Orlando’s newest entertainment attraction — the Orlando Eye complex — has entrusted leading security providers Axis Communications, Milestone Systems, and Open Options to provide a full-scale solution to secure the high profile venue which opened earlier this year.
Orlando's newest entertainment attraction — the Orlando Eye complex — has entrusted leading security providers
Axis Communications,
Milestone Systems, and Open Options to provide a full-scale solution to secure the high profile venue which opened earlier this year.
The Orlando Eye complex, which opened in April 2015, includes the Orlando Eye observation wheel, Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, and a SEA LIFE aquarium. Merlin Entertainment sought a security solution that would ensure a good flow throughout the property for guests while keeping unauthorized personnel out of restricted areas. They also wanted extra tight access control of the ride area, garage parking, and electrical rooms.
Signature Systems of Florida management determined the best solution for providing security for the Orlando Eye project was Milestone Systems' XProtect Enterprise video management software (VMS) using Axis Communications video surveillance cameras. The access control component is provided by Open Options DNA Fusion access control software and supporting Authentic Mercury hardware.
Wiljo Ridanpaa, project manager for Signature Systems of Florida, said Merlin Entertainment needed a full-scale security solution for the triple-attraction complex which meant they chose proven and trusted vendors for video and access control.
"We have used Open Options, Milestone, and Axis many times in the past and have had excellent results," said Ridanpaa. "Their commitment to open architecture allows us to deliver a comprehensive solution customizable for any configuration."
With Milestone, Ridanpaa said the entertainment complex security team would receive a great benefit from "the playback features, the carousel camera viewing — everything you get in the XProtect Smart Client interface. Being able to run XProtect on any server or any PC with enough power makes it the best plug-and-play video management system out there," he said.
Axis, which has more than 250 IP network cameras on the project, provides "quality and functionality," said Ridanpaa. "The ability to autofocus may seem like a simple tool, but it's absolutely essential. You don't have to have a guy on a ladder focusing the lens while you're talking to a guy that could be at a monitor with lag time. That feature alone is worth its weight in gold."
Open Options "combines great access control hardware with software that just gets better and better," said Ridanpaa. "The updates aren't frivolous – we see tangible improvements every time." Wallinger said one of the key benefits of Open Options is the expandability of the access control software, for example, with such features as badge printing and ID verification, which are all rolled into the DNA Fusion suite of products.
Now that the Orlando Eye complex has been open for several months, Wallinger said security employees have mastered the system and look forward to future capabilities. "There are exciting future prospects for the system, especially involving further integration of the Milestone video interface and Open Options' DNA Fusion access control ID verification option," he said. "We've invested in a terrific system that so far has delivered beyond our expectations and has contributed greatly to the smooth operation of our entertainment complex."