Security Conversations: Large venue security with Twickenham Stadium

Securing a large sporting venue requires keeping people safe while also allowing them to move around freely. With an 82,500-seating capacity, Twickenham Stadium in the United Kingdom knows all about striking that balance between security and flow, to ensure guests have a great experience.   

In this short Q&A, Phil Parker, Head of Security at Rugby Football Union (RFU), explains to us why Twickenham Stadium decided to upgrade their physical security platform to Genetec™ Security Center. You’ll also learn how working with an open, unified security platform has been a game-changer for their operations and team.

 

 

Q: How did this security upgrade come about? Were there any specific challenges that you were facing?

In early 2014, I did a review of the site and all the existing physical security systems, just looking for any kind of improvements that could be made. One obvious thing was that the CCTV was quite dated. It lacked video clarity and some key capabilities within the software. The access control was a completely separate system, and again, quite dated.

With the 2015 Rudgy World Cup around the corner and knowing what other video and access control solutions were on the market, it was apparent that we needed to upgrade our physical security technologies.

Q: What were you looking for in a new security solution for your stadium? Any must-have criteria?

An open platform with the ability to bring many different security solutions together under one platform was most important for me. From a security operator's perspective, having one platform to work from makes life easier. You’re not having to switch between various different software.

Also, I wanted an open-architecture solution because we didn’t want to be tied or locked into a particular vendor product. I wanted something that was kind of replaceable and flexible, should that be required or needed.

Q: Implementing a new solution isn’t easy, why did you choose Genetec?

We went out to tender to 8 to 9 companies. We narrowed that right down to the ones that seemed to fulfill our criteria. After our system integrator, Vindex, came in and showed us the Genetec platform, all decision-makers from security, IT, and other business areas looked at each other, and we knew it was our number one option. We were blown away by some of the platform’s capabilities and were impressed with the level of integration with other systems.

At that point in the buying process though, we had to try and keep an open mind. We needed to make sure we weren’t getting swept up by everything we were seeing. But with each step in the buying process, the decision became easier. The more we looked at something else, the more Genetec stood out as being our preferred option. So, in the end, we decided to go ahead with Genetec Security Center for video surveillance and access control.

Q: How did the deployment of the Genetec Security Center go at Twickenham Stadium?

The 2015 Rugby World Cup was coming up, so we were under a lot of pressure time-wise to install new software and hardware and get the system up and running.

Working with Vindex and Genetec, we decided to take a phased approach by first connecting our existing cameras and adding a few more IP cameras and doors in sensitive areas, onto the platform. We also unified a third-party video analytics system within Security Center, adding virtual tripwires along the fenced perimeter. Later, we could keep upgrading our devices and converting our access control over to Security Center.

Genetec worked hard to give us what we needed for the World Cup. And it’s just been brilliant. The people on my team who have been using Security Center daily, and even the match day event staff, are just so impressed.

Q: What have been the main benefits since installing Genetec Security Center at your stadium?

The top benefit has been the platform’s ease of use. Some systems are so complicated 

that it limits your workforce’s ability to be both confident and efficient. When you are running the operations of a stadium, that’s unacceptable. Security Center is a very intuitive platform that empowers our operators to make better decisions.

And of course, having video, access control, and video analytics systems unified within Security Center helps our team know what’s happening. If someone tries to climb the fence, or even open a door, our operators know about it immediately. They don’t have to monitor a variety of different applications like before. The system alarms and the associated video comes through one platform which makes the whole response process more efficient.

Genetec Security Center is also a constantly evolving platform. If there’s some new technology that comes out, we can go for it. Because we all know technology progresses quickly, but Genetec progresses with it. And that’s the beauty of investing in a platform like Security Center.