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Steria secures offices with CEM access control

Steria is a leading provider of IT services to public and private sector clients around the world. Headquartered in Paris, France, Steria has offices in 16 countries globally and currently employs over 20 000 people.

Steria’s vision is to be recognised as the most attractive and innovative provider of IT-enabled business services in Europe. CEM Systems supplied Steria UK with the AC2000 SE (Standard Edition) access control and security management solution. Since its original installation in 2006, CEM’s AC2000 SE has grown and expanded to match the success and growth of Steria within the UK. The AC2000 SE system was installed by Quadrant Security Group.

In 2006, Steria selected CEM’s AC2000 SE (Standard Edition) Security Management System to secure their offices. The system was selected because it provided a high level of security and had the flexibility to grow and evolve in line with Steria’s requirements. Having proven its reliability and security in initial installations, AC2000 SE was then rolled out across Steria’s 12 UK offices.

In recent years, the AC2000 SE system at Steria has been successfully expanded to mirror the needs of this growing company. Recent additions to the AC2000 system at Steria include the installation of additional CEM S610 readers, the introduction of PoE+ (Power over Ethernet Plus) technology and additional software modules.

“Over the years CEM has consistently provided a solution to meet our access control and building security needs. The AC2000 system has seamlessly grown with us, both in terms of size and functionality. The fact that we can use one highly secure access control system across all our offices in the UK also helps us achieve significant cost and efficiency savings” Ian MacQueen, regional facilities manager, Steria UK.

Hardware advancement

Since the first order, the AC2000 SE system has grown to encompass more than 170 readers with 6000 cardholders. Over the years, the system at Steria has migrated from using legacy S600 readers to the current model, CEM’s S610e reader. The S610e is an intelligent IP card reader which offers integral reading technology and structured internal database. The reader also features a keypad for 2-stage verification (card and PIN) and a backlit LCD which can display meaningful messages about card status or swipe outcome.

In addition to the new readers, Steria has improved security on site and made cost savings by introducing CEM’s DIU 230 PoE+ (Power over Ethernet Plus Door Interface Unit). The key benefit of the DIU 230 is that it eliminates the need for both a mains connection and a local power supply to the door.

Software modules

Steria has increased the functionality of its AC2000 system over the years by adding powerful software modules such as AC2000 Visitor Management, AC2000 VIPPS (visual imaging and pass production system), and AC2000 Failover. The AC2000 Visitors and AC2000 VIPPS applications installed at Steria allow staff on site to manage visitors via the AC2000 SE system by producing permanent and temporary ID badges for staff and visitors. System administrators can easily add visitor records and manage appointments as well as monitoring and controlling visitor access onsite.

The pass designs can include logos, signatures, and can be printed in multiple colours for quick visual identification. This user friendly software can be used to produce permanent and temporary passes. Steria has also opted to install AC2000 Failover to improve system resilience. AC2000 Failover creates a copy of the main server so that in the event of server failure, a backup is available to eliminate system down time. The switch between the two servers is seamless, with no administrator interaction required.

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