King’s College London, located in the center of the capital, has revamped its campus security and access control measures. The college has moved away from disparate systems, opting for a more uniform campus-wide solution.

Comprising KCL's access control system are solutions from security solutions provider, Gallagher, along with integrations with other security components including Assa Abloy's Aperio technology for security at individual doors.

King’s College London had been using a variety of access control products to control and manage security across its multiple campuses. But a key requirement for the London campus was a standardized access control system that could operate college-wide.

KCL opted for an expansion of Gallagher technology that had already been successfully deployed in select locations at two of the university’s local campuses. For this reason, KCL chose Gallagher -- along with fellow long-standing provider, Assa Abloy --  to deliver an access control platform for the entire college.

Gallagher’s access control products are now integrated with King’s College’s staff and student databases, and sources for cardholder information. This integration also includes the college’s enterprise Identity Management system from Microsoft.

Gallagher's solutions have also been integrated to work alongside SITS, the college’s student management system, to provide rapid updates of new students so that individual ID cards can be issued once the registration process is complete.

Security at the door

The move to a campus-wide, standardized system has benefitted the college in many ways, including a considerable reduction in costs for training, special projects and operator skills.

The integration with Aperio ensures that campus doors are locked when individuals leave a room. This helps to provide peace of mind that rooms won’t be accidentally left open overnight or during the weekend.

Assa Abloy's Aperio technology is designed to complement existing electronic access control systems and provide campuses with a simple way to upgrade the control and security of facilities. A short-distance, wireless communication protocol, Aperio links an online electronic access system with an Aperio enabled mechanical lock.

Any number of existing doors can be equipped with Aperio, and at a lower cost than installing a standard electronic access system on every door. Aperio has also been developed around an open standard, making is possible to integrate with most locksets and systems, regardless of the manufacturer. Aperio technology fits into a system with wired doors, but is also designed for future security demands by using AES encryption via a wireless connection.

The access control technology overhaul has boosted King’s College’s confidence in its electronic system. In addition to more efficient campus wide alerts, card holders are also now registered in one system, allowing tighter management of campus passes.

The move to a standardized, enterprise-wide system has also reportedly led to fewer system failures, better decision-making between KCL's disparate campuses, and provided easier card management for multi-campus students, staff and visitors.