UK data center uses anti-tailgating solution to boost security

Seattle, Washington - February 7, 2012 - Savvis, Inc., a global leader in cloud infrastructure and hosted IT solutions for enterprises, has outfitted its newest United Kingdom data centre, located near London, with two, high-security entry mantraps installed with T-DAR stereo vision. This advanced, single-person detection technology, developed by Newton Security Inc., prevents the physical threats of tailgating and piggybacking.

Tailgating and piggybacking are serious, well-recognized security risks. Piggybacking occurs when an authorized person holds a secure door open for another person who is perceived to have access approval. Tailgating is the act of an unauthorized individual following an authorized person through a door without their knowledge. Both violations bypass the ability of electronic security systems to detect and reject a suspicious individual, or someone using an invalid or fraudulent identity card.

This is the most recent of several data centre security projects that Newton Security has completed for Savvis, but the first outside the continental United States.

"We are proud to be part of the Savvis global data center expansion initiative," said Rob Wheeler, President of Newton Security. "By deploying the superior technology of our single-person detection system, we are able to deliver the strict data centre access control they require for a facility's physical security."

The effective elimination of piggybacking and tailgating is achieved by combining the patented T-DAR technology within the two mantraps. A mantrap, or security vestibule, is an enclosed area with one door in the public area and another door into the secure area. In the space between doors are an access control reader and one or more T-DAR stereo vision cameras. The T-DAR system is a combination of stereo vision and sophisticated software with the ability to identify, tag and track the human form within the mantrap, insuring that there is only one person present, while ignoring carts, luggage or parcels. Once the presence of only a single individual is established and his or her identity is confirmed, the public door is electronically locked and the door into the secure area is unlocked for that transit only.

Despite the high-security feature of the two mantraps, the data centre remains disability-accessible because the DDA-certified T-DAR security vestibules easily accommodate employees or visitors who use crutches, wheelchairs or walkers.

In addition to other data centres in the U.S. and abroad, Newton Security T-DAR systems are deployed around the world to control and track access into restricted areas in many different venues such as airports, government buildings, research laboratories, financial institutions, power stations, manufacturing plants, unmanned immigration sites and virtually every other category of secure areas.