Keeping guests and war artifacts safe with Unified Security
The National World War II Museum does everything to keep guests enthralled in the experience. That includes providing top-notch security at its 6-acre campus. Today, the team monitors over 270 cameras, 100 doors, and intrusion system alarms around the clock from Security Center.
The company
Immersing yourself in a topic is the best way to learn. That is why the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, United States does everything to keep guests enthralled in the experience. Every year, over 700,000 guests tour exhibits, view artifacts, and hear first-hand accounts from war veterans and historians. Behind the scenes of the 6-acre campus, the security team ensures everything goes smoothly. So, during the deep-dive into American history, guests always have a safe and memorable experience.
The challenge
Since its inauguration in 2000, a lot has changed at the museum. New offices, theaters, and exhibits were added. As the museum grew, so did its security infrastructure. Different video and access control systems were installed to safeguard historical assets and keep guests happy and safe. Over time, it became a struggle for the museum’s IT team to maintain the older, disparate security systems, and upkeeps were getting costly. As part of the ongoing expansion, the Museum decided to upgrade its security systems.
The solution
Unified Security savings
Instead of the team having to learn how to use three new systems, they only needed training on one platform. The museum also didn’t need to purchase many different maintenance agreements—support is covered by Genetec.
Quick navigation and response
Using the Plan Manager map interface and the Mobile App, staff can quickly pull up video to spot any crowd congestion or disturbances and dispatch help as needed.
Balancing security and accessibility
Staff, volunteers, and contractors are assigned credentials and use access cards to get to where they need to go. A Microsoft Active Directory integration keeps both systems up-to-date.
Open to access control hardware
The museum kept existing door readers using the Synergis™ Cloud Link. It is an intelligent IP controller that supports non-proprietary access control hardware.
“Security Center helps our security team take immediate and decisive action. We’ve also seen a significant cost reduction by going from many systems to one unified platform.”
Dave Chapper, IT Manager and Network Administrator, The National World War II Museum
Results
From exhibits and gift shops to offices and restaurants, the security team can now see everything happening on the museum campus. Operators monitor over 270 cameras, 100 doors, and intrusion system alarms around the clock from the Security Center platform. Guests freely browse displays and exhibits at their leisure. In case someone tries to access a personnel-only area, the security team will receive an alarm with associated video.
During the tour, visitors to the museum are invited to hop aboard the latest attraction, the PT-305. It’s a fully-refurbished PT (patrol torpedo) war vessel that is known as “The Ride of a Lifetime”. While guests enjoy their immersive experience, the crew monitors video from six Axis Communications cameras onboard the boat to carefully steer the ship and make sure passengers stay safe. “It’s for insurance, liability, and security,” says Chapper.