School of Visual Arts Amps Up Access Control with Idesco Security System

With 4,300 students and 14 separate buildings to protect, the School of Visual Arts (SVA) wanted a better security solution.

The school looked for a solution that would integrate with their current video surveillance and door access-systems, and centralize everything for easier manipulation.

That solution was to team up with Idesco Corp, and invest in a security facelift.

The SVA’s new security platform features 400 to 500 security cameras, card readers for 300 to 400 campus entry points, and customized ID cards for students, faculty and staff to gain access to those entry points.

“We needed a better access control system installed that could meet the security needs of the school,” said Brian Nakahara, IT Director at the SVA, in a previous statement. “Idesco advised us on the best path to take to thoroughly secure the school and recommended the newest technology.”

Since the installation, Nakahara said the new security system has helped prevent incidental theft in students’ dorms due to better monitoring capabilities.

“It has also prevented theft and crime on campus by limiting access to certain facilities,” he said. “The new system is more flexible and easier for security officers to use, and gives them ability to search our database for better information.”

Customized access was also granted to certain faculty members for specific buildings. That way, the SVA’s security team can make sure the right people enter the campus’s buildings, and the wrong ones stay out.

“A big challenge was granting access to staff members for certain departments and buildings,” Nakahara said. “We only wanted personnel who belonged in certain departments to gain access. We needed the ability to revoke and grant access to certain personnel.”

The SVA partnered with Idesco because of the company’s attention to its security needs and expertise in the security industry.