Schlage Computer-Managed locks prevent theft, provide audit trail at Utah community college
27 April, 2006
category: Biometrics, Education
Seeking to prevent further thefts of expensive equipment, a Utah community college installed 120 Schlage Computer-Managed locks that also provide an audit trail of the last 1,000 events involving the locks.
CM Locks Secure Supplies, Expensive Equipment, and Buildings at Salt Lake Community College
FORESTVILLE, CONN.– Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies has announced that Salt Lake Community College is using 120-plus Schlage Computer-Managed (CM) locks to secure buildings and prevent the theft of supplies and expensive multimedia equipment on campus. Before installing the locks, which provide an audit trail of the last 1,000 events, the college lost several expensive projectors and a steady stream of supplies to theft.
Schlage CM standalone locking products provide features found traditionally with online, networked systems. User-friendly software on a laptop or PDA programs the locks, access trim, and offline hard-wired controllers, which manage strikes and magnets. New users, access points and access privileges can be programmed into a CM lock in seconds. Users can select proximity, magnetic stripe, PIN or i-Button credentials individually or in combination. The CM lock also provides an audit trail for download onto a laptop or PDA.
“The locks were installed to secure a building and, at the same time, give access to those authorized to enter,” reports campus locksmith Steve Hamann. “We wanted to be able to let people in and out after normal hours, but still have an audit trail of who has accessed a particular lock.”
Approximately 120 locks have been installed at Salt Lake Community College to secure classrooms, the police station, custodial areas and anthropology labs. Hamann’s department is constantly adding new locks. He currently has 15 locks in stock and is putting out another bid for 40 more CM locks next year. The first locks were installed four years ago.
Before the CM locks were installed on campus, supplies were constantly being pilfered. In addition, several overhead projectors costing between $3,500 and $5,000 had been stolen.
“Once the locks were installed, people became aware that they provided an audit trail and nothing has been stolen since,” Hamann notes. “The audit trail acts as a deterrent. It keeps honest people honest.”
The college also chose the CM locks because they work with its existing magnetic swipe cards. Students and faculty all carry multi-purpose identification cards that allow them to access library services, meal plans, and more.
“In some of the more sensitive areas, one must use both a code and a card swipe, but otherwise, everything is swipe,” the locksmith reports. “We can also program the locks for one-time use by a contractor, for seasonal use, or to limit access to bathrooms that are prone to being vandalized by local junior high school students.”
When faculty members are terminated or a card is lost, Hamann can reprogram the locks immediately to deny access using LockLink software and a handheld PDA.
Hamann also likes that the cost of the CM locks is less than a third of the cost of hardwired locks, with many of the same benefits. That’s a big plus at a cost-conscious community college.
About Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies
Ingersoll Rand’s Security Technologies Sector is a leading global provider of products and services that make environments safe, secure and productive. The sector’s market-leading products include electronic and biometric access-control systems; time-and-attendance and personnel scheduling systems; mechanical locks; portable security; door closers, exit devices, architectural hardware, and steel doors and frames; and other technologies and services for global security markets. Website is www.schlage.com.
Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies is a sector of Ingersoll-Rand Company Limited, a diversified industrial company serving transportation, manufacturing, construction, and agriculture industries. Ingersoll Rand brings to bear a 100-year-old heritage of technological innovation to help companies be more productive, efficient, and innovative. For more information on Ingersoll Rand, visit the company’s web site at www.ingersollrand.com.
