Succes story MPL
Peter Lenters, Managing Director:
“We wanted to provide our customers a “platform as a service“ solution in an Azure environment for
data management as well as remote control of security, building and communication installations. To
constantly monitor more than 200 projects, it has to be ensured that this service solution is reliable 24/7.
This is why we use WinGuard as a hosted alarm centre, as the hot-standby concept guarantees the high
availability of the software platform anytime.”
The MPL control centre offers security and building management services. The Software as a Service (SaaS) solution is based on Microsoft Azure. WinGuard servers and location servers are provided in the cloud, this ensures access to all integrated subsystems. Customers can connect their
existing security infrastructure with the cloud environment of MPL to guarantee optimal availability, cost efficiency and security. Customers profit from cost transparency and a scalable solution without the need for investment. Microsoft Azure and WinGuard support the customers in digital transformation and collect previously unused data by linking the infrastructure, detectors and sensors with each other.
The challenge: Physical Security Information Management in a superordinate control centre
MPL Alarm & Communicatie Centrale B.V. is based in Barneveld/Netherlands, providing remote alarm management for hundreds of European end customers from various business sectors of different sizes, e.g. real estate, healthcare, logistics or parking. MPL offers a “platform as a service” solution, i.e. remote security and building control. In particular tenants of large buildings or premises have to control an ever increasing number of technical systems, but they also have to provide related services, e.g. security management, access control, reception and telephone services. Instead of hiring physical personnel, MPL offers building tenants or managers the possibility to rely on a 24/7 remote service based on a monthly fee. This leads to significant cost savings, but also ensures that sensitive tasks are
taken over by a qualified service provider available day and night. As an
official alarm centre, MPL is under supervision of the Ministry of Justice
which means that it is certified by annual audits performed by an independent institute with regard to continuity, cyber crime prevention, fulfilment of GDPR regulations, etc.
To be able to supply a unified monitoring for its customers,
MPL required an overall platform to manage alarm and event
messages triggered by technical systems of different manufacturers.
The processing of these events should be based on intelligent, individual and comprehensive workflows. The open PSIM platform WinGuard from Advancis provides the perfect solution for the MPL alarm centre, as it
offers both a vendor-neutral software for command and control of all technical systems installed at the customer’s site as well as detailed reports and the additional possibility to integrate a business intelligence tool to check and improve relevant efficiency factors.
Integrated Concept: WinGuard is the perfect control centre solution
The MPL control centre is an alarm management and communication centre System advantages
using the WinGuard PSIM platform as a hosted solution, supporting hundreds of business and private clients in remote security and building management applications. MPL’s goal is to receive and process all event messages occurring at the customers’ sites using predefined workflows. These event messages can be e.g. CCTV, intrusion, fire or access control alarms, but also notifications of building-related systems such as parking management and telephone services, air conditioning, pumps, temperature regulation and CO monitoring. By opting for a hosted WinGuard solution, MPL functions as a full service alarm centre, supported by an architecture in an Azure environment. MPL
manages all customer data centrally on the WinGuard servers. A designated data section is provided to each customer to which only he himself has access. Customers with several locations also have the possibility to organise their property management centrally in order to save time and money. Whenever this is not possible, WinGuard provides a global solution due to the full integration of all technical systems on site. It constantly monitors any changes of variable status
in all connected devices, such changes automatically trigger an event creation in the system. Event notifications are immediately transferred to the MPL control centre where MPL checks whether there is a real alarm on site, e.g. by viewing the live CCTV images from the alarm area that are automatically displayed in the WinGuard interface in case of a fire alarm, and ensures that all appropriate actions are taken to resolve the situation. With WinGuard, MPL offers a management solution which is both flexible and scalable so that the customer has the choice to either realise surveillance via their local control room or they can simply switch control to MPL at the press of a button to take over monitoring anytime on a 24/7 basis. As a consultancy organisation, MPL additionally provides data evaluation services with regard to sustainability, health, predictive maintenance and building efficiency, based on the use of a business intelligence tool. The huge data amounts collected during the surveillance of customers’ sites are used for analysis, process
improvements and real time dashboards via the tool “My OPS View”. The
evaluated data provides valuable insight into the performance of all systems installed in the monitored buildings (KPIs). For example, the energy usage of heating and air conditioning systems is recorded separately, visualised as clear graphics for each floor and documented. Together with the information from the access control system, e.g. when the first people enter the building in the morning and leave it in the evening, the energy usage can be adapted accordingly by switching off the air condition at a specific time when it is recognised that e.g. on Friday, most people leave the building earlier. This avoids un
neccessary consumption of limited resources and optimises the building’s energy footprint. MPL’s customers can of course access all data themselves too in order to jointly realise the most optimal solution for the management of a specific location.
Control centre monitoring
The MPL control centre has five WinGuard workstations and, in addition to
the management of its customers’ sites, MPL also monitors its own premises
using WinGuard PSIM. For example, if the doorbell rings, the intercom system
automatically sends a signal to display the video images of the front door environment to the responsible operator. To grant MPL’s registered personnel or
visitors access, the operator can digitally open the first door to provide entry
to the door lock, close it again automatically and then open the second door.
Data mining and dashboard
For various customers, MPL records their energy consumption, e.g. values
from the heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems. Via the business
intelligence tool “My OPS View”, the usage statistics are displayed in trend
graphics and a workflow is started if set values are exceeded, e.g. in case of
a non-manned office at night time, the air conditioning will be switched off
automatically. Due to statistic reports that can be easily created based on these
values, the tenants are supported in the calculation of the monthly service
charges.
Parking management
Lots of the customers’ sites monitored by the MPL alarm centre use parking
management systems. Via the direct connection to WinGuard, the operator
does not only see how many spaces are still available, but there is also a
direct linkage to the fire alarm and lighting control systems. In case of a fire
alarm, the entries are blocked (the barriers will not open anymore) whereas
the exit barriers are opened automatically and the lighting is increased to
100 % so that people can quickly find their way out of the garage.
