Convergint and Genetec Update Security Solutions for City, University of London

Convergint was built upon a solid foundation of Values and Beliefs, one of the most important being “We expect to be our customers’ best service provider—no matter what business we are in.” 

For higher-education campuses with large security footprints, it can be challenging to create an up-to-date security plan that keeps everyone safe while maintaining streamlined operations. In this case study, find out how Convergint worked with Genetec to deploy a solution to help City, University of London ensure the safety of their staff and students while future proofing and modernising these systems, in addition to standardising on a single security platform across campus.

City, University of London is a public University founded in 1894. City has its main campus in central London in the London Borough of Islington, with additional campuses in both the west end and the east end. City is organised into five schools comprised of around 40 academic departments and centers. 

City had various older security solutions throughout the campus that were not consistent or up to date, and needed to modernise and standardise these solutions across the entire campus.

City had problems with poor quality and older analogue cameras, which were neither IP nor high definition. There was little flexibility with their existing access control system. Only certain panel types could be used, and the card technology in use was a barcode reader, which is insecure by modern standards. This type of card technology also required frequent card replacement due to the card being swiped through every door rather than using proximity technology.

Convergint worked with City to evaluate the marketplace for the appropriate technology solutions to meet the specifications, and chose Genetec to deliver a Genetec Unified Security Platform. This encompassed the CCTV technology, access control, intercom, and an electronic key cabinet requirement amongst others into one single, scalable platform for City to use and build upon.

All cameras were also replaced with Axis Communications HD cameras across the campus. City’s modernised security system is now ready for future expansion and will be able to take advantage of future deployments with Genetec’s many technology partners and integrators.

Along with providing the Genetec Unified Security Platform, it was also necessary to work with City IT architects to integrate the new solution into their existing enterprise service bus to manage the flow of data to and from Genetec. City specified that it was necessary to allow key functions from the old and new systems to work alongside each other. This was needed to manage the flow of data so only one system needed to be administrated. Integrating with Genetec through their SDK and API’s allowed City to utilise data from other systems to populate Genetec, and achieve large administration savings when the new students enroll each academic year.

The successful deployment of the Genetec Unified Security Platform gives City complete coverage with HD cameras, allowing them to get a clear picture of events across the campus. City can now utilise the powerful software functions within Genetec to conduct smart investigations and let the software do the work rather than the previous labor-intensive way. City’s recording platform has now been completely overhauled and centralised. Additionally, City now has a failover capacity across multiple data center environments with a virtualised environment hosting the access control provided by City. City’s security team can now be confident that the data they need will always be there.

To learn more about these unified security solutions from Convergint and Genetec, contact a Convergint expert today.