Delivering a Flawless Upgrade
Yarra's Edge and ICT
Yarra’s Edge is a premium residential and lifestyle precinct on the riverside next to Melbourne’s CBD. Since development began more than 20 years ago, it has flourished and is now home to more than 3,000 residents, 21 retail spaces, and a marina facility, all linked to the CBD by the stunning Webb Bridge. Yarra’s Edge Towers 2 & 3 were completed almost 20 years ago and suffered from outdated functionality and a failing access control system.
A Closer Look
Before:
- A failing legacy system
- Security breaches due to card cloning
- Inefficient and difficult to operate for the building managers
After:
- Fault-free reliability
- Flexible reporting enables timely security responses
- License plate recognition for garage access
- High security DESFire cards and touchless Bluetooth access
Working with ICT has been an exceptional experience. Their well thought through modular design meant we could deliver the project on time, on budget, and to the full satisfaction of our client.”
- Mark Stytsenko, Technical Director at DockCom
The Story
Creaking infrastructure that was outdated, security breaches due to cloned keycards, and a failing access control system that was no longer supported. These were some of the issues faced by Towers 2 & 3 at Yarra's Edge as they searched for a solution to bring the buildings back to a useable state.
Regaining Control
The setup at Yarra’s Edge was a mess. Residents were seeing increased maintenance costs due to recurring system failures, while building managers found performing day to day tasks cumbersome and time-consuming.
There was a loss of control over access to the complex. Easily cloned cards meant a number of unauthorized credentials were in circulation.
The Yarra’s Edge Owners Corporation approached integrators DockCom, who had no hesitation in recommending a unified solution from ICT to help them regain control.
Solutions at Scale
Mark Stytsenko, DockCom’s Technical Director, believed the “superior quality of ICT products and complexity-made-simple approach with the Protege GX software” would deliver the “reliability and security on a large scale” that was currently lacking at Yarra’s Edge.
The flexible, modular design of Protege GX provides access control, intrusion detection and building automation across multiple buildings. Combined with ICT’s tSec card readers, it enables scheduled access, elevator control, and delivers a one-card solution across the entire site. The user-friendly interface, with simple status pages and reporting functions, provides building managers with real-time insights that can be quickly actioned should any security issues arise.
Increasing Ease for Residents
Another area of concern was the parking garage where access was becoming increasingly insecure. By installing license plate recognition at the entrance and integrating with Protege GX, vehicles without an authorized license plate can no longer gain access.
Registered vehicles now have automatic entry without needing to present a credential, providing added convenience for residents.
Access was also made easier for residents using ICT’s modern tSec readers, which blend seamlessly with the decor. Bluetooth functionality enables the use of touch-free ICT mobile credentials on smartphones, removing the need to carry an additional keycard.
The Outcome
“Changes during the project preparation phase meant that encryption standards for encoding the access cards needed to be updated,” Stytsenko says. “Working with ICT allows us to provide the latest high-security DESFire cards, and ensures that the client has the latest and most secure technology.”
Successfully Secure
Installation and changeover of a live, large complex can pose certain challenges, but thanks to the outstanding preparation by DockCom and the simple modular design of ICT’s products, the project was successfully commissioned in just 2 weeks. Since completion, Stytsenko says “there has been unprecedented reliability with no faults or downtime.”
We received outstanding advice, recommendations, execution and service from DockCom throughout the process. And thanks to ICT, we have a great system that works exceptionally well and provides more peace of mind.”
- Phil Spender, Chairperson of Yarra’s Edge Owners Corporation
At Yarra’s Edge, life is more convenient for residents with automatic license plate recognition and touch-free Bluetooth access to the complex. And building managers can now react in an informed and timely manner when security issues arise, thanks to improved information provided by the user-friendly interface.
Winning back control with less security breaches and improved traceability, ICT’s Protege GX solution delivers enhanced security with peace of mind to Yarra’s Edge.
