Lenel Systems International announced today that it has donated an OnGuard® identity and security management system, as well as supplies, services and personnel for the 2006 Little League Baseball World Series. Lenel, a global leader in the development of integrated security management solutions, is part of UTC Fire & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp.
This is the ninth consecutive year that Lenel has contributed its technology and expertise to the international youth athletic program. The 10-day Little League Baseball World Series for 11- and 12-year-olds is currently under way in Williamsport and is expected to draw an estimated 300,000 attendees.
"Little League Baseball is very appreciative of the support that Lenel has given us over the years," said David James, director of World Series security. "Their technology has given us peace of mind so that the players, parents and guests who attend the Little League World Series each year can concentrate on the game and having fun."
Using the OnGuard system, secure identification badges were issued to the hundreds of players, managers, umpires, grounds crew, facility personnel and administrative staff who are participating in the event. Prior to the start of the Series, participants could also enroll via the Internet from anywhere in the world, then obtain their identification badges upon arrival.
In addition to identity management and badging, the OnGuard system provides access control and digital video surveillance and management, as well as intelligent video, which is being used for crowd monitoring and analysis of activity in particularly sensitive areas of the sprawling campus.
The flexibility of the OnGuard design enabled Lenel to install and run the system on the Little League campus computer network. The system implementation was cost-efficient in both time and money, making the most of the Little League's existing infrastructure investment. The integrated capabilities and centralized database of the OnGuard system have proven invaluable in helping the FBI and local and state government personnel safeguard the Series participants, facilities and grounds.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Little League Baseball World Series. Sixteen teams from around the world are taking part, and all games are scheduled to be televised on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2. Little League Baseball and Softball is the largest organized youth sports program in the world, with 2.7 million participants in all 50 states and nearly 75 other countries.
