Discovering Numerous Options

• By Ralph C. Jensen
• Jan 01, 2015

When the Stanley Security staff wants to make an impression from the integrator to end user, it relies on the hard-hitting, well-versed security team at its Indianapolis Discovery Center. The Discovery Center is home to not only Stanley products and solutions, but a host of partner products that can all come together to serve various verticals in the industry.

“We also host security symposiums at this location, bringing people into the Discovery Center so they can get a flavor of what we do,” said Vincent M. Wenos, vice president of product development and technology at Stanley Security. “There are a huge number of people that come here and take advantage of the educational opportunities.”

Some of the visitors at the Discovery Center are the company’s own field technicians, who work in many different verticals.

An introduction to the Discovery Center includes an introduction to security in healthcare, higher education and K-12, finance, government and retail. The products and solutions on display are all part of the Stanley Security global security mission, not only for the company, but also for the organization’s trusted partners.

“We believe the Stanley Security brand stands for quality, reliability and durability in the eyes of our customers,” Wenos said. “We select our partners carefully to ensure that they deliver products and solutions that enhance our brand image as well as their own.”

One of the Stanley Security partners is EyeLock. Integrators faced the challenge of access control at the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tenn., and entrances to its Advanced Procedures Theater and Digital Observatory. This facility houses hundreds of thousands of dollars in advanced technology. Company integrators brought in EyeLock, an iris biometric technology for quick entry into this state-of-the-art facility. Integrators maintained that it gave the college another layer of security by eliminating keys or proxy badges that could be lost or stolen.

“Our technicians are critical to our company’s success,” said Jim Cannon, President of Security – North America and Emerging Markets for Stanley Security. “They are in front of our customers day and night, addressing concerns, fielding questions and, in many cases, securing new business. We are committed to equipping them with the tools they need to provide world-class service to our customers.”

Stanley integrators jumped at the chance two years ago to introduce EyeLock to the Southern College of Optometry, and the university wanted security to match its own high standards and advanced technology incorporated throughout the entire facility. EyeLock is known for its patented iris identity authentication technology, which converts a person’s iris characteristics to an encrypted code unique to only that person, matching the code to the individual’s eyes for access.

It seems only right that an advanced iris technology would serve as the access control application at an optometry school.

Southern College is one of the nation’s leading universities of optometric education. The Eye Center is the focal point for faculty, and for students to learn and practice optometry. It is a clinically advanced vision and eye care center. Security was paramount, as optometric and medical physicians train interns and residents in a manner not available in any other program today.

Responding to the college’s needs, company integrators provided a more advanced means of securing the center. Technicians installed iris biometric identity authentication (EyeSwipe-Nano) door access units on two floors of the Advanced Procedures Theater and Digital Observatory, which controls admission to select providers, students, interns and residents.

If you’re not supposed to be there, you will not gain access.

A trial run of the EyeSwipe-Nano was installed in the facility’s security office. Additional units were placed outside the surgery suite, outside the observation room overseeing the surgery suite and outside of a classroom.

Integrators provided a seamless install, all without hindering operations in high-traffic areas. They also provided one-on-one training on the enrollment process so new users might be added.

“We were impressed by the EyeLock technology,” said Ken Coble, director of campus safety and security at Southern College of Optometry. “It is easy to use, provides unmatched levels of security to protect our critical assets and seamlessly integrates with our Open Options access control system.” Training is a key asset in the Stanley system, and the integrators play a significant role with the company’s sales engineers.

“We offer training to our sales engineers and those engineers working on Tier 1 and Tier 2 projects,” said Bob Stockwell, CTO at Stanley Security. “We also provide training to our branch engineers, training and certification for our technicians, and we also leverage training from various vendors.”

Stanley techs also receive IT training, but are still able to support any legacy system in place. Because the technicians have an IT background and training, they are able to jump into the IT world to quickly assist an end user who has the desire to migrate to the IP platform.

End users often want to install IP video surveillance products and get the latest technology in the security space. Another Stanley end user that finds itself searching for the right platform and equipment to install is located at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The NBA’s Indiana Pacers use Bankers Life Fieldhouse for their home games. Security is top of mind for John Ball, who is the director of building safety and security. He has been a Stanley Security end user for nearly the past six years.

“Right now, we have a mix of cutting-edge technology and legacy systems,” Ball said. “The analog cameras are still doing their job, but once they falter, they are replaced with an IP camera. We also have installed iris readers for more secure areas of the fieldhouse, finger print readers to other secure areas, all positioned on Stanley’s Commander platform.”

Ball has a lot to keep secure, and while the Pacers players aren’t his responsibility, those multimillion dollar assets are part of the overall picture. Security and technology are part of what Ball has to manage.

“There is no way I can be an expert on the new technology,” Ball said. “I rely heavily on our Stanley integrators to inform me and keep me up-todate on the current trends, solutions and offering advice on installation and maintenance.

“As an end user, we have to be discerning and trust in our relationship with our integrator to help us find not only the newest technology, but solutions that work for us.”

The solutions at Bankers Life Fieldhouse seemed to work pretty well for Stanley Security as they also have become a corporate sponsor of the Pacers. “We also are very fortunate to be able to go over to the Discovery Center and see first-hand the new technology and solutions,” Ball said. “We’re able to talk about the future while holding the equipment in our hands.

“We also see other groups within the Pacers/ [Bankers Life] Fieldhouse organization that want to capitalize on the products we are using for security. The current trend is for dual use of many products. Our marketing group wants to be able to count people, watch them and ascertain the dwell time in certain areas. Because we take tickets to enter the fieldhouse, we want to know how well the people queue is working and if there are backups in getting fans into the game.”

This year will be a busy one, not only for the security staff at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, but also for the integrators. This year’s wish list for the fieldhouse includes a visitor management system so they are able to track visitors. Ball and his team plan on replacing many analog cameras with IP video surveillance cameras, and installing sensors in the retail areas to help determine how many people come in and how many leave the premises. They also are installing metal detection systems to conform to NBA mandates that all arenas will have walk-through magnetometers.

Bankers Life Fieldhouse officials also worked with their integrators on beta testing more biometrics solutions, including the EyeLock solution that recognizes a person as they approach the device, allowing for quicker pass-through.

While the company boasts integrators nationwide, the organization also focuses on key verticals within the security industry. The company has also patterned the Discovery Center to reflect various verticals, and the solutions integrators use. For instance, retail security seems to have hit its stride in recent months. Stanley integrators work as trusted advisors in this industry to provide comprehensive solutions. They often introduce traditional and audio intrusion systems, video surveillance and monitoring. They also address time and attendance and real-time locating system (RTLS) asset tracking.

“We understand the needs of retailers and we have experience in developing and implementing a customized solution,” Stockwell said. “We realize that within the retail industry, people are looking for powerful solutions for loss prevention, asset protection, hold-up and duress response. We want to take the lead and be the trusted source.”

Because the world of security is constantly changing, security requirements also are increasingly demanding and becoming more complex. Stanley integrators do not offer their own products in every aspect of equipment, but they do partner with the industry’s leading product suppliers and manufacturers, offering a world-class, integrated solution.

“We never forget what matters most to our customers,” Stockwell said. “Our primary focus is making the security staff’s job easier as security needs evolve. We also focus on making sure our team of integrators is well-trained and certified to represent the products, their installation ability and to provide service long after the contracts are signed.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .