Morse Watchmans

In 1899, the Texas Legislature authorised the formation of the Southwest Texas State Normal School, which opened in San Marcos four years later. At the time, the school’s mission was to prepare Texas public school teachers. Still, over the years, it has undergone several expansions and name changes to reflect its evolution into the major multi-purpose university Texas State has become. San Marcos campus From its humble beginnings located in a single building, Texas State’s original San Marcos campus has grown to cover a 485-acre campus home to 267 buildings and an additional 5,038 acres of recreational, instructional, farm, and ranch land. The university added a second campus in Round Rock, which has grown from 15 temporary buildings to a 101-acre campus with state-of-the-art facilities. Need for electronic key control Texas reviewed its policies and determined the necessity of implementing electronic key control Texas State’s student population has kept pace with its physical expansion, growing from 303 in 1903 to more than 35,546 in 2013. This marks the university's 16th consecutive year of enrollment growth. Anticipating continued physical and population growth, Texas reviewed its policies and determined the necessity of implementing electronic key control systems in sensitive areas. Given its size, as many as 85 of these systems could potentially be needed as part of this initiative. Challenges faced Texas State was faced with a particularly challenging growth-related issue in September 2013, as its freshman enrollment surged to more than 5,000. Like many universities, Texas State requires its freshmen to live on campus, which it sees as a tool for retention. That policy seems to be working, with approximately 80 percent of freshmen living on campus technically returning for the following semester. Student accommodation The university has pursued an aggressive construction campaign to accommodate the growing number of on-campus residents. Every two years, a new residence hall complex is built to house approximately 600 additional students, and a third new housing complex will be built this fall. In all, Texas State spent more than $190 million on new or renovated buildings, and more construction is planned for the foreseeable future. Key management policies The decision was made to update key management policies and practices to make them more efficient and effective With a large number of individuals requiring access to so many facilities, the university recognised that key management had the potential to become a high-risk issue and determined to become proactive in reducing that risk. Maintenance staff members would often reach for the key to a particular building they needed to access, only to find it was already checked out. They would then be forced to go through the time-consuming – and frustrating – process of determining who had the key last and tracking that person down to retrieve it. The decision was made to update key management policies and practices to make them more efficient and effective. Solution: KeyWatcher Touch To combat these problems and increase the security and effectiveness of its key management, Texas State charged its University Police Department and other stakeholders with undertaking an extensive review of the available options for key management systems on the market. This exhaustive process involved gathering research from printed materials and online research, having discussions with current customers of the various vendors, and listening to on-site presentations from the companies under consideration. After it reviewed key control cabinets and systems, Texas State chose KeyWatcher Touch from Morse Watchmans. Key features The main factors that led Texas State to choose KeyWatcher Touch systems were its robust feature set and competitive pricing. The school was also impressed by Morse Watchmans’ receptiveness to its specific needs – a six-digit user ID, for example – and ability to implement changes quickly. Access to support was also a main consideration, so Texas State appreciated that the system was produced domestically by a company with a 130-year history. Implemented at housing and services The department also operates a facilities service group consisting of 110 full-time employees and a staff Of the KeyWatcher systems to be implemented, the largest number were to be deployed for Texas State’s Department of Housing and Residential Life, which provides housing and services to approximately 7,000 residents in 25 facilities. The department also operates a facilities service group consisting of 110 full-time employees and a staff of 170 building paraprofessionals. Enterprise management "Because of the personnel changes the department experiences on an annual basis, the system’s enterprise management capability has been a valuable feature, as have its robust reporting capabilities," says Kyle Estes, Texas State’s Associate Director of Housing Facilities Services. "Having keys available in each residence hall for use by maintenance staff has made the department more efficient and reduced their liability; staff no longer need to carry multiple master keys across campus for different buildings." Employee accountability “Because the system automatically generates a log of who has each key, we’ve been able to establish much better employee accountability for key usage,” Estes says. “The ability to set a maximum duration that each key can be checked out and to receive alarms when that limit is exceeded has eliminated the problem of having keys unnecessarily checked out and as a result inaccessible when someone needs them.” Ease of use and centralised management The ease of use and centralised management features provided by the system’s network All KeyWatcher Touch systems deployed at Texas State are connected to the university’s network and interface with its card access and email systems. The ease of use and centralised management features provided by the system’s network capabilities have streamlined the once cumbersome process of generating reports and reviewing incidents. "One particular feature, the ability to access the system from anywhere, has made the system even more effective," Estes says. A test case As one of the earliest adopters of KeyWatcher Touch, the Housing and Facilities Department served as a test case of sorts for the system. Based on the success the department has had, combined with its continued rapid growth and expansion, Texas State University’s 85-system implementation is ongoing. As more systems are added, expansion will be a consideration moving forward, but Estes doesn’t anticipate that being a problem. Reliable system “We’ve found that expanding these systems is fairly easy and doesn’t involve time-consuming processes that could delay implementation of key management for particularly sensitive areas,” Estes says. “Overall, the system has been very reliable, and the support staff has been very responsive and regularly available to help resolve the very few minor issues we’ve encountered promptly.” The University of Texas expanded its KeyWatcher Touch systems in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021. Key watcher touch features Vibrant 7” touchscreen. Modular, customisable design. Easy-to-use interface. KeyFind – locate the key you need. Key reservations. KeyAnywhere – return keys to any system. Patented SmartKey system. Full scalability. True touch software  New access control-style interface. Extensive and detailed reporting options. Flexible, email/SMS-capable notifications. Easy-to-read colour reports (including PDFs). Schedule reports to email automatically. Automatically sync changes. Profiles – easily assign user access. “We’ve been especially happy with the KeyWatcher’s access and reporting capabilities, and the system’s reporting tools make reviewing events and issues incredibly simple,” said Kyle EstesAssociate Director of Housing for Facilities Services Texas State.

