data for energy efficiency can also lead to a sig- nificant reduction in energy use and costs.
Event management. Comprehensively monitoring every confer- ence or activity that takes place on a college campus can be difficult, leading administrators to try and find new ways of granting and restricting access to buildings and classrooms. One new way security officials are avoiding problems with access control is by integrating event management systems with access control solutions.
Access control technology that already exists to secure facilities can also be used to make building scheduling easier. One single reserva- tion system can be used to allow students to reserve a meeting space or classroom quickly and easily without having to be physically let in the room. For example, a student’s ID card can be used both as a method of identification as well as a tool to access a dining hall, dorm room or classroom at a specific time, such as for a late class or study sessions after hours. Campuses are turning toward allowing students to reserve labs or room space with their student ID cards from a single reserva-
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