Product Spotlight: Vanderbilt Security Management System (SMS)

Nearly every enterprise organization today desires some sort of security solution to protect its people and assets. And for many, that protection comes from Vanderbilt's Security Management System (SMS). You may have a general idea of what SMS entails, but with all that the product has to offer, it's worth taking a deeper look.

Vanderbilt SMS is intelligently designed with collaboration in mind, allowing security officials to leverage a multitude of resources at any given time to mitigate threats. The powerful, single-source solution enables a facility to integrate its access control technologies, digital video and alarm monitoring systems. From a uniform interface, security leaders are able to manage alarms, photo ID badging, visitor management, elevator control, offline and online locks, advanced reporting and more.

One of the most important characteristics of SMS is that the system is scalable. This allows organizations to meet their specific security requirements today while allowing the expansion necessary to meet growing business needs tomorrow — all while satisfying budget constraints. This is particularly critical in today's risk landscape that is constantly changing, requiring the ultimate flexibility.

Additionally, the fact that Vanderbilt integrates with various technology partners provides end users with numerous options for their security systems, such as wireless locks, mobile credentials or customized workflow management. This enables organizations to take advantage of the most up to date and relevant technology solutions.

Supporting an unlimited number of cardholders and readers, SMS is the ideal solution for large, multi-site or global organizations. SMS facilitates streamlined management across a vast area, such as an educational campus. Ripon College and Maryland University, for example, employ SMS for increased operational efficiency and enhanced safety, as well as real-time lockdown capabilities with the push of a button.

SMS can also help school officials organize access for events. Once an event is scheduled within the SMS system, the doors will automatically unlock for an event, and then re-lock once the event is over. And when used in collaboration with a network-based reservation system, educational facilities can experience additional benefits, such as the ability of students at Oregon State University to reserve a meeting space or classroom without having to be physically let in the room every time.

The features of SMS contribute to an overall safer environment where comprehensive security is paramount for various elements, such as at the Bradford County Sheriff's Office. Not only are citizens protected by the office's use of SMS, but personal data, investigatory information and equipment are also kept secure through documented and monitored access requests.

As end users respond to today's growing amount of safety threats by augmenting their security strategy with a number of pieces and parts, overall management and problem-solving should be intuitive — not more complicated. Vanderbilt SMS creates the opportunity for security personnel to simplify their workload, strengthen decision-making and ensure peace of mind for all.