Page 35 - Campus Security & Life Safety, March/April 2022

“If a fence sensor is triggered with a traditional system, the operator will only receive the pre-defined corresponding information, such as a short video feed of the area around the fence. But a unified system goes beyond just co-locating more data: it allows that data to interact in new ways. Video analytics and other sensors confirm the fence sensor isn’t a false alarm; doors are locked in response to the threat; speakers sound a warning that personnel are on their way to intercept the intruder.”
One View: A Comprehensive Security Approach
The security coordination of your campus is crucial to managing day- to-day operations, large events, and emergencies.
A unified physical security platform optimizes resources by shar- ing common servers and databases for authentication and permis- sions, licensing, configuration settings, alarms and events, audit and activity logs, video recording, access logs, and schedules. Deploying a unified platform means that users only need to learn, configure, upgrade, and back up a single software suite. This makes installing and managing a unified platform easier than doing the same with an integrated one. Access is also easier, as administrators can manage the system through a single application, regardless of the number of serv- ers or systems.
With a comprehensive view of security where both routine activi- ties and unanticipated incidents are managed within a single unified platform, security teams can decrease response times and improve decision-making.
Imagine a campus with hundreds of buildings and thousands of staff and visitors each day. With a unified platform, the security team can have an overview of thousands of doors, intrusion sensors, auto- matic license plate recognition, and even intercoms and public address speakers, for example—and each of these devices would be visible on a single map in the security operations center, allowing operators to quickly dispatch the closest officer when a security event occurs. And before even reaching the scene, officers could review the video and any other details from their mobile devices.
Ensuring campus security has what they need at their fingertips allows them to deliver a faster and safer response to any type of issue that comes up.
Open Architecture: Scale and Adopt New Technology
Without Limitations
Open architecture is the foundation of a physical security platform that gives you the ability to choose any software. It’s non-proprietary and flexible, which means that whatever software you select will be compatible. An open platform guarantees that as your organization grows, you can swap out or add technology to match your needs at that moment without having to start from scratch.
By Charles Pitman
Does your organization have plans to expand or change? With the increasing amount of new security technology and sensors available, you need to consider open architecture.
Sure, an integrated physical security solution gives you the ability to add new systems. But in reality, trying to add more data to a user interface that’s designed for a single set of activities can quickly show its limitations. As soon as one system needs to be updated, compati- bility issues will probably arise and slow down or even prevent updates. A unified physical security platform with open architecture offers more flexibility and evolves with you since it can grow to any size as new systems are added. It’s able to monitor thousands of devic- es, from door readers, IP cameras, to intrusion sensors, intelligent lighting, and more.
Maintaining several integrated systems can also be costly: Paying for multiple vendor agreements, training operators, and maintaining multiple, disparate systems can quickly add up. However, operator training is simplified with an open, unified platform since alarm management, event to action, reporting, investigation, and incident- related workflows all take place in one familiar environment. This significantly reduces the learning curve for new operators, and exist- ing staff can easily stay up to date with system improvements.
Get on the Path to Unification
An effective and unified campus security system doesn’t require an all-or-nothing approach. Security leaders can start by focusing on the basics, such as unifying video and access control systems. Getting on the path to unified physical security can allow campuses to expand, scale, and add solutions as their needs evolve.
Unification enables organizations and campuses to unlock busi- ness intelligence and improve organizational efficiency. Instead of numerous data silos, unification puts operators and administrators in front of data into valuable and actionable business intelligence. The right security system does more than just protect people and assets. It also provides business and situational data to enhance overall opera- tions, helping campus security teams work smarter and more effi- ciently.
Charles Pitman joined Genetec in 2015 and is currently the Product Marketing Manager for Genetec 3rd Party Add-ons, responsible for integrations to Security Center developed by internal teams and tech- nology partners. Before joining Genetec, Pitman worked for several non-profit organizations, evaluating programs at home and abroad using quantitative analysis for NGOs including the Jane Goodall Insti- tute of Canada. He holds a bachelor's in economics from McGill Uni- versity and an MSc in Sustainable Development from Université de Montréal, as well as graduate training in Social Statistics.
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