G4Tec Symmetry Security Management system controls access at University of Southampton

With pressure on universities to be flexible learning environments, allowing students to have access to specific buildings, rooms and equipment on a nearly 24 hour basis is growing in importance. This trend can cause many hours of administration to manage the security access database to make sure that students have been allocated the right access clearance.

When the University of Southampton was looking for a company to try to meet their access control needs, they went through a competitive tendering process and subsequently chose the G4Tec Symmetry™ Security Management (SMS) system. The relationship began in 2003, with a project that required 20 doors to be managed by an access control system.

The initial part of the project was to remove an old system that was already in place across many of the University of Southampton buildings. Moving forward it was decided to make the installation an IP based system, to use the extensive network that runs throughout the campus and its buildings.

The SMS solution put in place has proved so successful that over the past five years, the system has grown from the original 20 doors to controlling and monitoring over 700 doors. One of the features that impressed staff at the university was the flexibility when managing the database of access rights.

Any Higher Education learning establishment has to enrol thousands of students over a short period of time, managing their data for use with e-mail accounts, library information and in this case, access control rights. The system put in place by G4Tec allows the central registry database to be imported directly into the Symmetry SMS solution, saving time and money that would have been required for manual data entry.

The Symmetry SMS system allows the management of the access control rights to be allocated to different members of staff e.g. the chemistry students can be managed by the Head of Administration within the relevant department rather than relying exclusively on the Security team.

At present over 250,000 transactions take place on the system every day, showcasing what a significant task the G4Tec team undertook when designing a solution to meet the requirements of the university.

“One of the key selling points of the system, in addition to the database and management options, was its scalability”, allowing the access control needs of the university to be met regardless of how much it grows and develops. Backwards compatibility also means that the system can utilise G4Tec products, both old and new, as the needs of the security team change. A contract has been successfully completed extending the access control and security system into the new Mountbatten Building, replacing the science facility that was destroyed by a major fire in 2005.

The University of Southampton also has an agreement with G4Tec for the service and maintenance of the system, which it has held since the beginning of the partnership in 2003. This includes a rapid response to call outs, making sure that any issues are dealt with in a satisfactory and timely fashion.

Print version | Email to a friend | View other articles

Latest Access Control articles

 Biometric Fingerprint Access Control By Raydox Technologies

 OnSite Aparato access control solution ensures data is safe from both software attacks and physical theft

 MaximumASP deploys Brivo access control system at managed hosting facility

 IndigoVision's new Compact NVR-AS 3000 delivers a powerful recording solution with a small footprint

 Reliance Managed Access provides access control system without having to invest in servers, software or technical expertise

 Geutebruck equipment selected for International Atomic Energy Agency's training center in Russia

 DefenCell Profile 300 completesvehicle crash tests to meet the PAS68 protection standards

 NICE IP video surveillance solution ensures the safety and security of visitors to the 2010 Shanghai World Expo

 ASSA's ASSURE range provides solutions for either panic escape routes or emergency escape exits

 New electric Gate Lock offers a wide process latitude specifically designed to accommodate gate misalignment

...[view more Access Control articles]...

Other Access Control Resources

Security websites for specific products:

Access control and RFID systems - Burglar alarm, intruder alarm and fire alarm systems - Biometric recognition and identification systems - CCTV cameras and systems - IT, computer and network security systems - Health and safety - Security guard services - Surveillance and remote monitoring systems

Security websites for specific markets:

Bank and financial security - Corporate security - School and education security - Sport event and live venue security - Healthcare and hospital security - Hotel restaurant and casino security - Industrial and manufacturing security - Infrastructure and Utilities security - Home and personal security - Public sector security - Retail security - Small Business security - Transport security