Challenge
Avigilon boosts security at the United Building in Chicago while maintaining architectural integrity
To meet the security requirements of its tenants and its corporate identity at The United Building with an unobtrusive surveillance solution that would not impact the building's architectural integrity.
Solution
To help ensure overall building security, the Jones Lang LaSalle team at The United Building installed one Avigilon 16 megapixel camera in the main lobby, seventeen Avigilon five megapixel cameras and thirteen Avigilon one megapixel cameras on the mezzanine levels, parking garage, loading dock, and the exterior for overall building security. Security professionals seamlessly manage the Avigilon HD Surveillance System using Avigilon Control Center network video management software with HD Stream Management. Two Avigilon HD network video recorders (NVR) store up to 30 days of continuous surveillance footage while 90 days of footage can be stored on the building's main server.
Benefits
Jones Lang LaSalle reduced the number of cameras in the lobby from five analogue cameras to just one Avigilon 16 megapixel camera. Leveraging Avigilon's HD video search functionality, security officers can make positive identifications within minutes instead of days. Operational in record time and user-friendly, the Avigilon HD Surveillance System has freed up the security director to spend more time providing support to his team. Deployment was 12 percent less expensive than an analogue-based system, which would have cost more and taken longer to install from an electrical standpoint.
Jones Lang LaSalle, a global financial and professional services firm specialising in real estate, operates its facilities with maximum efficiency and safety while maintaining a superior work environment for its tenants. Responsible for the daily operations of The United Building in downtown Chicago, the Jones Lang LaSalle team is no exception, using innovative property management strategies to create a sophisticated and modern workplace. To secure the well-designed office space at The United Building, Jones Lang LaSalle deployed the Avigilon High Definition Surveillance System for overall tenant safety and protection.
When United Air Lines relocated its corporate headquarters to 77 West Wacker Drive in Chicago, the building was promptly renamed The United Building as part of the lease agreement. "The acquisition of United Air Lines as our primary tenant compelled us to rethink our operational strategy to more effectively represent this high-profile corporate identity, including reevaluating the building's security," explains Myrna Coronado, Jones Lang LaSalle vice president and general manager for The United Building. Previously, the facility had an analogue-based video surveillance system that was unreliable, obsolete, and ineffective. "We also had to consider the needs of the remaining tenants - mostly prominent law firms - who did not want us to deploy obtrusive security measures such as turn stiles and metal detectors."
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| With Avigilon Control Center footage can be retrieved instantaneously |
Avigilon boosts security and preserves lobby design
Coronado also faced another major challenge: she did not want to install a security system that would impact the aesthetics of the architecturally renowned building. Standing 50 floors high, The United Building offers 959,258 square feet of rentable space and houses 23 tenants. With an impressive lobby that features international artwork, The United Building boasts marble walls, a 40-foot coffered ceiling made of white oak wood, and is a well-known stop on the Chicago Architectural Foundation tour. With its slogan ‘a mark of distinction,' The United Building needed a surveillance solution that would boost security without impacting the building's beauty.
After looking at solutions from several vendors, Coronado quickly realised that an analogue-based system was not the answer. In fact, The United Building would have required five analogue cameras to deliver the views needed in the lobby alone. "Not only would this dramatically impact the look and feel of the lobby, it also would have required a lot of effort and expense to install that many cameras because of the building's marble walls and high ceiling," comments Coronado. "We wanted an advanced, high-definition solution that could deliver complete coverage and the image clarity we needed with as few cameras as possible. Avigilon delivered."
Less is more with superior clarity
With the help of Tony Ramos and David Ferguson of D.M. Mattson, a local provider of surveillance system design, installation, and service, the Jones Lang LaSalle management team at The United Building was able to replace the five analogue cameras that would have been required in the lobby with just one Avigilon 16 megapixel camera for complete coverage. "We were able to consolidate the number of cameras in the lobby to reduce the aesthetic impact, and there is no comparison in terms of quality - the Avigilon 16 megapixel camera delivers unbelievable clarity, with zooming capabilities up to 50 yards," says Coronado.
