10/11/2024

ITS is in the process of upgrading Temple's building access control system. Before we go into the upgrade, first a quick overview of how the system works:

1. After tapping your OWLcard, a card reader sends your information to a nearby controller. This is a computer board mounted in a box that contains a locally stored database of current students/employees. (The data either comes from Banner or StarRez for residence hall locations.)
2. The controller queries the database to determine if there is a match and correspondingly allows or denies access.
3. In many building entrances, the controller also communicates to a central server to display your OWLcard photo at the guard's desk.

Need access to a specific location? Faculty and staff can refer to our Building Access page.

Project Details

• Our current access control system is called Transaction System Enterprise (TSE), which is provided by a vendor called TransactCampus. TransactCampus has since partnered with another company, called Lenel, to create a new improved system called LenelS2. Temple is now moving to the LenelS2 system for better physical security on campus.
   
• The primary scope of the upgrade is to replace about 100 controllers reaching their storage capacity. (They will continue to function properly when the system is up but may run into issues when the system is down for maintenance). Upgrading to the high-capacity replacement controllers requires that Temple also migrate to the new LenelS2 system. (Note that there are about 600 other card reader control boxes throughout campus that do not need to be upgraded.)
  
  An integration service called ACI+ will be used to feed the Banner and StarRez data from the existing TSE system to the S2 system.

LenelS2 Benefits
In addition to the new controllers, the LenelS2 system will provide:

• The ability to integrate with Temple’s campus-wide video surveillance system. If an incident is captured on video, the Department of Public Safety could also view a timestamp showing who swiped in a building at that time.
• New software for displaying photos at security desks in about 45 buildings. This current software is a custom-built application called Guard Station, which has become outdated. The LenelS2 system has its own version of this application, which Temple will be rolling out as part of the project.
• The potential for future use in residence halls as a replacement for individual room keys.  

Project Team
Information Technology Services (ITS) will be working with an authorized TransactCampus contractor called MCA to replace the card reader controllers.  

The primary project team consists of Mike Cheeseman, Jeff Bazin, Scott Brannan (retired but working part time) and Laurie Elia. They are having regular meetings with the Transact Campus project managers and scheduling training sessions.

The project team also includes Mike Taylor, Theo DeSanto, Sal Martin and other members of Telecommunications, who will provide MCA with floor plan locations of the card reader controllers (typically in wiring closets, ceilings and basements) and escort them, when necessary, into locked areas.  

Timeline
The project started in July and is planned to be completed by December 2024.