An Integrated Approach
Inspired by nature and balance in the workspace, the founders of The Ring—a coworking space in Clearwater, Florida—sought to create a workplace that incorporated natural elements into the indoor environment. They wanted to create a smart workplace that enhanced lives, empowered prosperity, and provided the necessary support and tools to succeed.
The plan was to make The Ring a centerpiece and template for the Clearwater area to expand upon in the future. To accomplish this, the latest security technology needed to be integrated to create a powerful ecosystem that blended lighting, security, and sound systems seamlessly.
The Challenge
The Ring occupies the second and third floors of a large multistory building where a bank is the main tenant. This meant that access to office spaces and suites needed to be limited to ensure privacy and security.
Additionally, the access control system needed to integrate with the building’s existing lighting, security, and sound systems in an aesthetically pleasing way. This was a challenge because the building had more than 50 areas that needed to be secured. Most of its doors were aluminum-framed mullion doors, meaning very little space was available to conceal cabling and accessories required for access control at each door.
The Solution
The Ring’s management team focused on deploying an integrated access control system that was flexible, scalable, easy to install, and operational from a centralized platform.
The first step was selecting an integrator with the right expertise. Management vetted several and finally selected FPSN, LLC, which specializes in converting analog video clients to IP video systems for higher quality images and the inherent networking advantages that IP-based surveillance brings to customers.
FPSN had deployed a successful IP video system at a local downtown luxury high-rise condominium. After viewing the installation and hearing reviews from the condo complex, The Ring’s team trusted FPSN’s expertise to handle the security system installation.
FPSN and The Ring’s management discussed access control options and were attracted to a solution by ISONAS™, which uses IP-only solutions that require less hardware. The Ring ultimately chose ISONAS because it met three core needs for the organization: usability, security, and scalability.
“The Ring is extremely innovative, and we have pushed the boundaries in terms of eco-friendly design, balancing and integrating both natural and only a few artificial elements,” said Janelle Branch, chief operating officer and partner at The Ring. “From an operational level, we pay close attention to constantly improving overall efficiency.”
Once ISONAS was selected, FPSN oversaw the installation of 52 ISONAS RC-04 reader controllers throughout the second and third floors of The Ring. The installation team was able to use small conjunction boxes for connection instead of installing large control panels above each door—overcoming the challenges associated with the narrow mullion door frames. This, combined with running Category 6 cabling to the second-floor IT room, simplified the installation process and made the system easy to maintain and expand in the future.
“It was critical for us to choose a solution that was secure and scalable, two key features that ISONAS offered,” Branch said. “With the anticipation of multiple locations, the platform would need to expand seamlessly as our business grows.”
FPSN also installed the ISONAS Pure Access Software to integrate with The Ring’s other cloud-based applications. Pure Access is a cloud-based access control application that provides users the ability to manage their access control from anywhere on any device.
"We knew our community managers would need a user-friendly platform,” Branch said. “We are happy with our choice because ISONAS has allowed us to reduce our training time while ensuring the highest level of security.”
Monique Merhige is president of Infusion Direct Marketing Inc. Contact her at [email protected].
