Inner Range enhances access control systems for Southbank office

Inner Range provides MIFARE DESFire EV2 access control system to future proof security for Southbank office

Real estate services firm, JLL, owns and leases 2 London Bridge, which is a prominent space located on the Southbank, overlooking the River Thames and London Bridge. It has an attractive period façade to the east, and a glass and steel exterior to the west.

The seven-storey property comprises mostly of multi-tenant office space, though a cocktail and espresso bar, London Grind, occupies the ground floor. The building is very close to the world-famous Borough Market, with easy access to mainline rail, underground, and bus services at London Bridge, Blackfriars, Bank, and Monument.

Minimise running costs

The previous access and security system for 2 London Bridge was old and fast becoming obsolete. A new, fit-for-purpose access control and security system was needed to keep people and the site safe and secure.

The new system needed to be intuitive and easy for security guards to operate

It was important the transition to a new system was as smooth as possible, with very limited downtime so as not to disturb users. The new system needed to be intuitive and easy for security guards to operate, as well as offering ease of access for tenants and property users. The ability to make further changes or improvements to the system easily in the future to extend its lifespan and minimise ongoing running costs was also essential.

Security management system

A D Security Systems project managed the design, supply, and installation of the access control and security system for 2 London Bridge and carried out all liaison with the property’s management firm, JLL. A D Security Systems provides innovative security solutions to a wide range of clients including those in commercial and industrial sectors, as well as local authorities, schools, and colleges.

The firm is committed to engineering excellence, and has many skills and safety accreditations including being SSAIB approved, which means all staff are vetted and all systems comply with the latest industry standards and are regularly inspected. Inner Range provided the core access and security management system, Integriti, that enabled A D Security Systems to build the bespoke solution needed for 2 London Bridge.

Intelligent security solutions

Integriti can integrate with a multitude of third-party products, such as the COMINFO easy gates

Inner Range has been a pioneer in the design and manufacture of intelligent security solutions since it was established in 1988. Inner Range systems have been installed in over 25 countries. It’s flagship product, Integriti, offers enterprise-level intelligent security and integrated smart building controls for single sites through to global estate portfolios.

Inner Range’s flagship intelligent, integrated access and control system Integriti was selected to replace the previous access and security system, which had become obsolete. This included installing a new server and software for Integriti’s open protocol platform, which blends robust physical and cyber security. Integriti can integrate with a multitude of third-party products, such as the COMINFO easy gates to create a sophisticated and highly secure access and security solution while also providing trouble-free access for site users.

Very smooth transition

Users have been provided with MIFARE DESFire EV2 flat key fobs to show at door readers and the COMINFO easy gates at reception for hassle-free access up to 24 hours a day, depending on users’ credentials. Flexible user permissions can accommodate a range of access information; ensuring users can only access the areas they are specifically approved for.

A D Security Systems managed a challenging project well by running two systems alongside each other"

James Reeds, Facilities Manager for JLL, said: “A D Security Systems managed a challenging project well by running two systems alongside each other and ensuring a very smooth transition, which was essential for our tenants on site. We were also impressed with Inner Range’s Integriti system, which our security managers have found straight-forward and intuitive to operate and uses an open protocol, so we have the option to extend and enhance the system in future.”

Old security system

Another reason Inner Range’s Integriti system was selected was because of how easy it is to use. Integriti uses schematics to help security managers see at a glance where an alert is coming from, and acts as a unified platform so operators can control other integrated systems, such as entrance gates, from one place.

A D Security Systems ensured there was no downtime for tenants and users by running the new Integriti system alongside the old security system, and they made the final transition overnight when no one was in the office. Disruption for tenants was also kept to a minimum by A D Security Systems by re-using as much existing cabling as possible, rather than pulling up floor and chase cables along walls. While new LAN cabling allowed the new Integriti system to run simultaneously alongside the old one until the switch over.

Access control system

Users were separated into groups by floor and invited in turn to collect their new access and security fobs

The project involved some tricky engineering work for integrators, especially in confined spaces, such as riser cupboards. The team kept all tenants aware of when and where they would be working, and were able to maintain high-security levels throughout the project.

In addition, because of the age of the previous access control system, user details couldn’t be transferred to Integriti automatically. Instead, A D Security Systems worked with the security team at 2 London Bridge to ensure user details were added to Integriti in an orderly way. Users were separated into groups by floor and invited in turn to collect their new access and security fobs. Their details were added at the same time.

High-quality access

Integriti is flexible and scalable, which together with its breadth of integration opportunities means 2 London Bridge will have an up-to-date and efficient access and security system for many years to come. If further integrations, or enhancements are needed, Integriti will be able to deliver these. There won’t be any need to replace the core access and security system.

System benefits are as follows: