AISG Savors Sweet Smell of Success as an Integrated Installation of the Year Winner

One of the best security solutions deployed the past year is also one of the most aromatic. Perfume Center of America’s system is a feast for the senses and an SSI Integrated Installation of the Year Award winner.

AISG Savors Sweet Smell of Success as an Integrated Installation of the Year Winner

Perfume Center of America’s newly constructed Ronkonkoma, N.Y., headquarters is more than 200,000 square feet. The main complex houses 300+ employ-ees in more than 20,000 square feet of office space, a 170,000+ square-foot warehouse and a 2,000 square-foot retail store.

Like bloodhounds to rabbits, alert security integrators can pick up the scent of a prospect and seize opportunity. In a recent instance such a whiff ironically led to becoming provider to a leading fragrance company.

Perfume Center of America is a leading distributor and wholesaler of perfume and perfume-related goods. The company’s newly built Ronkonkoma, N.Y., headquarters sets the standard for modern construction.

The massive three-story building spans more than 200,000 square feet. The main complex houses 300+ employees in more than 20,000 square feet of office space, a 170,000+ square-foot warehouse and a 2,000 square-foot retail store.

On full display at the Perfume Center of America’s corporate headquarters are the workings of a secure operation, made possible by American Integrated Security Group (AISG).

After being referred by a shared accounting firm, AISG collaborated with a team of technology specialists to create a shared vision for 21st-century security at the facility.

The systems integrator incorporated emerging trends in layered security Fin this unique application and nabbed an SSI Integrated Installation of the Year trophy in the process.

AISG specializes in the design and deployment of open platform integrated systems including IP video surveillance, access control, intrusion detection, perimeter protection and a full range of related wireless security technologies.

The integrator also operates its ownin-house central station as a state-of-the-art command post delivering the latest in interactive 24/7 monitoring services.

Schools, hospitals, national retailers and critical infrastructure sites are but a few of the sectors that trust AISG to handle their security needs.

Last month, the company relocated its New York head-quarters to an expanded and more sophisticated home in College Point. That location is one of six AISG regional offices across the United States, the others spanning California, Florida, Ohio and Texas.

AISG was contracted for the Perfume of America project in July 2015 and completed the original plan in June 2016.

What began as a $1.2 million job has expanded in scope to surpass $2.3 million and add-ons remain ongoing.

“We had an idea of what we wanted, but AISG took our pro-tection to the next level,” says Perfume Center of America President Kanak Golia.

aisg perfume integration

AISG was contracted for the Perfume of America project in July 2015 and completed the original plan in June 2016. What began as a $1.2 million job has expanded in scope to surpass $2.3 million and add-ons remain ongoing. The latest plan is to add 4K resolution cameras.

Infrastructure Comes First

The project got underway with AISG installing more than 2,000 network cables for security devices, IP paging speakers, data, phones and WiFi; and in excess of 7,000 feet of single-mode fiber being run back to main server.

“The plan is always to value engineer an integrated system that works,” says AISG President and CTO Levy Acs. “AISG does not work off of spec sheets. We test all of our delivered solutions prior to engaging this type of project. We have had all of these technologies specified and installed with another client. This was the first time we brought them all together.”

Separate networks were installed for security and day-to-day operations of Perfume Center of America.

“After building both networks, we converged the client side of the security network so the day-to-day network did not have to feel the bandwidth of all the high-resolution cameras,” says Acs.

After the infrastructure was in place, AISG installers mounted some 580 HD megapixel cameras as well as more than 80 biometric readers and wireless locking devices throughout the headquarters’ interior and exterior.

For complete redundancy, rounding out the first phase of the project were nine intercom stations with 10 interior intercom master stations, 13 NVRs with more than a petabyte of storage across all servers, and two separate intrusion alarm systems.

The integrator had to answer the client’s special requirement for a six-month video recording retention period. On the security side, AISG designed a
redundant alarm system to accommodate the customer’s intrusion alert requirements.

The two intrusion alarm systems were Honeywell Vista and DMP commercial burglar alarm systems, both 100+ zones. One of them is connected to a standard hardwired POTS line while the other is wired to an IP network.

The two alarm systems go back to two different central stations (one being AISG’s monitoring facility) and through two different ISPs.

So if the network goes down or someone tampers with the network, the other system takes over, and when one fails the other is going to alert.

Every alarm point on the intrusion system has two devices, or it’s a single-pole double-throw to enable both systems to pick up every alarm point.

