Northern & Shell Building Case Study

New Access Control Solution and intercom System for An Iconic London landmark

A landmark building located on the north side of the River Thames, has recently seen its security upgraded with Smart R Distribution and systems integrator, Isecurity Systems Limited, working in partnership to ensure tenants are protected by the latest advances in Access Control technology.

The Northern & Shell Building at 10 Lower Thames Street, London EC3 which offers dramatic panoramic river views, has an on-site restaurant, a 10 storey glazed atrium and glass wall climber lifts. Among its tenants, Northern & Shell Group occupies approximately 110,000 sq. ft. spread over the ground, 4th, 9th and 10th floors.

Upgrading An Access Control System

As part of a phased office refurbishment programme, the owners of the building reviewed the tools available to the security personnel to enable them to maintain a safe and secure environment for approximately 5,000 people who work in the building, as well as contractors and visitors.

“The existing Geoffrey Access Control system had been in use for over 20 years and although it was still operating effectively, its functionality was limited compared to more modern solutions,” said Russell Morgan, Project Manager for Elsenham, Essex based Isecurity Systems, who have had a long term association with Northern & Shell Group. “A decision was made to invest in the latest generation Vanderbilt Security Management System (SMS) which enables users to efficiently manage alarms, lifts, visitors and the photo ID badging process, from a single software platform.”

Russell and his colleagues at Isecurity Systems worked with the Smart R Distribution team to supply a Vanderbilt SMS access control system and they also in the process of replacing the 140 aging magnetic stripe readers with new CIDRON access control readers which support securely encrypted DESfire EV2 contactless Smart Cards from Cambridge UK based Authenticard.

Integrated Intercom System For Entry Management

Smart R Distribution also supplied a new Comelit ViP video entry system, comprising 8 door stations and 2 control desk positions, which has been installed by Isecurity Systems to allow operators within the building’s 24/7 control room, to communicate and remotely open doors for contractors and couriers who need to gain entry via, for example, to a basement entrance. The Comelit video entry system integrates seamlessly with the SMS control system.

“We now have a highly efficient Access Control solution which helps us to manage the smooth movement of large numbers of people through turnstile controlled speed lanes located in our reception area and it also enables us to control who can gain access to other restricted areas within the building,” said Dave Wratten, Facilities Manager for Northern & Shell Group. “Isecurity Systems and Smart R should be applauded for working in partnership to ensure that all the equipment was delivered to site exactly when it was needed and then installed to our complete satisfaction.”

About Smart R Distribution

Established in 2010, Smart R Distribution is focused on providing quality product and expert advice to the thousands of professional level installers and systems integrators operating throughout the UK. It distributes and supports a comprehensive range of Access Control, door entry and CCTV products and solutions from a wide range of manufacturers, including ACT, Authenticard, Comelit, Farpointe Data, HID, Intratone, Vanderbilt and Vivotek.

Although device agnostic, when being asked to provide advice on the best combination of products for specific projects, Smart R Distribution offers its own brand of competitively priced, but robust Ethernet and Power transmission equipment. It is also able to satisfy the growing demand for low cost CCTV solutions for the housing market with its entry level Smart R Home and semi-professional Smart R Guard CCTV systems.

With a showroom that is regularly updated to ensure it is able to demonstrate the very latest advances in technology, Smart R Distribution encourages installer and system integrators to visit its head office in Haverhill, Suffolk and take advantage of its manufacturer associated training courses. The company also regularly hosts technical presentations and demonstrations conducted by the industry’s leading manufacturers.