Caterpillar Dealer Undergoes Security Metamorphosis
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How did the integrator decide which brands and models to use? As Kottkamp explains, it’s definitely not by happenstance. ESS puts a lot of time, care and thought into selecting which manufacturers’ products are installed in a project such as Carolina CAT.
“We’ve established a Tier One Partners, or TOPs, program for our leading manufacturers,” he says. “We invest heavily in training with our TOPs partners, and maintain inventory for spares, service and installations. Our customers know that if they choose products from our TOPs program they will integrate with one another, be dependable, easy to use and well supported. It’s like our seal of approval.”
Integrator Allows CAT to Keep Tractors Rolling During Installation
You would expect a project of this scale to have its fair share of challenges, as this one did. But it’s how they are addressed and overcome that separates the wheat from the chaff among integrators. When new buildings were involved, ESS faced the difficulty of coordinating with the general contractors and electricians. On existing buildings, the installations had to be performed without the luxury of being able to shut down Carolina CAT’s activities.
“Because we were replacing a legacy system, we had to minimize downtime to keep our customer protected and operational,” says Kottkamp. “For many of the life-safety devices, such as smoke and heat detectors, we ran new parallel wiring so we could get our system up and operational while the legacy system was still online.”
Fortunately for ESS, Munday was easy to work with and remained realistic when problems did arise, such as some software integration glitches and false alarms. “We had a few situations where something wasn’t programmed quite right or the software wasn’t doing what it was supposed to, but we worked with ESS to resolve those,” says Munday. “We had some false alarms early on and had to relocate some motion detectors. Lightning has been the main culprit as far as false alarms and service calls.”
According to Munday, however, the greatest challenge was getting all of Carolina CAT’s employees photographed for ID badges. “That was very time-consuming,” he says, “with several hundred employees spread across multiple locations.” Kottkamp was especially pleased with how accommodating Carolina CAT’s IT department was, particularly Information Systems Manager Paul Siders. As physical and logical security continue to converge, the partnership with IT becomes more and more critical.
“Honestly, the most important collaboration has been with CAT’s IT department. Their involvement and cooperation has been crucial to the success of the project through the utilization of their WAN,” says Kottkamp.
Video System Helps Police Put a Serial Burglar Behind Bars
Although Carolina CAT’s new security system instilled management and employees with an enhanced sense of safety, and the incidence of crime dropped noticeably, one event in particular really drove home the value of the system, and also reinforced the expertise of the design, the quality of the installation and the precision of the equipment.
In the June 13, 2007 edition of the Charlotte Observer newspaper, it was reported that police had finally nabbed a perpetrator suspected of more than 20 burglaries in the vicinity. The thief had made the major mistake of breaking into, ironically, Carolina CAT’s break room, only to be caught by the video surveillance system in the act of prying open a vending machine. In the news story, Charlotte Mecklenburg Police lauded the video system.
“We’ve had a recurring issue for a couple of years where someone was prying open the doors into the break area and breaking into vending machines,” says Munday. “The individual knew what he was doing and was very fast, and would always be gone before police arrived. With the new camera system, we had video of him as he pulled up, pried open the doors and then broke into the machines. We burned it to a CD and the police recognized him immediately, and arrested him a few days later.”
With results like that, it’s no wonder Carolina CAT is so delighted. “We are very satisfied with the system and ESS. They have also provided operator training and have been good about providing additional training if we have had any questions,” says Munday.
Plenty of expansion is planned for the system, meaning this marks just the beginning of what figures to be a long-term security relationship. Additionally, Munday is considering deploying other cutting-edge technology to further bolster the system’s effectiveness and usefulness.
“We have large parking areas with p/t/z cameras for coverage, and they do a good job, but they can’t be focused on the entire lot all the time. We are talking to ESS about some of the motion-tracking cameras out there, and may look to add that,” he says. Until then, this is one caterpillar quite content being protected by its cocoon of security.
ESS Is Big on Expertise and Service
Enterprise Security Systems (ESS) is a comprehensive systems integrator based in Charlotte, N.C., that supplies card access, CCTV, ID badging, emergency communication, intrusion and fire systems to more than 300 commercial, industrial and institutional clients.
“Our knowledge and experience allow us to provide the technical support capabilities of a large national company at more competitive local rates to yield the highest value for our customers,” says President Kurt Kottkamp, who founded the company in 2001 with the objective to combine the expertise of a large integrator with the responsiveness of a regional company.
ESS provides a total systems approach to satisfying customers’ needs by blending products, sophisticated design and support tools with talented people to match the resources, needs and capabilities of its clients. “While Enterprise Security has the capability and resources to support the largest applications, we also tailor our offerings to enable small commercial customers to implement and afford advanced and efficient integrated security systems that grow with their business,” adds Kottkamp.
ESS is a member of the PSA Security Network, which Kottkamp says has proven to be a great venue for training, networking and finding regional service partners. Kottkamp previously worked in sales with Cardkey/Johnson Controls, Pinkerton Systems Integration and Security Technologies Group before launching ESS (www.enterprisesec.com).
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About the Author
Scott Goldfine
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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