Ensuring Security Success for Aetna

Mar 1, 2004 12:00 PM

Aetna Inc. is a world-class healthcare and life insurance company, but when it came to their access control and security requirements, they previously had incompatible security systems and reader types spread over nearly 100 field offices nationwide. The system was inefficient to manage because it required maintaining multiple records for each badge technology type, had no direct interface to human resources or vendor database, and required more than 30 system integrators to support the program.

In the past two years, Aetna has created a state-of-the-art system using technology from Software House and American Dynamics, two business units within Tyco Fire & Security. American Dynamics specializes in multiplexers, digital video management systems, digital video recorders, matrix switchers, domes, video transmission systems and related products. Software House is a developer of access control and integrated security management systems software. Aetna serves more than 13 million medical members, 11.4 million dental members and 11.8 million group insurance customers.

Aetna was able to develop a plan to address its needs, and over time, realized yearly cost savings of almost $1.3 million by consolidating control centers, improving management and administrative processes, and implementing product and training consistency.

Beneficial returns

Results to date have been impressive. Aetna's new Security Command Center in Middletown, Conn., has consolidated its security systems. Leveraging an integrated solution, the 24-foot by 26-foot room is manned by two workers 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They monitor all of the company's field offices coast to coast and secure more than 1,100 doors.

All told, the program cost Aetna about $1.4 million, which includes cost of technology migrations, replacement of new card readers and rebadging of employees. As a result, Aetna is realizing a cost savings of $400,000 annually from consolidating its control centers, and enjoys $862,000 in annual savings in man-hour reduction administration spread over 60 sites nationally. “Everything that we have done has resulted in cost savings,” says David Gionfriddo, system design manager, Aetna Corporate Security, Hartford, Conn.

Some other benefits include more efficient management and greater consistency with systems, products and training. “We can develop one training program as opposed to several different ones,” Gionfriddo says. “We can also manage all video systems from one location. An AD168 Matrix switch and Intellex DVRs are interfaced to C·CURE 800 using NetVue actions/cameras configured to allow the command center to access live or recorded video at any site and provide a central point for video administration.”

Few resources, many snags

In 2000, Aetna's Corporate Security was placed under the company's Real Estate Services division, which had begun to seriously review the existing network. Although one company already handled security systems for the majority of Aetna's sites, company representatives still wanted to find one platform that was flexible enough to run on a corporate network while streamlining overall operations. “We needed to pick a system of record,” recalled Gionfriddo, who at the time was managing more than 30 systems integrators.

Gionfriddo noted that one of the biggest problems was having the required resources to manage the company's multiple security systems. Aetna also wanted to consolidate its five control center sites to a single site.

There was a host of uniformity problems as well, as Aetna workers in different regions of the country wore different identification badges bearing the names of Aetna-owned companies. For example, workers in the Blue Bell, Pa., region wore badges that read “U.S. Healthcare,” while employees in Largo, Md., had badges bearing the “Aetna” name. Often, workers traveling to satellite offices carried up to five badges.

Clearly, Aetna officials say, the process had become cumbersome, difficult and costly to manage. Aetna also was faced with reducing its selling and general administration (SG&A) expense, which would mean employees would be laid off unless a suitable technology solution could be found.

Streamlining a solution

Aetna embarked on a request for proposal (RFP) process, and three companies and four separate systems were considered. Gionfriddo, the system design manager, was happy with an existing system called C·Cure 1Plus from Software House. With the supplier's products already incorporated in 60 percent of Aetna's sites, Gionfriddo rallied support for the C·CURE 800, a security product that helps users control access and manage events for single or multiple sites worldwide.

“The first phase was to develop a system of record and a system that would work on the corporate network and run on Aetna desktops and servers,” Gionfriddo says. “The concentration at this time was on finding a suitable manufacturer. Several manufacturers were researched at the time; ultimately Software House was selected as the best fit for our environment.

“The key to our selecting Software House's C·CURE 800,” he added, “was its ability to train users and its ability to distribute information over the corporate network relatively easily.”

The migration march

The implementation process began in December 1999, when Software House's C·CURE 800 was brought in-house and implemented in a small environment. There were initially some questions about the benefits of C·CURE 800 vs. C·CURE 1Plus. However, Gionfriddo noted there was one overriding factor in choosing C·CURE 800. “The ability for it to reside on the Aetna Corporate Network using standard desktops and the intuitiveness of the software made it easy to train administrators over the phone with in-house talent,” he says.

The project kicked into high gear in 2000 as the system migrated from C·CURE 1Plus to C·CURE 800, resulting in the rebadging of 12,000 workers in the Hartford, Middletown and Windsor offices and the replacement of some 400 card readers. The rebadging of employees occurred in September and October 2000 as six badging stations were manned by Aetna representatives who worked 10-hour shifts for six consecutive weeks. The badging system also has other more practical purposes: Employees can use their ID badge as a debit system to buy lunch; to show receipt of overnight mail packages; and for parking.

To date, Aetna has been able to successfully migrate 62 field offices to the C·CURE 800 corporate system with an anticipated completion of 100 offices by late 2004.

The consolidation march

Once a system of record was in place and migrations were well on their way, Aetna's concentration was on consolidating its five control centers and to create a single command center in Middletown, Conn. At that time, three of the sites were in Connecticut just 50 miles apart in Windsor, Middletown and Hartford. The fourth site was located in Blue Bell, Pa., and a fifth in Cranbury, N.J.

In consolidating to a single site using a combined Software House/American Dynamics product, the challenge was to get all of the systems operating under one center and to upgrade from an analog to a digital recorder system and bring it over the network. Gionfriddo had seen American Dynamics' Intellex DVR interfaced to the AD168 Matrix switch using network clients and C·CURE 800 NetVue at the 2002 ASIS International show in Philadelphia and liked it instantly. “I wanted to be able to control the domes [cameras] from anywhere on Aetna desktops,” says Gionfriddo. “This system enables us to do just that.” Cameras are configured in the command center to allow access to video and provide a central point for video administration.

The consolidation and installation took place in 2002 and was completed in just five months.

Roy Murphy, Aetna's corporate security director, points out the importance of internal acceptance of the system. “Our internal security team has really stepped up to the challenge of adopting and implementing the new streamlined system. Even the most simple system in the world won't be effective without the proper personnel behind it.”

FOR THE RECORD

About the companies

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American Dynamics	20
Software House	21

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