Customer story - Milestone Systems

Milestone Customer Story
May 2014
Valencia College & the University of Central Florida – Partners in Education and Safety
Florida higher education turns to complete security installation
Valencia College serves 71,000 students across 60 buildings in campuses located in Orlando,
Winter Park, Kissimmee, and Lake Nona, Florida. Named the
top U.S. community college in the nation in 2011, Valencia
College was the first recipient of the prestigious Aspen Prize
for Community College Excellence. Valencia College ranks first among two-year colleges in the
United States for the total associate’s degrees it awards and has a graduate rate triple the
average of comparable schools.
The University of Central Florida (UCF) is the second-largest public university campus in the
United States, serving more than 60,000 students and 8,000 full-time
employees. The school encompasses 180 buildings across a 1,415acre main campus and nine regional campuses. Called a “Top Up-andComing” national university by U.S. News & World Report, a best-value
university by The Princeton Review and Kiplinger’s, and one of the
nation’s most affordable colleges by Forbes, UCF offers 212 degree
programs and has become an academic and research leader in numerous fields.
Synonymous with excellence in providing higher education in central Florida for five decades
as separate institutions, Valencia College and the University of Central Florida have worked
together as a team for years to ensure that those who earn an associate’s degree at Valencia
have a seamless transition to continue on to earn a bachelor’s degree from UCF – a program
referred to as DirectConnect to UCF. Student success, however, hasn’t been the only priority
that Valencia College and UCF have shared.
CHALLENGE
Two Large Florida University Systems Sought Systematic Access Control and Video
Management to Enhance Safety and Protect Assets
Administrators at Valencia College and UCF understood that their campuses, along with those
across the nation, faced continued and increasing threats of violent acts and crisis situations.
Each institution wanted a comprehensive and cohesive security system that could control
everyday entry and lockdown access to doors, as well as access to live and recorded video
that was easy to manage and simple to use. Their desire to provide the safest environment
possible for students, staff, and property led to another strong partnership: Open Options
Access Control and Milestone Systems Video Management Software (VMS).
It was in 2004 that Valencia College initially sought a systemic access control solution to secure
50 doors around campus, primarily data closets. It was also during this time that the forwardthinking administration began to deploy smart classrooms consisting of expensive resources –
projectors, document readers, and laptops – that aided teaching and further engaged students
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Milestone Customer Story
May 2014
in learning. Network video cameras began to proliferate over the aging analog solution and
Valencia College sought to deploy IP video surveillance along with access control as part of
their widening security solution to protect growing assets and enrollments.
Orlando-based system integrator Phil Lutes, president and owner of Signature Systems of
Florida, won the ensuing Valencia College security bid with a powerful suggestion: deploying
Open Options’ DNA Fusion Access Control software along with HID Global iCLASS® readers
and cards to secure doors, and Milestone Systems XProtect VMS to manage live and recorded
video. Their ability to integrate – and provide one solution from within a single interface – has
laid the groundwork for a seamless user experience future-proofed to remain ahead of everchanging security technology trends.
When UCF began planning an upgrade of their own security solution
– stand-alone battery operated access control that did not provide the
level of security needed and a variety of small analog video systems
dispersed throughout multiple campuses – Lutes and Signature
Systems of Florida again answered the request for proposal with the
same winning combination.
SOLUTION
Open Options DNA Fusion Access Control Software with HID iCLASS Card Readers and
Milestone Systems XProtect Video Management Software With an Assortment of IP Video
Surveillance Cameras
Open Options software, DNA Fusion, provides a complete access control
solution including door control, visitor management, and photo ID
management in an open platform that interfaces seamlessly with other
systems such as video, biometrics, and intercom. Open Options can be
managed via a regular client, the web, or Apple and Android smartphones.
HID Global iCLASS readers and cards offer enhanced security through
encryption and mutual authentication. Both are reliable and affordable, too,
making them ideal for campuses of all sizes. Plus, HID iCLASS readers and
cards have the versatility to support specified capabilities today — such as controlled access
to buildings — with the option to be upgraded later to allow for additional applications.
Milestone XProtect VMS is an easy-to-use, yet, powerful software for controlling
video surveillance. XProtect enables users to access live and recorded video to
gain real-time situational awareness and investigate incidents, control pan-tiltzoom cameras (PTZ) to investigate suspicious activity, and export recordings as
evidence.
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Milestone Customer Story
May 2014
The Open Options integration with HID Global and Milestone XProtect allows the systems to
work together to provide comprehensive security through the powerful combination of access
control with video. Live or recorded video can be accessed from within the DNA Fusion event
manager using a camera tree or facility maps. Users can also display multiple monitor views
and simultaneous playback using built-in controls.
With Open Options DNA Fusion, HID iCLASS readers and doors, and Milestone XProtect
installed throughout both college systems, Valencia College and UCF have an allencompassing security solution that they each continue to build upon.
At Valencia College, Open Options manages access control with 1,200 HID iCLASS card
readers across 60 buildings.
“Our construction standard and remodeling standard is that every exterior door will have
electronic access,” said Assistant Vice President of Safety and Security Risk Management Tom
Lopez. “In the building interiors we base access control on how it is equipped. If it is a smart
classroom with an abundance of expensive equipment, then access control protection is their
standard there, as well.”
Lopez said that his employees have found Open Options to be an easy-to-use solution that
comforts faculty in the event of an emergency on campus.
“Our instructors are reassured by the fact that we can secure and lockdown doors and buildings
if we have that need during a crisis situation,” he said.
