Aurecon Tightens Workplace Security
Scalability of physical security system opens new opportunities for global
engineering consultancy.
Customer Name: Aurecon
Business Impact
Industry: Construction
• Increased awareness of people and incidents in workplace
Location: South Africa
• Integration capabilities maximise technology utilisation
Company Size: 7500 + employees
globally
• Improved protection capabilities without employing more
resources
Case Study
Business Challenge
Solution and Results
Aurecon provides engineering, management, and
specialist technical services for government and privatesector clients globally. The group, with an office network
extending across 23 countries, has been involved in
projects in more than 70 countries across Africa, Asia
Pacific, and the Middle East.
As a result of the scalability of the Cisco Physical Access
Control and Cisco Video Surveillance solutions, Aurecon’s IT
department has maximised the technology to provide other
vital “security services” in the workplace.
A top priority for the company is to provide a secure working environment for its employees. When Aurecon built a
new head office, the company turned to trusted Cisco partner of 10 years, Business Connexion, to design a solution
based on specific security requirements, which focused
mostly around access control.
Business Connexion knew the advantage of implementing
a scalable solution, and subsequently deployed Cisco®
Physical Access Control and Cisco Video Surveillance
solutions at the company’s head office in Tshwane. Aurecon initially utilized the solution to provide electronic
access control for its employees to allow them easy access
to the building from the parking basement to their offices
using one access card.
Integration of the solution with the Cisco IP network provides
the safety officer with a higher level of situational awareness.
For example, the door hardware and proximity-style badge
readers connect to the centralised servers through a Cisco
Physical Access Gateway.
When an employee swipes an access card at a door, integration with Microsoft Active Directory and Aurecon’s identity
management system allows for facial recognition of an employee. When an incident occurs at a door, the safety officer
is notified on a unified interface, and the employee is easily
recognised via Active Directory.
The company is now also more responsive and in a position
to make intelligent decisions more quickly. In the event of
incidents such as fires, the safety officer pushes one button
to open all the doors instantaneously, rather than employees
having to break down doors to exit the building. Moreover,
the solution is based on a centralised system, and if a WAN
link fails, employees can still enter and exit the building.
In addition, Aurecon recently upgraded to Cisco Video
Surveillance Manager 7.5, offering the company more
capabilities to increase security. The company utilises
“We have the fexibility to utilise our physical
security solutions for different needs, thereby
increasing our return on investment.
Our systetem is now also more effective and
costs less to manage because it is tied together
over our IP network.”
Harry van Meyeren
IT Service Operations Manager - Global, Aurecon
Aurecon Tightens Workplace Security
Continued
Case Study
two high-definition, pan-tilt zoom cameras at the entrance
gates to the building to record vehicles’ number plate
licenses, as well the driver of the vehicle. Cameras are also
installed in the basement parking lot. When incidents occur
there, such as car theft or damage to cars, response time
is decreased because the safety officer utilises a forensic
thumbnail search to view the incident and quickly correlate
and prioritise key footage.
The system has also decreased the demand to deploy
more security resources. Future use of the system includes
employing a single security officer to have a high-level view
of security and monitor video surveillance at all Aurecon’s
offices nationwide.
Partner Profile
Business Connexion (Pty) Ltd. is a black-empowered integrator of innovative business solutions based on information and communications technology (ICT). With over 4500
employees and a track record spanning over 30 years, the
company runs mission-critical ICT systems and manage
products, services and solutions for Johannesburg Stock
Exchange (JSE)-listed and key public-sector organizations,
parastatals and mediumsized companies.
For more information:
To find out more about Cisco Physical Security solutions, visit:
http://www.cisco.com/go/physicalsecurity.
For more about Business Video, visit:
http://www.cisco.com/go/businessvideo.
For more about Smart + Connected Communities, visit:
http://www.cisco.com/go/smartconnectedcommunities.
For more about Aurecon, visit:
http://www.aurecongroup.com.
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