Perfume Center of America Equipment List

600+ 3-5MP HD IP Cameras: Mix of Avigilon, Samsung, Panasonic, Axis and Hikvision

Integrated VMS: Avigilon 12 servers, 12 workstations, petabyte+ in storage

Video Analytics: Avigilon

Perimeter Intrusion Detection System: OptaSense/Avigilon integration

Biometrics: Suprema with 75+ readers

Access Control System: Avigilon ACM integrated with VMS

Intrusion Alarm Systems: 4 systems on DMP and Honeywell platforms with 300+ zones

IP Intercom: Aiphone 10 outdoor stations with video and 10 interior master stations

Fiber-Optic Infrastructure: 10,000+ feet single-mode fiber in 14 IDF/ MDF; 700+ fusion splices

Security System Network: 10Gps backbone to every IDF and MDF consisting of 30+ Cisco network switches

Core Network Infrastructure: 3,000+ Cat-6 drops for VoIP, IP paging, intercom, etc.

Wireless Access Points: 170+ Cisco wireless access points

IP Paging and Intercom: 170+ Valcom IP speakers

Cable-TV Distribution System: 15+ TVs distributed over KeyDigital HD-compliant amps and HDMI extenders

Monitor Wall Systems: 4 of them featuring Avigilon’s Virtual Matrix

Time and Attendance: 14+ Bio-Star by Suprema biometric readers

24/7 Interactive Video and Alarm Monitoring: Done by AISG’s in-house central station

Video, Access Work in Unison

The bulk of the surveillance system’s cameras — 1080p models from manufacturers including Vivotek, Panasonic, Axis, Avigilon and Sony — are located on the interior of the building. There are 520 of these cameras covering shipping, receiving, stock, offices and more.

Each door equipped with access control functionality has a camera to go along with it. The access control portals’ video coverage allows the client to link fingerprint reads to video clips.

On the exterior, there are high security gates where pedestals house dual truck and vehicle entrance readers. There are also Aiphone IP video intercoms with more than 10 interior master stations on both entrances.

Video analytics are used at the gates to ensure around-the-clock monitoring. There is a tripwire across the gate and each gate has a camera equipped with license plate recognition capture capability, and a camera with analytics for the fence line and gate.

The entire security system is integrated through the Avigilon Access Control Manager/Enterprise and Avigilon Control Center software.

All the physical access control is done via the sleek, small profile Suprema BioLite Net biometric reader, an IP-based fingerprint terminal with time/attendance and access control capability.

“Avigilon was the perfect choice for our facility,” says Golia. “That’s what we loved about AISG, they presented multiple software to us and walked us through the processes and differences between them all prior to the decision-making deadline. We felt that the Avigilon integrated system with access control, VMS, analytics, biometrics and the video wall capabilities was exactly the direction we wanted to go.”

Distributing the Solution

Having been pleased with what had been completed, the client added another phase to the project to increase the level of protection on the grounds of the compound. Avigilon video analytics and Opta-Sense fiber-optic cable were employed for perimeter intrusion detection.

Cameras selected for the perimeter of the premises were Axis Communications’ latest 720p pan/tilt/zoom Q6000 360° camera ring.

Central station operators can talk-down to whoever is being tracked via the outdoor IP speakers AISG installed on the property.

“AISG introduced us to OptaSense and we were able to take the perimeter intrusion detection into a multilayered system where OptaSense secured the outer layer and Avigilon secured the inner layer,” says Golia.

The integrator also engineered a television distribution system for Perfume Center of America that pushes video surveillance to multiple monitors across the property.

The system uses HDMI over copper Cat-6, HDMI distribution amps and infrared emitters whereby individual monitors have no control boxes so everything is distributed via one full system.

Viewable on 16 monitors, operators can pick and choose what they want up on their screens through IP KVM (keyboard, video and mouse) and Avigilon’s virtual matrix.

The client also has full use of the Avigilon ACC mobile app for the video side to operate cameras, and there is a VPN in place for authorized users.

Cutting Shrinkage Huge

No time was wasted once the system was online before the end user began realizing myriad benefits. One of the biggest was cutting losses for an operation with $140 million worth of inventory that circulates 4.5 times a year.

“Being in the retail distribution market the holidays are our most busy and hectic time. We hire roughly 200-300 temp employees to gear up for the holidays. This is where we see most of our shrinkage,” says Golia. “The video surveillance system saved us over $1 million in theft. We have contracted AISG to add 4K cameras for even more clarity. We expect to double the amount of shrinkage reduction.”

Additions to the Perfume Center of America’s overall security requirements have continued for AISG and the job is constantly being elongated.

The original building has already undergone an extension and the company is looking into expanding more. At the time of this writing, AISG was slotted to install 160 more cameras and another 10 access control portals, among other additions.

“Our needs are evolving and so are our security systems and procedures, and AISG has been a great asset to our processes,” says Golia.


BEST OF THE BEST: Check out the rest of the winners and runners-up here!

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About the Author

Contact:

Scott Goldfine is the marketing director for Elite Interactive Solutions. He is the former editor-in-chief and associate publisher of Security Sales & Integration. He can be reached at [email protected].

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