Milestone Systems XProtect Enterprise video management software controls 336 Axis and
IQinVision video surveillance cameras throughout the Valencia College locations.
Lopez notes, “When an incident occurs on our property it’s very easy to export video and
watermark it for timestamp and evidentiary purposes. Our investigations have been aided by
the use of video which has been met with very positively by our administration and law
enforcement officials.”
At neighboring UCF, their door protection began as a stand-alone battery operated access
control that did not provide the level of security needed for such a large – and rapidly growing
– institution. The solution Lutes and Signature Systems of Florida developed has now grown to
Open Options DNA Fusion software operating 700 HID iCLASS card readers. “UCF has been
an innovator in their approach to access control as they utilize virtualization,” said Lutes.
“UCF was one of the early users of Open Options to virtualize the software and organize their
distribution by splitting it into ‘tenants,’” said Lutes.” Taking the concept of tenants in one
building, with different people on different floors, UCF created one database for all cardholders
and allowed each department to manage its own users. They accomplished this inside of a
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Milestone Customer Story
May 2014
virtual machine. Now they deploy the clients as virtual machines so they don’t have to install
the client software at different locations. It’s a very efficient way of running and managing the
Open Options software and users.”
UCF Chief Information Officer Bob Yankello said Open Options provided them the flexibility
they sought in an access control solution.
“Open Options integrated with our current system and with the ability to work with Active
Directory we can easily populate the database as new employees come into the system, a
frequent occurrence in higher education and with UCF, in particular,” he said.
Video management at UCF was also not standardized as they had a variety of small analog
video systems dispersed throughout the University. Lutes began video surveillance
management with Milestone Systems XProtect Enterprise, and as the system has grown some
departments are transitioning to XProtect Expert to take advantage of the additional features of
centralization and edge storage. The Milestone Systems VMS now manages live and recorded
video from nearly 1,500 Axis, IQinVision, and Panasonic video surveillance cameras throughout
UCF – with more being added on a regular basis.
Officials from Valencia College and UCF agree that the powerful combination of access control
by Open Options and video management by Milestone Systems has provided a cost-effective
and efficient security solution that has made their campuses safer. Open Options Southeast
Regional Sales Manager Charles Johnson said other institutions should follow the successful
model created by Signature Systems of Florida, Valencia College, and UCF.
“Security has become a campus-wide issue that garners input from all stakeholders so it’s very
much a matter of teamwork as it relates to the administration, software developers, hardware
manufacturers, and integrators,” Johnson said. “It’s encouraging to see Valencia College, the
University of Central Florida, and Signature Systems of Florida collaborating to replicate a
successful security integration that will offer protection for 130,000 students and hundreds of
facilities across central Florida.”
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Milestone Customer Story
May 2014
FAST FACTS
Customers
Valencia College
University of Central Florida
Technology Partners
Open Options Access Technology
HID Global – iCLASS Readers and Cards
Milestone Systems XProtect IP Video Management Software
Signature Systems of Florida – Security Integrator
Industry
Education
Geography
Florida
Challenges
Large number of buildings
Multiple locations
Increasing/varying number of users
Solution
Open Options DNA Fusion Access Control software
Milestone Systems XProtect Video Management Software (VMS)
Stats
Valencia College
HID iCLASS Card readers – 1,200
Milestone Systems XProtect Enterprise VMS
Axis and IQinVision cameras – 336
University of Central Florida
HID iCLASS Card Readers – 700
Milestone Systems XProtect Enterprise and Expert VMS
Axis, IQinVision, and Panasonic cameras – 1,496
About Open Options
Open Options is a leading provider of innovative access control solutions with a commitment to
customer service and open platform products. Our products work together to provide a
complete security solution including visitor management, photo ID, and more. Our flagship
access control software, DNA Fusion, is an open platform solution that interfaces seamlessly
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Milestone Customer Story
May 2014
with other systems such as video, biometrics, and intercom. Open Options has been providing
superior access control solutions worldwide since 1998, and we continue to grow each year
due to our firm commitment to open architecture hardware and by consistently providing both
reliable and cutting-edge technology. To learn more about Open Options solutions, visit
www.ooinc.com.
About HID Global
HID Global is the trusted source for innovative products, services, solutions and know-how
related to the creation, use and management of secure identities for millions of customers
around the world. The company’s solutions range from physical and logical access control,
credential management, card printing and personalization, visitor management, government
and citizen IDs, and RFID technologies used to identify and track animals and objects.
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, HID Global has over 2,100 employees worldwide and
operates international offices supporting more than 100 countries. HID Global® is an ASSA
ABLOY Group brand. For more information, visit www.hidglobal.com.
About Milestone Systems
Founded in 1998, Milestone Systems is the global industry leader in open platform IP video
management software. The XProtect® platform delivers powerful surveillance that is easy to
manage, reliable and proven in thousands of customer installations around the world. With
support for the widest choice in network hardware and integration with other systems, XProtect
provides best-in-class solutions to video enable organizations – managing risks, protecting
people and assets, optimizing processes and reducing costs. Milestone software is sold through
authorized and certified partners. For more information, visit www.milestonesys.com.
About Signature Systems of Florida
Signature Systems is the dba of Alert Security, incorporated in 1988. We are steadily growing
while quickly developing the skills and expertise needed to match the increasing importance of
life safety and security systems in the commercial business sector. Today Signature Systems
of Florida has the reputation as one of the most experienced and reliable security systems
integrators in Florida. For more information, visit www.signaturesystemsfl.com.
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