Eagle soars

New companies usually want to move staff in quickly and want the system to be able to expand easily as they take more floor space.

One such installation is the prestigious Eagle Tower, a 15-story office building in the spa town of Cheltenham, where Group 4 Technology (G4Tec) has upgraded the system for ESL (Cheltenham) Ltd.

G4Tec originally installed an older version of its security management system using magstripe readers and cards to secure the building's property and staff. To make it more appealing to prospective tenants and further improve the security, Eagle Tower upgraded the security system to G4Tec's Professional software with G4Tec proximity readers and cards.

Managed by the landlord, it now controls and monitors up to eight doors per floor and, in line with the security needs of the tenants, the system has been expanded on a modular basis.

Eagle Tower's Manager, Paul Barker, finds the modular and flexible design of the access control system the perfect solution for the changing security requirements of the building.

"G4Tec's ability to expand the system quickly has been an important factor," said Barker. "Normally the lead time from a new tenant signing the paperwork for office space to moving in is quite quick."

On-site card production

Security of staff and premises is always a key factor for new tenants with some demanding a high level of security due to the nature of their business.

All tenants and the landlord carry an identity card that unlocks all communal doors. Each business distributes ID cards to their staff that allows access into their designated office space. The G4Tec Professional security management system protects each business, its staff and assets from other businesses in the building and the general public.

Identity card production and distribution occurs on site. With tenants having the option to lease for three months, card turnover can occur quickly. G4Tec Professional allows the landlord to issue and delete cards immediately, providing a secure environment for tenants.

"The software is user friendly, so it has been easy to add new companies and their staff onto the system and to quickly produce new ID proximity cards on site for them," Paul Barker said.

G4Tec Regional Sales Manager, John Thornley, said the flexibility of the system "allowed the landlord to expand and enhance the system over time, in line with budget and customer needs."

"Eagle Tower Management wanted an up-to-date security management system as a selling point to its future customers.They wanted a well known and respected name, Group 4 Technology, to provide peace of mind to their tenants about security on site."