The Client
CMP Information is the UK-headquartered professional media division of United Business Media plc. Operating in the UK and Europe, CMPi's products include magazines, exhibitions, conferences, awards, directories and websites, targeted at business professionals across a range of markets. CMPi's magazines reach over 660,000 readers directly through subscription and controlled circulation. CMPi has approximately 900 employees in the UK and Europe and in 2004 had revenues of £159.3 million.
The Situation
CMPi's flagship office is Ludgate House, opened by the Rt Hon Margaret Thatcher in 1989 and situated in the heart of London, overlooking the Thames. The prestigious building houses CMPi staff as well as staff from two tenant companies, totalling approximately 2,000 employees. When the building was first acquired by CMPi an access control system was already in place however, some seventeen years later it was becoming obsolete. With poor performance, instability and database crashes - often resulting in the intensive administration exercise of configuring and re-entering card details - CMPi decided that an upgrade was required. Additionally, the existing system was limited in the applications it provided and CMPi was keen to assess a smart card solution and to take advantage of multi-application opportunities and their associated business benefits.
As CMPi would be investing heavily into its new system, the process of identifying the right solution was complex. CMPi appointed Gerry Taylor at TPS Building Services Consultants to investigate the market and advise them on which solution would best fit their needs. A solution design was produced based on the functionality of the existing system and a couple of manufacturers whose systems aligned with this design were selected. And, to determine the budgetary requirements, an assessment was done based on the size of the building and the total number of doors. Additionally ISS Coflex, CMPi’s on-site Facilities Management organisation was consulted. Coflex took the opportunity to visit other end-users to gain an insight into how these solutions operated and the users’ level of satisfaction with them.
The Solution
Gerry Taylor at TPS developed a performance specification and engaged with Minerva Integrated Security who chose Honeywell as their partner of choice to provide the required solution. In the meantime Stephen Vause, Buildings Manager for CMPi attended the Total Workplace Management tradeshow where he visited the Honeywell stand and identified WIN-PAK™, one of the solutions already being considered. Stephen says:
"We wanted to ensure that we got the best value and the most modern and robust system available, that would meet our requirements and not limit us from day one. After seeing a demo on the stand I was confident that the Honeywell WIN-PAK system was the best quality and most efficient and flexible solution and, at a later date, would enable us to scale out smart card functionality, such as cashless vending, to our employees".
