Developed by The Peel Group, MediaCityUK in Manchester is home to new headquarters for the BBC, ITV and their Coronation Street studio complex, the University of Salford and more than 100 commercial businesses. Contactless access control products from SALTO Systems are in use across the site at Salford Quays on the banks of Manchester Ship Canal. Phase one of the development, which is spread over 36 acres of the 200 acre site, has seen around £650m invested.
Paul Carr, Northern Area Manager of SALTO Systems, says: “As a large commercial environment tailored access control system, the SALTO XS4 and GEO platform solutions are ideal for MediaCityUK . Working in consultation with the many stakeholders on site we designed a highly secure and flexible access control system to meet all of the security requirements of MediaCityUK. The data-on-card access system allows users across the site to control their buildings in almost real time through the SALTO Virtual Network (SVN). This software allows the stand alone locks to read, receive and write information via their operating smart cards. Data is captured from the cards at SVN on-line hot spots in the many buildings which upload and download user related information that is then used to permit, control or deny access.”
The XS4 handles, GEO cylinders, panic bars and wall readers control more than 500 doors spread across the development. Buildings covered include the Orange Tower, Blue Tower, Multi-storey car park, Studio Block, Greenhouse, Public Realm (road blockers, gates and barriers) and two residential towers. Other users include SIS (Satellite installation services) who have their own SALTO solution but also have access to MediaCityUK doors. That is, they carry access permissions on one card for two systems. This is the same for ITV who also run their own system.
Ramesh Gurdev, Managing Director, SALTO Systems UK, says: “Key control was a major consideration from the outset of this project due to the size of the development and its future expansion potential, so a ‘keyless’ environment was an absolute prerequisite to control access and give MediaCityUK full control over their security requirements.”
About SALTO Systems
Based in Oiartzun, Spain and with offices in the UK, USA, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Portugal, Australia, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Malaysia and the UAE, SALTO Systems was established in 2001. Customer markets include airports, hospitals, government buildings, universities, corporate headquarters and hotels. Visit www.saltosystems.co.uk
