Building Security and the Internet

Technology for Guards... As I mentioned in the last Dispatch, New York City is returning to normal.  But almost every office building now requires that you sign in and sometimes show an ID.  It's sort of a full employment act for building guards.  While it's true that this adds a certain level of security, it's also somewhat comical because it's so disorganized.  Each building seems to have a different system.  And it's paper-based!  So you have loose slips of paper floating around, barely legible signatures in logbooks, and random phone calls authorizing access.  Well, Aymar de Lencquesaing, the CEO of Workspeed, would like to change all that. 

Workspeed is a "workflow engine with a collaborative, web-based front end."  That's a fancy way of saying that building owners use Workspeed to manage interactions with tenants and vendors based upon their individual business practices.  After September 11, Workspeed immediately sensed a need for an automated sign-in process.  So two-and-a-half weeks later, they were able to roll out a new security module to customers.  That shows you one of the advantages of the ASP model.  Translation: Because Workspeed is a web-based system, Workspeed can change the code on the server, and this is instantly available to all users. 

Aymar demonstrated Workspeed's new security module to me.  A tenant logs onto the system, goes to the security section and notifies the guard of an impending visit.  This notification is instantly available to the guard.  So last-minute appointments can be handled easily.  (Guards must be PC-literate and have access to a machine!)  Of course, all data is archived and searchable at a later date.  Very nice. ... BOMA is offering a two-hour audio conference, "Terror in the Workplace," tomorrow, October 12.  (Couldn't they have thought of a less terrifying title?) ... If you have stories about using technology to make your building safer, send me e-mail.

--Peter Pike / ppike@pikenet.com