Going Global

Going Global

Google requires a seamless visitor management solution

The new and growing interest in the technology sector has given rise to a new phenomenon known as “Tech tourism,” whereby tech companies have seen ever increasing numbers of visitors being attracted to their sites as tech enthusiasts undertake a kind of digital pilgrimage.

As the world’s leading Tech organization, Google has experienced a surge in visitor interest attracting thousands of visitors to its facility sites around the globe each year.

As a result, Google required a seamless visitor management solution that could effectively facilitate such high volumes of global visitors annually. Security for both visitors and employees was also an important consideration with the visitor management system requiring the ability for security and staff to quickly distinguish temporary visitors to the site and who is responsible for the guest during their visit. Due to the sheer numbers visiting Google sites, a solution was required that could reduce administrative burden allowing for front of house to have a more productive day overall.

Further to reducing administrative burden, Google sought to transfer ownership of visitors from front of house to individual hosts to facilitate monitoring and review of visitor activity.

Working in tandem with Google, Time Data Security Ltd., helped create a visitor management system that would not only offer a scalable solution to overall visitor management but also allow for full integration into Google’s current access control and internal systems, providing a safe and secure environment for staff and on-site staff.

A user-centric software organization, the visitor project was underpinned with one of Google’s core principals “focus on the user and all else will follow.” With this in mind, TDS enlisted a hardware design company, Evoke, to design and build the TDS Visitor Kiosk. A visitor kiosk designed to provide a straightforward and efficient user experience, requiring minimal on-site maintenance which would seamlessly integrate with Google’s famously tech-led office environments around the world.

The pioneering visitor management solution incorporates the ability for visitors to self-register and sign-in, take a picture, and agree to the company’s NDA. This desktop, wall mounted or free standing unit can also scan QR codes and barcode ID for rapid onsite/ off-site confirmation. The self-contained kiosk will automatically alert the host of their guest’s arrival, reducing waiting time at reception desks and facilitating the management of visitor lists. A visitor pass is printed directly by the kiosk upon visitor collection by the host. A comprehensive reporting tool allows for added security and visitor monitoring.

In addition to the development of the Visitor Kiosk, TDS also developed additional event functionality ‘PiGate’, a small piece of hardware that allows guests to use the QR code printed on their visitor badge to enter pre-selected doors and turnstiles.

To date, five million visitors have checked in to Google offices globally using 277 kiosks in 225 cities in 52 countries. Customers, visitors and staff use TDS Visitor with ease, the only maintenance required is the occasional change of printer roll. The end user has enjoyed an enhanced, feature-rich visitor experience and increased operational efficiency, but the overarching success has been the seamless global integration.

This article originally appeared in the July/August 2018 issue of Security Today.

About the Author

Neil Fox is the head of marketing at Time Data Security Ltd.

Featured

  • Trends Keeping an Eye on Business Decisions

    Today, AI continues to transform the way data is used to make important business decisions. AI and the cloud together are redefining how video surveillance systems are being used to simulate human intelligence by combining data analysis, prediction, and process automation with minimal human intervention. Many organizations are upgrading their surveillance systems to reap the benefits of technologies like AI and cloud applications. Read Now

  • The Future is Happening Outside the Cloud

    For years, the cloud has captivated the physical security industry. And for good reason. Remote access, elastic scalability and simplified maintenance reshaped how we think about deploying and managing systems. But as the number of cameras grows and resolutions push from HD to 4K and beyond, the cloud’s limits are becoming unavoidable. Bandwidth bottlenecks. Latency lags. Rising storage costs. These are not abstract concerns. Read Now

  • The Impact of Convergence Between IT and Physical Security

    For years, the worlds of physical security and information technology (IT) remained separate. While they shared common goals and interests, they often worked in silos. Read Now

  • Unlocking Trustworthy AI: Building Transparency in Security Governance

    In situations where AI supports important security tasks like leading investigations and detecting threats and anomalies, transparency is essential. When an incident occurs, investigators must trace the logic behind each automated response to confirm its validity or spot errors. Demanding interpretable AI turns opaque “black boxes” into accountable partners that enhance, rather than compromise, organizational defense. Read Now

  • Seeking Innovative Solutions

    Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. You may recognize these terms as the “5 Phases” of a grieving process, but they could easily describe the phases one goes through before adopting any new or emerging innovation or technology, especially in a highly risk-averse industry like security. However, the desire for convenience in all aspects of modern life is finally beginning to turn the tide from old school hardware as the go-to towards more user-friendly, yet still secure, door solutions. Read Now

New Products

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities