Cisco Cisco IPICS Release 1.0 Information Guide
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
University of San Francisco
Higher Education
San Francisco, California
~10,000 Students
Higher Education
San Francisco, California
~10,000 Students
Challenge
• Improve physical security in residence halls
• Minimize costs
• Increase convenience for residents
• Minimize costs
• Increase convenience for residents
Solution
• Recognizes faces of residents and alerts front-
desk attendant people when nonresidents
enter
• Built solution from existing Cisco® Video
Surveillance solution, existing ID card system,
and iOmniscient video analytics software
Results
• Created accurate record of who enters
residence halls
• Increased value of existing video surveillance
solution
• Improved experience for residents and front-
desk attendants
Challenge
Controlling access to college residence halls is a notorious challenge. “Students
tend to move around campus in groups,” says Jason Rossi, director of One Card
and Campus Security Systems for University of San Francisco (USF). When one
student uses an ID card to open the front door, a mob of others might follow without
presenting their own cards. “Tailgating is very common, and difficult to control,”
Rossi says. “That makes it hard to know who is in the residence hall at any given
time.”
tend to move around campus in groups,” says Jason Rossi, director of One Card
and Campus Security Systems for University of San Francisco (USF). When one
student uses an ID card to open the front door, a mob of others might follow without
presenting their own cards. “Tailgating is very common, and difficult to control,”
Rossi says. “That makes it hard to know who is in the residence hall at any given
time.”
That’s a problem. An accurate occupancy record is important for incident
investigation and for making sure everyone evacuates during an emergency.
investigation and for making sure everyone evacuates during an emergency.
USF already controlled access to residence halls in the traditional ways. Video
surveillance cameras monitored the front entrances. Campus security used Cisco
Video Surveillance solution to view live and recorded video. Students presented an
ID card to open the front door. And the front-desk attendant was supposed to ask
everyone else who followed through the open door to show their ID. “But checking
every ID card just isn’t practical when 20 students enter the building at the same
time,” Rossi says. “We decided to use technology to do the job better.”
surveillance cameras monitored the front entrances. Campus security used Cisco
Video Surveillance solution to view live and recorded video. Students presented an
ID card to open the front door. And the front-desk attendant was supposed to ask
everyone else who followed through the open door to show their ID. “But checking
every ID card just isn’t practical when 20 students enter the building at the same
time,” Rossi says. “We decided to use technology to do the job better.”
The university’s physical security committee studied the challenge. They concluded
that most access control solutions did not meet the requirements. For example,
optical turnstiles cost US$100,000 apiece, not in the budget. Physical trip wires do
not work if people walk in side by side. Iris readers make people uncomfortable.
that most access control solutions did not meet the requirements. For example,
optical turnstiles cost US$100,000 apiece, not in the budget. Physical trip wires do
not work if people walk in side by side. Iris readers make people uncomfortable.
So the committee decided to put the existing Cisco Video Surveillance solution
to work in a new way: facial recognition. Because students move in groups, the
solution would need to recognize multiple faces, not necessarily facing the camera
squarely.
to work in a new way: facial recognition. Because students move in groups, the
solution would need to recognize multiple faces, not necessarily facing the camera
squarely.
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