Controlled, a highly-proficient and experienced security integrator, recommended Security Center, the unified security platform by Genetec. The proposal to unify many systems under a single platform helped to cut costs and made the solution financially viable.
Business Challenge
With a history dating back to 1841, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) is a professional membership body which offers support to pharmacists and pharmacies in England, Scotland and Wales. The state-of-the-art headquarters in central London is home to the organization’s operations and medicine publishing divisions which are internationally renowned. Members are welcome to host events at RPS or visit the comprehensive library and museum which houses historical medicines, high-value artifacts and controlled substances.
When construction planning for the new headquarters began, RPS knew that the older analog technology that the team once relied on would not meet high-tech facility goals. RPS was looking to implement a leading-edge IP security solution that would have the flexibility to add different devices and system components over time. They also needed more than video surveillance, seeking to implement access control and intrusion detection systems to ensure assets were well protected.
While RPS considered many proposals for security solutions, the cost of implementing separate systems was prohibitive. Controlled, a highly-proficient and experienced security integrator, recommended
Security Center, the unified security platform by
Genetec. The proposal to unify many systems under a single platform helped to cut costs and made the solution financially viable.
Michael Bonne, Corporate Services Lead at RPS, explained what sealed the deal,“It came down to the flexibility of the solution. Security Center is an open-architecture solution that allows us to manage many systems from a single intuitive interface, and add any component that suits our needs, today and in the future.”
Unified Platform Helps RPS Balance Security and Accessibility
Today, security staff monitor 40
Sony IP cameras inside and around the perimeter of the RPS building using the Omnicast video surveillance system. Almost 30 doors are managed using the Synergis access control system, and a Honeywell Galaxy intrusion detection system is fully unified within the Security Center platform.
“While we need to lock down certain areas to protect against theft and liability, we also need to allow for freedom of movement of staff, visitors and event guests. Security Center gives our team powerful tools and capabilities that help us fulfill that mission,” explained Bonne.
When an intrusion or access control denied alarm occurs in the system, associated video is displayed for operators who can quickly investigate and address the situation. Easy-to-use search functionalities help operators review various incidents. In one case, RPS relied on high-quality video from Security Center to identify and convict a thief who attempted to steal an employee’s high-priced bicycle.
Bonne credits the intuitiveness of Security Center with his team’s heightened response efficiency: “With Security Center, it’s easy to see what’s happening and make quick decisions on how to respond. The platform’s usability should not be underestimated.”
Unification Ensures Every Day Is Business as Usual
With the new platform, day-to-day operations flow smoothly at RPS. Seven different cardholder profiles were created in the Synergis system, facilitating employee enrollment and ensuring staff are given access privileges depending on their roles and functions. Doors schedules help secure the building outside office hours, when only select staff are provided access, and to lock down sensitive areas, such as the prized medicinal archives located in the basement.
“The unified platform helps our team stay agile. Operators can easily modify cardholder privileges to grant provisional access, or set temporary door schedules to accommodate events,” said Bonne.
Only since implementing Security Center has RPS come to appreciate the solution’s uncompromised reliability. According to Bonne, the platform’s resilience makes his job easier: “Of all the systems that we have implemented at our headquarters, I have had the least worries with Security Center. It has a very robust architecture which ensures optimal system uptime and helps our team remain effective in securing our facilities.”
Building onto Better Security at RPS
Capitalizing on the system’s unmatched flexibility is next for RPS. Bonne plans to extend remote system management to key staff using the Security Center mobile app, and simplify visitor checkins with the visitor management module.
In the meantime, Bonne expressed RPS’ confidence in the organization’s recent security investment. “We’re very happy with Controlled Ltd. and Genetec. We have strengthened our security, and we feel confident in our ability to evolve the platform and add more system capabilities. Security Center is most definitely a valuable asset to our team and operations,” concluded Bonne.