Miami University Completes Bold Step with Integrated Door Access from CBORD® for Full Campus Deployment

The goals: Increase the security for Miami University students, faculty, and staff, and enhance ease of access in residence hall rooms and buildings around campus, while simultaneously creating a platform for future system growth and functions. Achieve substantial cost savings through application of new technology replacing mechanical keys, locks, and associated labor expense.

The project: Software and hardware systems and devices installed, configured, and brought online for more than 4,200 interior and 325 exterior doors. Deploy a new technology-based, Schlage® aptiQ™ contactless secure student credential from Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies, to replace old keys and cards. Position the system for additional devices to be added in the near future—laundry, vending, and printing are examples of how the new credential can be used on campus.

The timeline: 90-day summer installation from start to completion, coordinated around a busy summer conference schedule and more than 100 projects on campus, including major physical plant/facility upgrades.

In the university environment, large access control and security system installations are generally completed in phases, and typically this process spans several years. Miami University wanted to provide all students living on campus the same level of safety and security, and the university administration saw a need to do this in a single, carefully coordinated step. As a result of these ambitions, the university embarked on what proved to be one of the largest access control installations of its kind, with an ambitious implementation timeframe. After a thorough industry search and RFP process, the university selected CBORD®’s CS Access™ access control solution.

Key benefits resulting from Miami’s implementation include:

• CBORD’s CS Access provides robust lock monitoring and deployment features which were essential to support the project implementation scope and timeline.
• If a student misplaces or forgets to carry his or her new ID/credential card, a text message can be sent from the student’s cell phone to receive instant building or room access using a new CBORD feature called “OpenMyDoor.” This exciting new development has eliminated the need for middle-of-the-night visits by campus residential staff. Sophisticated audit and second credential features assure proper use of this capability, which can carry a university fee.
• The "door propped" reporting feature was important to the university.
• System monitoring tells the university the status of all door locks, bringing a number of status factors to management’s attention. Some factors such as battery power level are proactively monitored to ensure smooth installation and proper system performance.
• If a card is used by someone other than the owner at various readers in an attempt to determine privileges, the card will be turned off and a text message automatically sent to the authorized card holder to notify him/her that someone is attempting to use the card.
• Staff that need temporary access to secured areas are no longer checking out physical master keys or cards, but are instead granted limited, elevated privileges on their own cards through a feature called “MasterKey.” This feature is available because the locks are always online, and it allows instant student notification when “MasterKey” privileges are used to access their rooms.
• Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies designed and built the Schlage® AD-400 interior electronic lock hardware, which provides enhanced communications management and control. Being wireless, these locks also provide a more cost-effective solution that is quicker and lower cost to install.

“CS Access has the robust feature set we need to secure our residence halls and leverage mobile technologies to better protect our student body,” said Larry Fink, Assistant Vice President for Housing and Auxiliaries Finance at Miami University. “The mobile support we have with CS Access is extremely popular. Students experience greater security and convenience, and staff members are freed from middle-of-the-night calls to open residence hall room doors.”

Miami improved its security by moving away from metal keys, selecting Schlage® aptiQ™ contactless smart card credentials, an open-standards solution based on MIFARE DESFire™ EV1.

“The secure ‘handshake’ of information between the aptiQ card and the Schlage AD-Series wireless lock makes this format very difficult to hack or copy. This is a solution we foresee gaining prominence in campus security in years to come,” says Fink.

“Miami University’s goal was to complete the implementation of CBORD’s CS Access software system, and 4,200 Schlage AD-400 locks across 40 buildings in 90 days,” said Karen Sammon, Sr. VP of Operations at CBORD. “The hard deadline was the arrival of students for the beginning of the academic year. Additional requirements included sequentially bringing up residence halls that were being used for summer conferences during the system install. These parameters required teamwork and careful orchestration between the Miami University and CBORD project teams, with strong technical support from Ingersoll Rand. CBORD has been very impressed with the Miami University staff, and we’re extremely proud of the result all our teams achieved together.”

When students began moving in this past August, they expressed a feeling of greater safety and comfort knowing that the new access system was in place. This increased confidence in their living arrangements was important for new arrivals and upperclassmen alike. The move-in was covered by local television, highlighting the new security system.

CBORD’s relationship with Miami University dates back to 1978 when the university installed its first CBORD solution—a predecessor of the industry-leading Foodservice Suite® food management solution.  The implementation of CS Access brings CBORD solutions into new activities and areas of campus, with plans already underway for expansion.

“We congratulate Miami University of Ohio for taking the steps necessary to enhance the college experience by creating an innovative wireless security system with a highly secure and flexible one-card application for campus users,” affirmed Raj Venkat, Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies Vice President, Commercial Marketing America. “The Schlage AD-Series locks were designed with the understanding that no two campuses or their security applications are the same. The modular design of the AD-Series locks makes it easy to add more locks or upgrade credentials, networking options or software without replacing the locks.”

“CBORD and Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies have been excellent partners to Miami University,” said Fink. “Their integrated solutions help us strategically expand our use of technology without having to build and maintain our own interfaces, and their employees have been easy to work with. We look forward to continuing to grow our use of CBORD and Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies solutions and maintaining strong partnerships into the future.”
                                                                  
About The CBORD Group, Inc.

The CBORD Group serves colleges and universities, healthcare facilities, corporations, senior living facilities, supermarkets, and a host of other market segments. CBORD’s products are used in access control, integrated security, campus ID card privilege control, housing services, food service, catering, nutrition services, online ordering, and other institution-wide activities. Founded in 1975, The CBORD Group serves more than 6,000 clients in the U.S., Canada, Europe, South Africa, the Middle East, New Zealand, and Australia. To learn more about CBORD, visit www.cbord.com.

The CBORD Group, Inc. operates as a unit of Roper Industries, Inc. (NYSE: ROP). Roper Industries is a market-driven, diversified growth company and is a constituent of the Fortune 1000, the Russell 1000, and the S&P 500 indices. Roper provides engineered products and solutions for global niche markets, including water, energy, radio frequency, and research/medical applications.

Media Contact: CBORD
Sarah Ledwith
Marketing Manager, Colleges & Universities
T: 607.257.2410 x2713
F: 607.257.1902
sel@cbord.com

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