OVERVIEW
Pandemic precautions, electronic lock supply chain issues, surcharges on top of increased costs, and campus schedules all impacted Anderson Lock’s successful bid to upgrade Northern Illinois University’s security upgrade. Nevertheless, our extensive experience, and long-term relationship with NIU, plus our enduring partnership with Vanderbilt Industries, assured the success of the enhanced electronic security solution.
Chartered in 1895, NIU first opened its doors as a teachers’ school called Northern Illinois State Normal School. It has since grown into a world-class, research-focused public institution, with locations throughout northern Illinois that attract students from across the state, the country, and the world. The DeKalb campus is an eclectic mix of architecture and beautiful natural spaces.
In 2017, Anderson Lock worked with Vanderbilt Industries to design an electronic security system that met NIU’s specifications.
The Vanderbilt Security Management System (SMS) delivers a powerful, single source solution for integrating a facility’s access-control technologies and alarm monitoring systems. Ideal for this large, multi-building campus, it supports an unlimited number of cardholders and readers and provides unparalleled flexibility. Vanderbilt’s access control software allows users to manage alarms, visitor management, elevator control, offline and online locks, advanced reporting and more – all from a single software platform!
Vanderbilt also provides a full line of expandable access control hardware including reader controllers, reader interfaces, wireless readers, I/O modules, power supplies, custom enclosures, readers, and credentials.
Anderson Lock’s access control team coordinated installations with Housing and Student Services to minimize disruption. In addition to adding electronic security locks, several doors and existing hardware needed to be replaced.
