Page 98 - Security Today, November/December 2018

MEDICAL FACILITY SECURITY
FINDING THE CURE FOR SECURITY
Medical research institute in Texas implements leading-edge technologies for fail-proof security solution By Ellie Randall
Bioscience is an industry that relies on innovation and cre- ativity. Its people, processes and physical assets are its most precious resources and securing these resources is not only critical to a bioscience organization but to the future of scientific discovery. So, when Texas Biomedical Research Institute (Texas Biomed) in San Antonio, Texas found itself operating with an outdated security platform, its security team researched and discovered Open Options.
“Texas Biomed chose Open Options as the standard for our access control moving forward due to DNA Fusion’s flexibility and support as well as its integration of non-proprietary systems and hardware,” said Mark Hammargren, CPP®, Texas Biomed Director of Security.
Located on a 200-acre campus on the Northwest side of San Anto- nio, Texas Biomed is pioneering and sharing scientific breakthroughs that protect you, your family and our global community from the threat of infectious diseases. Since its founding in 1941, the Texas Bio- medical Research Institute has gained worldwide recognition in scien- tific and academic communities for the quality of its basic research. Their scientists are able to conduct their research amid 550,000 square feet of space that includes laboratories, offices, an animal hospital, a library, and specially designed animal facilities.
EVOLVING TO INTEROPERABLE ACCESS CONTROL
In 2016, Texas Biomed’s security was operating on two separate plat- forms, including Open Options’ DNA Fusion for newly constructed buildings. Texas Biomed’s former access control provider was an out- dated system, and due to limited parts and support, became more and more expensive to maintain each year. Furthermore, consoles were installed in multiple locations and didn’t communicate properly with each other, posing numerous security threats.
Hammargren also cited the ability for the software to alert security personnel of unauthorized access and forced entries, the option to absorb system upgrades without having to completely reinstall the software, and loss prevention as a few major requirements their access control system must fulfill.
Texas Biomed worked with Convergint Technologies to implement Open Options’ DNA Fusion across the entire campus.
“We chose Convergint as our integrator because of their reputation in the marketplace, customer service, and the fact that they had the best value when specifying the project,” Hammargren said. “That, cou- pled with Open Options’ excellent products, service, and support defi- nitely helped the transition.”
The initial implementation took a few months to complete. During
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CAMPUS SECURITY & LIFE SAFETY