Network Security & Alarms secures Raymarine HQ with Vanderbilt access control and CCTV solutions

Vanderbilt’s integrated security installation is providing flexible protection for Raymarine facilities

Vanderbilt has worked with value added partner Network Security and Alarms Limited, an expert installer of electronic security systems, to develop a comprehensive yet efficient and cost-effective security solution for Raymarine's new purpose-built headquarters in Portsmouth.

The installation, which incorporates tightly integrated access control and CCTV systems, is providing flexible protection for the important facilities on the site, which include Raymarine's world-class research and development operation.

Raymarine facilities

As one of the world's leading and most successful suppliers of marine electronic products for the leisure boating market, Raymarine has seen its business grow substantially and consistently in recent years. This growth made a move to larger premises essential. As a result, the company commissioned a new headquarters complex which comprises a 75,000 sq ft office building and an adjacent 35,000 sq ft building to house the company's research and development, test laboratory, service centre and production engineering facilities.

Given the business-critical nature of the work carried out at Raymarine's headquarters, and the commercial sensitivity of its research and development operations, the highest levels of security were required across the whole of the new site. To find the best security system supplier to meet this requirement, Raymarine initiated a competitive tender process involving major security companies throughout the UK.

Network Security and Alarms

Ultimately the contract was awarded to Network Security and Alarms of Basingstoke, which had put forward a proposal based on access control and CCTV equipment from Vanderbilt. The decision to award the contract to Network Security was based on the company's strong reputation in the building security field, its competitive pricing, and its use of Vanderbilt equipment, which was seen as combining versatility and performance with reliability and value for money.

“Right from the beginning of the tender stage, we had superb support from Vanderbilt,” said Graham Giles, a director of Network Security, “The company not only advised us on the optimum choice of products for this large and complex project, but also accompanied us at the presentations we made to Raymarine. I'm sure that this very evident support from Vanderbilt was a big help to us in winning the contract.”

Integrated access control and CCTV system

The system supplied for Raymarine's new headquarters comprises Granta access control systems on all external doors and key internal doors in both of the new buildings, allied with a CCTV system that provides comprehensive coverage for the whole site.

Close integration is featured between the access control and CCTV systems. For example, the access control system can be programmed so that when a person approaches a door the reader is activated and the CCTV camera automatically positions itself to record images of the person at the door.

The integration between the systems is also proving to be a useful aid in health and safety matters. For example, when the access control system detects that a person has exited through a door leading to the roof, a CCTV camera monitors them until they go back into the building. This helps Raymarine to discharge its duty of care toward persons working in potentially hazardous locations.

Granta access control system

The Granta access control system features proximity readers used in conjunction with Mifare smart cards. These cards were chosen to provide future proofing, as they have the capability of supporting additional functions, such as operating as payment cards for beverage and snacks purchased from vending machines on the site.

Since Raymarine expects a large number of visitors to its new headquarters, provision has been made in the access control installation for the easy issuing of customised visitor cards. These include photo ID, and can be set to restrict access to precisely those areas that the user is authorised to visit. Visitor cards also include an auto-expiry feature so that, even if they are not returned at the end of a visit, they pose no risk to the site's security.

CCTV installations on-site

For the CCTV installation, Network Security selected Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Solaris dome cameras for applications where PTZ functionality is needed. These include the cameras monitoring doors, which are required to move to preset positions when an access attempt is made. In other applications including, for example, car-park surveillance, Vanderbilt daynight fixed cameras are used.

The security installations on the Raymarine site are all monitored and overseen from a central control room. For the CCTV system, this features three large flat panel CCTV display screens, a video matrix and control system, and DVR recording facilities, all based on Vanderbilt equipment.

Continuous high quality recording for images from all cameras is provided at a minimum rate of 3 fps, which automatically increases under alarm conditions to 6 fps for internal cameras and 12 fps for external cameras. The recording system has sufficient capacity to retain images for in excess of 28 days without the need for overwriting, and provision is made for selected recordings to be burned to DVD for evidential purpose or for permanent retention.

Easy installations

For the access control system, the control room has two dedicated computers, which also offer video ID facilities. A link is provided between the access control computers and the site fire alarm system to ensure that, if a fire is detected, all exit doors are automatically unlocked.

“The security systems we've provided for Raymarine have only just gone live,” said Graham Giles, “So it's too early to give detailed comments about their performance. What I can say, however, is that it was easy to configure, install and commission the Vanderbilt equipment and, on the odd occasion when we did need help to tackle some of complexities of this very large project, the response from Vanderbilt was excellent.”

“The first reactions we've received from Raymarine confirm that they are very happy with the installation. They have complete confidence not only that it will meet their current very demanding requirements for security on this prestigious site, but also that it is sufficiently future proof to continue to do so for many years to come.”