As one of the world's leading end-to-end security solutions companies for 50 years, Aronson Security Group (ASG) identified the issues of conventional key management and compliance risk as major problem points for its data centre end users, as well as the fact that access control system integration capability would be critical in responding to those needs.
The challenge
"A long-lasting problem for the security industry is that end users were facing major key management issues. People continually lose keys and locksmiths are profiting."
- Nigel Waterton, Vice President of Corporate, Strategy & Development, Aronson Security Group
ASG was aware of the need for a key management solution for data centres, as approximately 70 percent of its customer base in this sector had a requirement for it. In addition, many of these same companies were facing risk of regulations and the corresponding penalties related to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), a set of requirements designed to ensure that all companies that process, store or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment. To add to a growing problem, a recent Garter Report stated that data centre providers will grow at a rate of four times the current standard over the next three years, emphasizing the need for more secure environments.
While ASG's primary business unit is an end-to-end provider of security solutions, the common problem with key management and compliance presented a great opportunity to take advantage of its access control system integration capabilities.
The solution
There were plenty of integration options for ASG, but when it came to key management solutions, none of them compared to Traka. Ultimately, the seamless integration with their access control system and overall capability stood out amongst the other possible choices. This was exemplified once Traka was installed, configured and implemented in an integrated environment, where system users only had to utilize a single interface for management, alarms and events.
Alternatives only offered key boxes and storage units that would be considered outdated next to Traka's innovative technology. Integration into leading access control platforms like Lenel OnGuard offered options eliminating unnecessary tags and labels, making the simplicity of the Traka systems all the more appealing for integration.
Working together for success
The joint implementation process with Traka was as helpful and successful as anticipated. Earlier in the selection stages, ASG chose to use their onboarding process to analyze the potential success of working with Traka. The multistage plan covered elements like company strength, support, technology, capability, as well as analyzing partnerships and who Traka aligns with for access control system integration.
"The process for key management is usually pretty dysfunctional and takes an extraordinary amount of time. The Traka integration tends to remove all that" |
Following the process, it was clear that Traka was an excellent integration option for ASG. During the early stages of implementation, Traka worked with ASG to incorporate its own marketing philosophy into the fold, developing a Go-To-Market-Strategy (GTMS) plan for both clients and prospects.
Helping end users benefit with Traka integration
"The process for key management is usually pretty dysfunctional and takes an extraordinary amount of time. The Traka integration tends to remove all that."
- Nigel Waterton, Vice President of Corporate, Strategy & Development, Aronson Security Group
With Traka, ASG now has seamless integration with their access control system for data centre end users. First and foremost, Traka helps ASG's clients meet the PCI DSS compliance standards in data centres. This also means that data is unified and transactions are much more instantaneous than in the past. These users were often querying and working with separate databases, which created downtime. In the end, only having to enter data once and maintaining complete control were major improvements. This positive impact was felt by ASG's global roster of clients, many of whom are Fortune 500 and billion dollar companies with major access control needs.
Another major benefit of the seamless integration with their access control system for data centres is the capability of assigning different access levels within the software. These assignments go beyond just mapping names, titles and other fields, to identify different credential levels and facility areas. Most importantly, this means that when a user holds a key to a rack in a data centre, they cannot physically leave the building until that key is returned. While this application is useful in a data centre environment, it is not limited to that setting. Traka's seamless integration into an access control system means that any barrier can be presented whether it is an egress reader, a turnstile or another system, when a key has not yet been returned.
For the most part, key management and control is in many cases a dysfunctional process, but not with Traka. The integration cuts downtime for data centres drastically and makes the process much easier overall. Traka also uses a management and support process that allows end users to be creative and innovative, which is different from others in the industry. ASG's clients have also seen the power of integration as a result of working with Traka, driving business and increasing value in ROI. For example, a data centre customer who on average rekeyed complete rack systems once per quarter at a cost of $1800.00 each time, has now gone over a year without a rack re-key, already realizing a return for the Traka installation and integration.
