PSIM has helped the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to not only integrate legacy security systems, have a centralized command and control strategy for its security operations, but also to save money by leveraging price points from different security vendors.
PSIM has helped the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) to not only integrate legacy security systems, have a centralized command and control strategy for its security operations, but also to save money by leveraging price points from different security vendors.
Three years ago the MBTA transitioned from approximately 700 analog cameras to upwards of 10,000 cameras using VidSys to control and manage video, access control and monitoring, along with emergency phone and intercom systems. “We have spent tens of millions of dollars on security improvements and upgrades, including installing thousands of new security cameras,” says Randy Clarke, Senior Director of Security and Emergency Management for MassDOT/MBTA. “So this PSIM gives us one platform for all users with one interface for real time and recorded video. The system also helps us with training: we can train once.”
Because the PSIM that Clarke uses integrates security technology from several vendors, Clarke says he can use the system to leverage price points. “Realistically now we have several vendors competing on different projects, so we get the best possible price. That’s been valuable as we’ve saved millions on competing projects.”
In particular, the PSIM system helped Clarke and his team with video surveillance during this year’s Boston Marathon. Following the 2013 Boston Marathon attack, enhanced inter-agency video coverage and integration became a top priority for the 2014 event. MassDOT/MBTA and key local/state partners embarked on a challenging project to deploy and integrate cameras using a single video platform and identify and map relevant camera coverage along the marathon route. Stakeholders worked with MassDOT/MBTA to integrate cameras from many vendors/networks. MBTA’s VidSys platform was used as a video user interface and was accessible from 10+ command and control centers. Cameras and fields of views were mapped and labelled in Google Earth. A comprehensive video surveillance map was developed and distributed to key agencies and command centers.
Product Adopted:Physical Security Information Management Software