Intelligent building at Samskip in Rotterdam
An intelligent building knows exactly what’s going on within and around its walls. It can tell you which employees are inside, which valuable items are on the premises and the condition of the building. But an intelligent building is not just the most secure building, it’s also the most hospitable you can imagine.
In cooperation with Niscaya (the former Securitas Systems), KPN created the basis for an intelligent building at the Samskip premises on Waalhaven in Rotterdam. Systems traditionally separated - like fire alarms, burglar alarms, access control and camera surveillance - have been integrated to form one total system. So if a fire is detected, it is possible automatically to open doors and activate cameras to record who has already left the building safely.
Samskip employees have a pass that contains an HF-RFID chip (readable only over short distances) plus a UHF-RFID chip (also readable over long distances). Valuable mobile equipment contains an UHF-RFID chip. To enter the building, employees insert their passes in a card reader. But once inside the doors open automatically as the employee approaches, provided that he/she is authorized to enter the area.
At the reception desk, there is a narrowcasting screen. In the evening and at night, the screen displays pictures relayed by the security cameras. During the day, the screen shows film clips of containerships and container transportation by road and rail. When visitors arrive, they receive a personal welcome. If somebody leaves the building with a laptop, it is possible to read remotely both the identity of the person and of the laptop to check whether the computer belongs to the person and, if not, to close the doors or at least record a short film clip.
Advanced Lenel OnGuard software forms the brain of the intelligent building, i.e. the place where all observed events are saved and interpreted and if necessary a response is initiated. An Application Programming Interface allows users to connect equipment that OnGuard does not yet support. This is possible because more and more subsystems are starting to speak the IP protocol. Basically, an intelligent building is All IP within a building. Jos van Diest, Facilities Manager at Samskip, is very enthusiastic about the system. "Evenings and weekends I use In Beeld to look once or several times at what is happening around the building. I can operate almost all functions on my laptop from home, even opening the car park barriers."
For more information contact Jan Kroon