The Jones Lang LaSalle management team at The United Building also deployed seventeen Avigilon five megapixel cameras and thirteen Avigilon one megapixel cameras on the mezzanine levels, parking garage, loading dock, and the exterior for overall building security. "As property managers, our goal is to deliver both a safe and pleasant work environment, so from a security perspective, less is more," says Coronado. "With Avigilon, I have fewer cameras, lower installation costs, and higher-quality coverage than ever before. That is why we chose Avigilon."
With access from five monitors, security professionals seamlessly manage the Avigilon HD Surveillance System using Avigilon Control Center network video management software with HD Stream Management. Two Avigilon HD network video recorders (NVR) store up to 30 days of continuous surveillance footage, while 90 days of footage can be stored on the building's main server.
Simplified playback to expedite investigations
Avigilon 16 megapixel camera delivers unbelievable clarity, with zooming capabilities up to 50 yards
According to Coronado, one of the best features of the Avigilon HD Surveillance System is its high definition video search functionality, which enables users to find small scene changes, missing objects, and events fast. "With Avigilon Control Center, we can retrieve footage instantaneously - it's like we are watching it in real-time," states Coronado. With their previous analogue-based surveillance system, the image quality was so grainy that security officers often could not accurately identify and confirm an event. "Playback with the analogue system was a nightmare - the color, resolution, and reliability was poor." According to Coronado, it could take between two to four days to search for an event, often with no results. "With the Avigilon HD Surveillance System, it literally takes minutes, and we've always been able to make a positive identification."
Fast identification for quick resolution
Right after the Avigilon HD Surveillance System was installed, an individual claimed that his car was damaged while parked in the building's parking garage. "We were able to review the video and within five minutes, determine that the individual had driven his car into the garage two days prior with the damage already done," explains Coronado. The security director quickly downloaded the footage to disk and gave it to the tenant for further investigation. "We were able to resolve the issue, which we would have likely paid for without clear proof, quickly and efficiently."
User friendly software saves time
The Avigilon Control Center network video management software has also proven to be exceptionally user friendly because of its simple navigation tools. "All 16 of our officers were trained quickly and the Avigilon HD Surveillance System was up and running in record time," states Coronado. Working around the clock on a rotating schedule, all security officers use the Avigilon Control Center software at some point during their shift. "Feedback has been positive - everyone is self-sufficient on the system."
As a testament to the system's simplicity, Coronado explains that the new security director joined the team weeks after the Avigilon system was installed and he is now the system expert. "This speaks volumes to the software's ease-of-use," notes Coronado. Because of the system's simple interface, fast playback capabilities, and outstanding image quality, the security director can spend his time providing guidance, leadership, and support to his team, instead of sitting behind a desk searching through hours of distorted footage.
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| Five analogue cameras in the lobby were replaced by just one Avigilon 16 megapixel camera |
Avigilon stands behind its solution
Coronado has also been very pleased with Avigilon's commitment to customer satisfaction and product assurance, which is demonstrated by the company's three-year product warranty, rare in the security industry where most warranties only cover 12 months. From the initial stages of deployment, Coronado has been impressed with Avigilon's ongoing support. "Upon execution of my contract, Avigilon agreed to do a walk-through of the site to confirm that the cameras were installed in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations," comments Coronado. "As a result, we are confident that the system is performing at its absolute best."
Avigilon outperforms analogue system
After much consideration, the Jones Lang LaSalle management team at The United Building realised that the return on investment achieved with the Avigilon HD Surveillance System was much greater than what they could have realised with an analogue-based system. "While the initial investment in an analogue-based surveillance system might have appeared to have been less, it would not have allowed us to deliver the level of security we needed," says Coronado. "If I had chosen analogue cameras over the Avigilon HD Surveillance System, I frankly would have just been dumping money into a solution that would not be able to deliver the results I expect." And from an electrical standpoint, the Jones Lang LaSalle management team at The United Building would have had to undertake more work at a greater cost to install an analogue-based system. "In fact, our installation costs were 12 percent lower with Avigilon."
When a building is named after a major American corporation like United Air Lines, the expectation for a comfortable, well-maintained facility that is safe and secure is high. "With the Avigilon HD Surveillance System, we have made a solid investment in an advanced surveillance solution that meets our security needs for both today and tomorrow," concludes Coronado.