Morse Watchmans, the industry pioneer in key control and asset management systems, is highlighting the KeyWatcher® Touch at ISC East on November 20-21 at the Javits Centre in New York City. Located at booth 231, Morse Watchmans will feature hands-on demonstrations of the KeyWatcher Touch and other solutions, showcasing advanced capabilities for robust, scalable key control. Key management system KeyWatcher Touch features a modular, expandable design that allows corps to tailor the system "KeyWatcher Touch is more than just a key management system; it's a strategic tool for enhancing security and streamlining operations," said Tim Purpura, Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing at Morse Watchmans. "We're thrilled to showcase this innovative solution at ISC East and help businesses unlock its full potential." KeyWatcher Touch features a modular, expandable design that allows organisations to tailor the system to specific needs, whether for key modules, card modules, or storage lockers for personal assets. Access control systems Powered by TrueTouch® software, the system offers intuitive programming and tracking capabilities, enabling users to manage keys and assets with ease.  Integration with various access control systems enhances overall security management and operational efficiency, making it ideal for a broad range of industries from hospitality to data centres, government, education, and healthcare. By adopting KeyWatcher Touch, organisations can: Reduce the risk of lost or stolen keys Improve security and user satisfaction Streamline operational processes Enhance overall efficiency Key and asset management Attendees can also learn about Morse Watchmans’ comprehensive suite of security solutions, including KeyBank® Touch for large-scale key and asset management, KeyWatcher Fleet® for fleet management, and the Emergency Key Grab (EKG) system for quick access to critical keys in emergency situations.  These products integrate seamlessly with existing security infrastructure, providing flexible, scalable solutions to meet diverse operational needs. Meet with Morse Watchmans experts at booth 231 to discuss tailored solutions for enhanced key management and security.

Morse Watchmans, the industry pioneer in key control and asset management systems, is demonstrating its innovative KeyWatcher® solutions at The Hospitality Show kicking at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Centre in San Antonio. Attendees can visit Booth 735 to explore how KeyWatcher Touch systems can help hospitality owners and operators streamline key control, improve security, and enhance operational efficiency. KeyWatcher system "Our KeyWatcher system has proven to be a game-changer for the hospitality industry, providing businesses with a reliable and efficient way to manage their key inventory," said Tim Purpura, Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing at Morse Watchmans. "We are excited to showcase our latest innovations and demonstrate how they can help businesses across various hospitality sectors achieve greater security, productivity, and profitability." KeyWatcher Touch KeyWatcher Touch features a modular, expandable design that allows hotels and resorts to customise their system to specific needs. Hotels can configure key modules, card modules, or storage lockers for personal assets, ensuring that the system aligns perfectly with their operational requirements.  Programming and tracking capabilities The system's seamless integration with a wide range of access control systems enhances security management Powered by TrueTouch® software, KeyWatcher Touch offers intuitive programming and tracking capabilities, enabling hotels to easily manage users and keys. Additionally, the system's seamless integration with a wide range of access control systems enhances overall security management and operational efficiency. Benefits for hospitality By adopting KeyWatcher Touch, hospitality businesses can: Reduce the risk of lost or stolen keys. Improve security and guest satisfaction. Streamline operational processes. Enhance overall efficiency. Morse Watchmans invites attendees of The Hospitality Show to visit Booth 735 to learn more about KeyWatcher Touch and how it can revolutionise key management for hospitality owners and operators.