Off-Site But In Control

Jul 1, 2003 12:00 PM

When VEI Inc., an Indianapolis property management firm responsible for multiple healthcare facilities across the region, needed to consolidate management of its access control systems, it had several requirements. Various facilities had to be integrated into a secure platform that could be remotely monitored and adjusted in response to constantly changing conditions. The system required a single, consolidated database with the ability to quickly add, remove and revise access and generate a range of reports — all while being cost-effective.

Based on VEI specifications, Skip Sampson, senior consultant for Koorsen Protection, Indianapolis, identified several systems before settling on an Application Service Provider-based (ASP) access control system that provided the integration, platform, scalability and remote accessibility required to install and integrate within budget and schedule. The new system allows Lori Eppert, VEI's tenant services coordinator, to maintain complete control over access to the facilities through secure internet access, even from her home computer.

Before implementing the access control solution, a doctor needing access to a laboratory after hours had to wait on-site until a technician with proper access arrived to let the doctor in. Now, Eppert can unlock a door at any remote access system-equipped VEI facility from any PC, or change the doctor's security credentials to permit access.

The Problem

With 10 buildings comprising more than 600,000 square feet of medical offices, laboratories and surgical centers, the properties under VEI control experience considerable inter-facility movement — doctors, nurses, technicians and administrators moving among the various facilities depending on the demands of their positions. For instance, a patient of the Eye Surgeons of Indiana, a VEI property normally closed on weekends, recently required treatment for a developing emergency. The previously existing system required the doctor and patient to wait until a security guard or technician arrived to let them in, risking potential complications. In addition, personnel at those facilities required unique levels of access among the various facilities — some technicians had access to certain labs, but not others; a surgeon might have access to a trauma center but not a clinic. Making the situation more complex, these needs changed at irregular intervals and irregular times. For example, all the hardware and wiring for the facilities' communications systems were locked inside the “electrical room,” creating difficulties for service technicians attempting to access the system.

The company needed a system allowing dynamic credential assignment — control over access to all facilities with the ability to monitor and change access for various personnel on demand. VEI also needed centralized command and remote access to the central management system.

What's more, the facilities have a high turnover rate, creating serious problems under the existing system. Tired of relying on key-based systems that created security gaps, VEI needed a single-card system able to monitor and control various levels of access at various facilities without the need to replace cards or re-key facilities after each shift in personnel.

Data control was also a problem, making the development and processing of required access and event reports cumbersome and complicated at best, requiring VEI personnel to shift through archaic databases. “Our system was a dinosaur, with very little flexibility. It was cumbersome and we couldn't upgrade the software,” says Darla Astropp, VEI's property manager. “In one building we had an old DOS version running on an old PC — not an optimal solution.”

Adding to the problem, VEI received several citations for false alarms. In a form of access control self-help, employees at various facilities were propping doors open for extended periods of time, triggering alarms, which in some cases went unchecked because there was no on-site technician to verify the threat before the alarm monitoring company dispatched the police.

The Solution

VEI posed specific requirements for Sampson to develop within a security solution. The new system could not be limited by geographic or network boundaries. It must enable VEI to change and revise access control quickly for multiple facilities through one system by using an interface capable of maintaining the integrity of the information. The system had to be scalable to handle fluctuating facility requirements and be flexible in terms of technology, application and installation, as well as easy integration with existing physical security systems.

With VEI's limited staff and resources — i.e., space, funding, technical expertise — the company needed a system that could be hosted with minimal network investments.

Finally, authorized users needed the ability to log on from a variety of sources, including a laptop or home computer.

In the end, Sampson chose the Brivo Access Control System (ACS). It offers centralized control with a single system, including synchronized databases for assigning access, storing information and producing access and event reports. With flexibility for integration and installation as a plug-and-play solution, it communicates with existing security systems and uses a combination of wireless and hard-line communications. It does not need expensive computer hardware that requires in-house IT maintenance; and it allows remote system management through Web-enabled, secure access.

Sampson installed the Brivo system in two VEI buildings, allowing the company to gain remote control over the facilities. This enabled Astropp to maintain a bird's-eye view over each facility and remove the operation of the system from the mercy of antiquated databases to produce access-event reports from the various VEI properties. VEI achieved dynamic credentialing via the Web, controlling each of its linked, remote properties from a central command station, and monitoring and reporting on access-related events through a secure platform.

Simple Installation and Operation

The Brivo readers were installed at the customer's premises and wired to the Brivo ACS control panel. The panels communicate with the Brivo Hosting Center via Ethernet connectivity where a corporate network exists or through secure, long-range wireless networking where there is no network. Additional system security features include 128-bit SSL encryption with redundant power and storage for crisis recovery and reduced downtime.

After installing the Brivo panels at VEI facilities, Sampson connected VEI's existing readers to the Brivo panel, and the physical security system was synched via the Brivo software, thus turning an antiquated system into an access control platform — without spending budget-crushing sums on hardware and installation fees.

ASP Model Benefits

The Brivo Access Control System is based on an Application Service Provider (ASP) model. In general, ASP's “host” a centralized application and database providing a subscription-based service available to its customers. The key benefit of an ASP is that it enables a customer to outsource IT maintenance and function to the provider.

Brivo's focus on secure networks and data also allows VEI to monitor, change, and control access to its facilities using a single card system. Personnel at VEI-managed properties carry a single security card that permits access to various facilities. Eppert can change the relative access attributes of any card, and do so from her home PC if necessary in an emergency.

The Brivo system seemed to relieve the false-alarm problem as well. VEI now has an “on-call technician” with a Blackberry pager set to receive notifications of any system events (e.g., door ajar, unauthorized access attempt).

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FOR THE RECORD

About The Companies

For information, circle the Reader Service number (listed below) or visit securitysolutions.com

Brivo	18
Koorsen Protection	19

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