Security conversations: Talking access control migration with Matt Isgur from MIT

At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Matt Isgur is the Senior Manager of Campus Safety & Security Infrastructure. His day-to-day involves overseeing the technical and strategic decisions and operations of MIT’s public safety infrastructure. That includes video surveillance, access control, intrusion alarm infrastructure, and all other physical security related systems, technologies, and programs that help keep MIT’s campus safe. 

Recently, we caught up with Matt about a major access control migration that MIT completed across all 140+ campus buildings. In the Q&A below, he shared the challenges of dealing with older proprietary access control technology, how that motivated him to move to unified security, and why Genetec was the right partner to ensure a smooth process and successful outcome.

 

Q: What kind of access control system did you have before Genetec and what state was it in? What were the specific challenges that you were facing with that older system?  

We had two different access control systems from the same manufacturer before Genetec. We had one system that was installed across our primary campus locations, and another one that secured our housing facilities and some of our newer buildings.  

The greatest challenge we faced was that those systems were proprietary. That meant we needed to purchase the vendor’s hardware. That really pigeon-holed us into certain products and technologies. And it worked against us over the years because when we finally went to make the switch to a new access control solution, we had to rip out all of the hardware too.

Q: Deciding on switching systems is not easy. What was the predominant reason why you wanted/needed to make the change? What was the ultimate deciding factor for you? 

Ultimately, we didn’t want to be locked into one provider anymore. Plus, there were limited integrations available with the older access control systems. Having few compatible vendor solutions to choose from just made things more frustrating.  

Over time, we also didn’t see a lot of progressive innovation from that access control vendor, which created limitations for our community. We really wanted to extend the uses of our access control system and do a lot more with our system, but we weren’t able to.  

Q: What were the main reasons you choose to upgrade to the Synergis access control system specifically? Why did you feel that was the best choice for your organization? 

One of the most enticing factors to moving to Genetec was that the Synergis access control system is not proprietary. This meant we could choose open-standard based Mercury access control hardware, and worst-case scenario, we could always switch out the head-end platform without going through another full rip and replace. This really decreased the risk involved with such a large and significant change.  

We had upgraded to the Omnicast video management system within Security Center years ago. And as we tracked progress in the physical security industry over the years, we began noticing that Genetec seemed to be ahead of the curve. The company was doing a lot of innovative stuff and we felt the Security Center unified platform would be a solid investment for years to come.  

Unification has always been my plan and I'm quite anti-integration these days. In the past, we had layers of integrations between our old systems, and as soon as we would upgrade one component, another connection would break. So I didn't want to get back into piling on all of these different systems at various levels from many vendors.  

Q: This is a big project to take on. How did you guys approach the migration?  What was your strategy? Was it a progressive transition or all at once?  

We took a phased approach to the migration and essentially moved one building over at a time. Almost two years later, we’re finally complete. We’re just shy of 5,000 doors across 140+ buildings, all being managed within the Synergis access control system.  

While it started as a massive undertaking, it was very successful in the end. Between our integrators, Genetec engineers, our internal project managers, and other MIT resources, we had a lot of help. We made a point to reach out to the community to let them know what we were doing and what to expect with the new Synergis access control system.  

Q: Was there anything about the Genetec platform that helped to ease this access control migration? What were you able to achieve that you couldn’t before? 

The openness of the system and the ability to leverage an existing Microsoft Active Directory database made the decision even easier. We leveraged multiple Genetec Synergis Cloud Link systems in each building to make local decisions. Not only does that give us the freedom to choose our preferred Mercury panels, but we’re also able to keep the cardholders and credentials local to the building. That way, if there’s an unexpected loss of network, the system can still validate card swipes and perform other access control events. 

The Genetec SDK and API were also hugely beneficial because we were able to develop a custom dashboard for our community.  

We have what we call ‘gatekeepers’ at MIT. These individuals are responsible for managing access to certain buildings. They can log into the custom-built dashboard and add/modify cardholder privileges using clearances that are specific to that building/department. They can also remove people, check on door alarms and statuses, adjust door schedules, and manage different system components and cardholder credentials as necessary. That simply wasn’t a possibility with our previous system. 

We also took the time to centralize and synchronize our cardholder database using the Active Directory Integration feature. Now, as soon as we add a record in Active Directory, the cardholder is assigned credentials and all necessary access privileges are updated within minutes.  

When a new person comes to MIT, they go to our Atlas Center to pick up their new ID. By the time they walk out, they already have access to their departmental buildings, offices, and/or labs. Automating that access control task has allowed us to streamline our operations and give time back to our team while also providing the best level of service for the MIT community.  

One of the greatest advantages so far came into play with COVID restrictions and trying to manage individual access on a campus this size. We were able to build out a new mobile app to allow community members to perform daily health attestations and link those actions to their cardholder information within Genetec. Once you have completed your attestation and you have received a negative COVID test result, your campus access gets activated and you can badge through doors.  

This is just an example of the level of flexibility that we now have across all of our buildings. 

Q: What biggest lesson that you learned through this process? Perhaps the main piece of advice that you’d share with other organizations thinking of making the switch? 

I would continue to reiterate: plan, plan, and more planning upfront. Once you get into a migration process, it's really hard to reorganize and restructure your strategy, though a certain level of agility is always necessary.  

One of the gotchas that we experienced was in the way we set up our Active Directory environment. It wasn't optimized for how the Genetec platform usually ingests the data. So that was just an example of one thing that we probably could have planned out a little better up front. The Genetec team did work with us to help sort that out. We had our hiccups, as can be expected with such a massive undertaking, but things went very smoothly and the level of functionality that we’re left with is unmatched compared to where we were when we started.  

Q: What has been the impact on your operator’s day-to-day experience since making the switch to Synergis access control? 

Without a doubt, the MIT police department is very happy with the new level of functionality because they’re able to view everything from a single pane of glass.  They're not bouncing between separate video and access control/alarm systems anymore. It just saves them lots of time and coordination when responding to incidents or investigating reports on campus.  

Our community members really appreciate that single pane of glass too. As mentioned earlier, the custom dashboard has given our community an intuitive user experience. All of this was made possible by migrating systems.  

From my perspective, I just see tremendous opportunity ahead thanks to the openness and flexibility within this system. When I go to the Genetec website, there are hundreds of compatible solutions and vendors and I know there are so many new plugins being constantly developed.  

The possibilities feel endless. And I appreciate the forward-thinking mindset of the company as a whole. Even when we’re interested in developing a custom solution, the Genetec team is always eager and willing to walk us through how to proceed so we can develop those new applications on the fly.  

Overall, Genetec has felt more like a business partner than a solutions provider.  

Q: What are your future plans for your access control system? Any other migrations happening or new expansions? 

We have started investigating and piloting mobile credentials. So far, it's been great to walk up to a door with an Apple Watch or iPhone/Android and the door just opens. We’re excited about mobile credentials because it’s going to be something our community will love.  

Other plans include adding two-factor authentications, rolling out biometric readers at certain locations, and bringing key management technologies into the Genetec platform. We’re continuing to build on this new foundation and the Genetec platform makes that really attainable.   

 

 

Want to learn more about migrating your access control system? 

Read about the Synergis™ access control module.