Condominium associations, gated communities and high-end apartment buildings can improve security and lower operating costs by availing themselves of new access control technology. Guests and residents can be verified at gates, lobbies, garages and other points of access for pennies a day.
How can access control technology save money? A kiosk replaces a live security guard. From an easy-to-use kiosk at point of entry, video and audio is transmitted to a central monitoring station. The guest is greeted by a security professional from the monitoring station. The professional verifies permission based on information supplied by the resident and remotely opens the door or gate. The solution represents significant savings compared to a live security guard.
It’s also safer and more professional than those boxes at points of entry that simply transmit a phone call to a resident. Who hasn’t ignored those systems? It’s not just honest people like myself that drive through a gate that hasn’t yet closed or ask strangers to hold the door open. Criminals aren’t shy about breaking rules either.
Visitor logs and images are recorded in a secure database and are available for security audit if needed for law enforcement purposes. Lobbies and garages can be monitored 24/7 with video surveillance and two-way radio. Communities can protect against expensive theft and increased insurance premiums that are a result of claims.
Savings can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars and more. 24/7 guards can costs upwards of $150,000 per point of entry. Security professionals from a remote station combined with state-of-the-art technology can save half the budget. Some communities prefer to combine live guards with a high-tech access control system. The system can control points of access at night while a live guard patrols the property.
Similar technology for monitoring pools can also be a life saver.
Thanks to Bill Seng of Envera Systems for his patient help and contribution to this post. You can reach Bill at 813-504-6881 or bseng@enverasystems.com. Developers such as Lennar, GL Homes, Starwood Land Ventures, Taylor Morrison, Pulte Group and Neal Communities rely on Envera for cost effective solutions to safety and security.
