University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Art Students Request and Pay for Schlage Biometric HandKey Protection


Bothered by intrusions into their Peck School of Arts, Students Themselves Raise Money to Install Biometric Readers



CARMEL, IND. – After feeling uncomfortable with the security situation at the Peck School of the Arts on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) campus, art students themselves funded a project that led to the installation of Schlage HandKey readers at the six-building complex. Thirteen (13) readers are placed on the exteriors of the buildings while several others are installed to manage access via certain elevators.



We asked Anixter, our integrator, what would be a good solution to stop homeless people and strangers from entering the buildings, where art students can be found working on projects day and night, explains Randy Trumbull-Holper, director of facilities for the Peck School of the Arts. They, along with a locksmith on our campus, suggested that the students consider biometric hand readers.



Once the UWM students learned that the HandKey units did not record fingerprints, they felt very comfortable with the biometric solution. A Schlage HandKey reader utilizes hand geometry technology. The reader simultaneously analyzes more than 31,000 points and instantaneously records more than 90 separate measurements of an individual's hand, including length, width, thickness and surface area, to verify the persons identity. In conjunction with entering a pin number, now only registered art students are able to gain access to the facilities.



Because college students tend to be on the forefront of technology, it is not surprising that universities are some of the biggest customers in the biometric industry. According to Trumbull-Holper, the HandKey readers were chosen by the students for several reasons beyond the high level of security they would provide. The students appreciated the simplicity of the process because they would no longer need to bring special ID cards or keyfobs to the school. The administration also was happy that the HandKey readers could operate as a standalone system and store authorized users in each unit without having to integrate with the campus entire access control system. Another advantage that hand readers provide is that they still perform effectively if art students have stained or paint-splashed hands, a very important consideration in this type of application.



The system is managed with Schlage HandNet for Windows software by Trumbull-Holper, who has a team that helps enroll the students and faculty.



Every year, we update the students enrolled in the system, says Trumbull-Holper. Any student who took just one class and no longer needs access to our buildings is removed.



Because this system was fully paid for by the students, we plan to keep it for a long time, Trumbull-Holper adds. To do anything else would be a disservice to something the students wanted and paid for themselves.



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Allegion (NYSE: ALLE) creates peace of mind by pioneering safety and security. As a $2 billion provider of security solutions for homes and businesses, Allegion employs more than 7,800 people and sells products in more than 120 countries across the world. Allegion comprises 23 global brands, including strategic brands CISA®, Interflex®, LCN®, Schlage® and Von Duprin®.



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