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Clemson University secures facilities with Brivo ACS WebService™

Livestock Poultry Health Program upgrades security and productivity

Brivo Systems, LLC, the leader in web applications for access control and security systems, announces that Clemson University's Livestock Poultry Health Programs in Columbia, SC, has installed Brivo's ACS WebService to ensure full access control of their facility.  The Livestock Poultry Health facility houses four agricultural departments and sees upwards of 200 staff and visitors a day.  ADT Security Systems of Columbia assisted Clemson staff in their search for a new access control system introducing the Brivo system and its many benefits and helping to write the bid specifications.  Since many of Brivo's features are unique, no other access control system qualified during the bid process.

Prior to Brivo, the Livestock Poultry Health access control system was a DOS-based, magnetic stripe system installed only on exterior doors.  The system had to be run from a dedicated PC, and was unreliable and non-user friendly.

"Our last system was run on one PC and if that person wasn't there, you were out of luck," said Michael Edwards, Information Resource Consultant for Clemson University Livestock and Poultry Health Programs.  Once in the market for a new system, Edwards' criteria included a system with a Web interface that could be controlled from anywhere and one that did not require the maintenance of servers or other IT infrastructure.

The Brivo system controls five exterior doors and several interior doors to divide access areas within the building.  The Livestock Poultry Health building is a research and testing facility but does not conduct live animal research.  Nevertheless, Edwards is able to ensure full lockdown of the lab and effective control over which personnel groups have access to the lab, where, and during what hours.  In addition, the new Brivo system enables staff to funnel all visitors to the main entrance lobby, facilitating visitor monitoring and proper routing, and ensuring improved control and audit trails for deliveries and samples sent to the laboratory.

Mike Edwards is the main administrator for the system, but he also has two back-up staff.  He hasn't really needed them.  "The only time I don't manage the system is when I'm on vacation - it's great I can jump on a PC anywhere and do whatever needs to be done," he said.

Edwards ran extensive reports of system activity during the first several months of operation, but found over time that staff learned what they can and cannot do and his familiarity with the system grew so fast, he only runs reports on demand now.  One system feature he does rely on is automatic alerts.  Alerts are sent, for example, when personnel act outside of privileges or when the system may be experiencing a problem.  But alerts aren't always an indication that something is wrong: on one occasion a temporary employee was made permanent, but his privileges had not been updated.  Upon request for entry, Edwards received an alert while on a business trip:  "I had his privileges updated in two minutes from my remote location; it's really a great system." 

When Edwards went shopping for improved access control, he was met with a lot of information and choices.  "Brivo set me up with a test and I could see, and actually operate, the system I could have installed - that did it, I was sold on Brivo." 

The system's ease-of-use and effectiveness have been proven time and again.  Recently, the Columbia area was hit by an ice storm.  Employees were told to report two hours later than usual. Edwards simply implemented lockdown of the building from his home and instituted a new open time for that day-no one had to take a dangerous ride to the building to get the job done.

Bob Mosler, Brivo's Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, said:  "The experience Mike Edwards has had with his Clemson University installation epitomises what the Brivo system offers beyond the extensive features and ease-of-use:  Clemson has freed resources for other projects, improved employee safety, and increased efficiency."