Olymbec Chooses Hanwha to Secure its Properties and Improve Rentability
Olymbec is the largest, privately owned industrial real estate holder on the East Coast. Managing upwards of 300 properties in Quebec and 15 different U.S. states, it owns more than 30 million square feet of property.
Managing this much real estate means that Olymbec has to balance a variety of concerns, including providing positive tenant experiences, generating revenue, and protecting assets.
One of the reasons that Olymbec is investing in its security infrastructure is that it improves rentability. But, of course, a solid security infrastructure also helps Olymbec meet a variety of security-related challenges in its properties. The company is faced with everything from accidental damage and theft to vandalism and refuse dumping both inside and outside their buildings. Their security system is intended to address these challenges.
Soon after coming to Olymbec, Olymbec realized that the existing analog-based camera systems were not meeting the company’s needs. According to Jack Ross, chief technology officer, Olymbec USA & Canada Ross, “When I started, our properties had old camera systems that were scattered throughout the buildings. I knew we needed a systematic approach that included a variety of camera options and allowed us to view all of our cameras remotely.”
After looking at a number of different options, the company chose Hanwha Techwin. Some of the contributing factors were the range of products, the modularity of the solutions and the cost, which allows Olymbec to add components easily, and the excellent training and customer support.
Today, Olymbec has deployed more than 700 operational cameras and carries stock for both replacement purposes and new systems. The deployed cameras are connected to either Wisenet WAVE in their larger installations or NVRs in their smaller installations. Says Ross, “We are very happy with the combination. It gives us the flexibility to install a 5-10 camera system or a 50-70 camera system, depending on the size and specific requirements of the property being secured.”
Another important feature is that through their VPN, everyone, from the CTO to security personnel
and property managers, can access video footage from every one of their 700+ cameras remotely from their phones and tablets. This allows them to view footage from anywhere at any time and gives them the flexibility to react quickly and appropriately when an incident occurs. Hanwha cameras have the capability to trigger alerts and alert security personel, based on a variety of rules such as detecting motion after hours.
With their exceptional image quality, Hanwha cameras help to protect Olymbec against liability claims. This was the case when one of the company’s properties was threatened with a lawsuit when a tenant fell in the lobby. The incident was captured by one of the cameras, and security personnel were able to zoom in on the tenant’s ankle to prove that the company was not at fault.
The company has spent ¾ of a million dollars on equipment from Hanwha to deploy its new security infrastructure. The result is a robust, homogenous environment that makes it easy to manage and add new camera systems to its properties.
Olymbec’s approach to security is quite unique. As Ross explains, “Generally, our cameras are not monitored 24/7. They are used either as a deterrent or after-the-fact for investigative purposes.” This means that the company relies heavily on the quality of the video feed.
To capture the best possible video, Ross decided to go with multi-sensor, multi-directional cameras, which are deployed across the company’s properties to cover a very wide area from a single device.
When it comes to deploying cameras, Ross has a number of different strategies. To cover a building, for example, he installs a single multi-sensor dome on a corner instead of four separate cameras. To cover parking lots from tall buildings, he installs a multi-sensor camera on the roof using a goose-neck arm, covering the entire lot with just one device.
The multi-sensor cameras also work very well when it comes time to pull footage. This is especially helpful because Olymbec’s security department receives video requests from law enforcement 4-5 times each month.
Capturing and sharing this much video requires a clear strategy for viewing and distributing. At Olymbec, individual property managers can access their own cameras and view video. Security personnel have additional authorization, including extracting and saving footage. When it comes time to sharing footage, security personnel must consult with the company’s legal department. Through this process, the company is able to maintain a clear chain of custody.
“We are not a technology company. We are a real estate management company. It was important for us to choose a platform that is both complex enough to meet our needs and reliable enough to set up and simply let run. When it comes to reliability, as well as flexibility and ease-of-use, I think Hanwha really shines,” concludes Ross.
