A Real Steal
The threat of industrial espionage has compelled telecommunications companies such as Nokia to become major buyers of access control equipment.
Nokia, an international telecommunications group and manufacturer of cellular telephones and technology, is one buyer of access control equipment. Finland-based Nokia, employer of over 42,000 people in 45 countries, recorded net sales of $9.8 billion in 1997.
New Facility, New Security System
When Nokia Mobile Phones built its 500,000 square foot manufacturing and distribution center in Fort Worth, TX, the company decided to upgrade its security system. Instead of simple burglar alarms used in the previous facility, Nokia installed a sophisticated, integrated electronic security system. The system can incorporate video badging, closed circuit television (CCTV), alphanumeric paging, biometric identification, alarm monitoring and more.
"Nokia looked for a system that had the potential to grow with them," said Kelle Shanks, senior account manager for Security Technologies Group. Shanks worked with Nokia to design an integrated system with components manufactured by Sensormatic (Boca Raton, FL).
Nokia Mobile Phones requires a level of security higher than standard corporate security. Its manufacturing and distribution center is located in a foreign trade zone and, thus, Nokia receives special tax incentives. In return, the U.S. Customs Agency requires a higher level of accountability for the materials moving in and out of the facility.
This site, known as the Alliance facility, also serves as the main monitoring center for most of Nokia's security efforts in the United States. Alliance also monitors Nokia's Research and Development headquarters for the Americas, which is located in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and known as Valley View. Another monitored site is the telecommunications plant called the Diplomacy facility in Irving, TX.
Turnstiles Facilitate Traffic Flow
Nokia uses Sensormatic C-CURE® 1 Plus, an integrated security management system, along with photo imaging capabilities and a guard station. The C-CURE 1, which combines various technologies and functions into one computer system, can expand as the company's needs grow.
Currently, approximately 70 card readers monitor the more than 2,000 employees at all the Nokia facilities. The C-CURE 1 Plus can support up to 64,000 badges and 2,048 readers.
The facility also has Omega bidirectional optical turnstiles integrated into the system. They move large numbers of shift workers in and out of the Alliance facility without traffic jams and delays. These turnstiles work in conjunction with the card access system and provide unobtrusive traffic lanes through which employees can pass quickly and safely. When an employee approaches one of the turnstile lanes, a red or green light indicates the status of the lane. The green light indicates that the lane is open and ready for the access card. The red light indicates that the lane is closed or in alarm.
Next, the employee slides the card into the top of the turnstile. If the card is authorized, the top green light graphic will point towards the direction authorized. Also, a chime will sound to tell the employee that he or she may pass.
When passing through the lanes, the employee crosses an optical infrared beam and resets the lane for the next person. If the card is not authorized, the turnstile will sound an alarm. Anyone attempting to pass without presenting a card will trip an infrared beam and cause an alarm to sound. All access activities are recorded and logged into the system.
"Our facility operates 24 hours a day with shifts moving into and out of the building throughout that period," said James Hill, security system administrator for Nokia Americas. "We wanted a system that would perform smoothly and get workers to and from their jobs as quickly and efficiently as possible." The Alliance facility also uses Sensormatic personal identification number (PIN) code readers at locations such as computer rooms that require a higher level of security.
Biometrics Crucial to System
The Nokia Americas headquarters building in Irving uses an Indala proximity reader and a combination of Indala keypad readers. But for areas needing the highest level of security, Biometric Hand Readers by Recognition Systems are used. The hand readers work by reading employees' palm dimensions and allowing access only to those with matching prints filed in the system's memory. This eliminates the possibility of stolen badges or access numbers.
Nokia also uses an extensive CCTV system at its facilities. Cameras in the facility record 24 hours per day and are monitored at the Alliance facility's central monitoring station. Video input is handled by an American Dynamics™ matrix switcher. Two Sensormatic Robot® multiplexers are used for recording and then for display on several color monitors. The multiplexer can be switched to display 16, nine, four or two cameras at once, or it can focus on a single image for greater detail. This process does not interfere with the continuous recording of images from other cameras.
The Diplomacy site is monitored using Robot HyperScan® Ultra, a system which transmits video images over standard phone lines. This allows the security officers at the Alliance facility to monitor events at the other facilities as they happen. Using a computer platform, HyperScan transmits up to 12 frames per second over standard or integrated services digital network (ISDN) phone lines, cellular or satellite data links.
The Irving office has 15 American Dynamics fixed dome cameras while the Diplomacy telecommunications site uses a mixture of two fixed cameras and seven SpeedDome® cameras. Alliance utilizes two fixed dome cameras and 20 SpeedDomes, which can rotate their cameras in multiple directions. Integrated into the electronic security system is a mixture of in-house and contract security officers totaling 22.
Installation, Then Upgrades
"The installation of the Nokia system at the manufacturing and distribution center was fast paced," said Shanks. "We needed to have the system up and running after the building was completed and before it was occupied."
Shanks said the distribution center at Alliance was built first, and its security system was installed in approximately three months. The manufacturing center was added later, and that security system took about four months to install.
Upgrades have occurred since the installation of the security management system. Nokia Mobile Phones started with a Sensormatic C-CURE 700 and upgraded to the C-CURE 1 Plus because of its ability to expand as the company's needs grow. The C-CURE 1 Plus handles more cards, creates more databases, links multiple facilities, and accommodates badging. The biometric hand readers were also part of the upgrade. Previously, the company had used PIN code pads for those areas with the highest security needs.
Enhanced Security System...And More
Nokia also uses its CCTV cameras for much more than security. The company uses the recorded video in training tapes and as a way of developing new methods for increasing productivity and safety. For example, company officials may review recorded activity at the loading dock to help them design more efficient ways to load and unload trucks. Also, because of the added security it provides for late night shift workers, the system helps attract potential employees to Nokia.
Thus far, the system has worked well for the company, said Hill. "One of the things an end user wants is speed when gathering and retrieving information, and this system does that for us," he said. "I feel like I know what's happening before the criminal does - and that says something."