Sun Outdoors security overhaul with VIVOTEK VORTEX

Sun Outdoors Ocean City, located in Maryland, is a popular campground that attracts a steady flow of visitors each season.

With its expansive grounds and over 300 private campsites, the campground faced several challenges in managing security. Traditional surveillance methods proved inefficient, leading to false alarms and difficulties in tracking incidents such as lost children, vandalism, misplaced items, or occasional adventurous guests.

Traditional surveillance systems

Challenges - As the campground grew in size and guest volume, Sun Outdoors realised that traditional surveillance systems were no longer sufficient, leading to four key challenges over the years:

• Wide/Private Areas: With expansive grounds and numerous private campsites, it was difficult for staff to effectively monitor all areas of the campground.
• Vandalism & Lost Items: Vandalism and the occasional theft of personal items or equipment were persistent issues.
• Limited Staff: The campground struggled with insufficient staff to manage security and guest safety, especially during peak season when extra workers were needed. Additionally, there was a lack of IT experts to handle the complex security systems.
• False Alarms: Previous security systems triggered frequent false alarms, leading to inefficiencies and distractions from real threats.

With a diverse mix of families and outdoor enthusiasts, ensuring guest safety while maintaining efficient operations was crucial. They needed a solution that would address both security and operational challenges, while being easy to set up, cost-effective, and providing real-time visibility without requiring additional manpower or expensive infrastructure upgrades.

Providing real-time monitoring

Solution - To address security challenges, Maloney Telecom, a trusted pioneer in surveillance solutions, has partnered with VIVOTEK, a global security solution provider, to deploy its VORTEX Cloud Surveillance Platform at Sun Outdoors Ocean City.

The seamless cloud-based solution provides real-time monitoring and AI-driven insights, enhancing overall safety and operational efficiency.

• Reduced Vandalism by Over 80%: By leveraging advanced AI-driven insights and precise detection, VORTEX minimised false alarms, allowing staff to focus on real threats.
• Easy Setup and Bandwidth-Friendly: The system was fully operational in just 30 minutes using Sun Outdoors' existing Wi-Fi network, offering immediate security improvements without the need for complex infrastructure changes.
• $2,000 in Operational Cost Savings: In just two months, VORTEX helped Sun Outdoors eliminate the need for extra staff to monitor security. The AI-powered system also reduced costs related to false alarms.
• Real-Time Monitoring: VORTEX’s cloud-based platform provided Sun Outdoors with the ability to remotely monitor security, offering real-time alerts for suspicious activities or perimeter breaches, and giving management better control over the entire campground.
• Instant Search and Accountability: VORTEX’s Deep Search feature allowed staff to quickly locate specific events or individuals, enhancing response times to incidents such as lost children/golf car, stolen items, or suspicious behaviour.
• Real-Time Deterrents with Network Speakers: VORTEX’s network speakers provided immediate deterrents for disruptive guests, effectively managing crowds and preventing unsafe behaviour in shared spaces like bathhouses.

Enhancing guest experience

The implementation of VORTEX at Sun Outdoors Ocean City has proven to be a major success, providing improvements in security and operational efficiency while also enhancing the guest experience. Here’s what Carrie Coster, the General Manager at Sun Outdoors Ocean City, had to say:

"The VORTEX system has been such a blessing. It made a difference instantly, for our guests, for the staff, for everyone at Sun Outdoors. VORTEX keeps people accountable. It keeps the team at Sun Outdoors accountable. And it keeps the guests accountable as well. VORTEX really helps us take action fast."

Substantial cost savings

Jeremy Maloney, President of Maloney Telecom: "Carrie's experiences are what VORTEX aims to deliver: cost savings, accountability, and peace of mind. At the end of the day, I don't even need to sell it. I just show people how VORTEX works, and it sells itself. That's the kind of partnership we're proud to be a part of."

The success of VORTEX at Sun Outdoors Ocean City highlights its ability to improve security, streamline operations, and deliver substantial cost savings. Through Maloney Telecom’s partnership, Sun Outdoors Ocean City now operates more efficiently, with fewer security concerns, allowing it to focus on providing a safe and enjoyable guest experience.