Security Sales & Integration March 2023 - 55

with those property management operators.
As a seasoned pro in working successfully
with MDUs, Bates' Goodpaster advises other
integrators to develop relationships with local
property managers, general contractors, electrical
contractors and developers. These individuals
tend to see value in deploying solutions with
companies they can trust and can count on, not
only to implement a viable solution but also to
stand behind the solution over time through
service and maintenance of the systems.
" Property managers can serve as a single
point of contact for multitenant buildings, " he
says. " They tend to place high value on working
with a company they can rely on and that
saves them time and energy. The easier we can
make the solutions to manage and maintain,
the more value a property manager will see in
the integrator. Property managers can be a great
advocate for integrators and often a deciding
factor in who is used to implement solutions of
this type in multitenant buildings. "
Tying It All Together
Deploying security solutions in MDU environments
is not without its challenges. In addition
to ensuring all unit systems and facility systems
work as intended, and are integrated when desired
and possible, contending with the complexity,
logistics and limitations of the building
can play a prominent role in such a project. All
the while, integrators must satisfy the wishes of
tenants, property managers and, when applicable,
codes and local AHJs.
" The challenges integrators and dealers face
in this type of application, especially when offering
a complete solution, are due to a large
majority of multitenant projects being in older
buildings, " says Gerana. " Most of them still use
old infrastructure wires and the cost to upgrade
these buildings is massive. There is an alternative
option on the market that offers two wires
to PoE conversion. Still, the use of this type of
solution is limited, depending on how the wire
was installed initially.
" It's a different story when you have a new
building with an IP network infrastructure.
Thankfully, not all of those facilities want to
upgrade every tenant station inside an office
or apartment. Living in a world where apps are
used daily, we can offer multiple alternatives -
there is always a way. " SSI
There are many benefits to
implementing video intercom
systems in MDUs, the biggest
of which say experts is better
building control.
The ability to
fixed amount of time), thus
eliminating free access and
exposure and reducing potential
bottlenecks that can
be of concern.
In most residential MDUs/
MTBs, the chief concern is
providing a functional level
of security and entrance
control for the tenants
without completely disrupting
the normal ebbs and
flows of their lobbies and
common areas that typically
include many service-related
business as well as food
and grocery options. The
desire is to provide security
to the tenants, but also
allow for public access into
these common areas to help
maintain the traffic that the
businesses need for day-today
operation.
This typically directs an
integrator to look at how to
secure the elevator lobbies
that grant access to the
high-rise or residential tower
areas involved. In many
cases, there is also a parking
garage entrance or walkway,
and outdoor public/
private parks and garden
areas that need to be taken
into consideration as well,
relative to who has access,
and where they can go from
these areas.
DERRICK ALLISON is
Midwest Regional Sales
Manager for Automatic
Systems.
communicate with
people in the
building through
paging and mass
notification has
greatly increased
in recent years.
- Kyle McAdams,
Kastle Systems
securitysales.com
MARCH 2023 Security Sales & Integration 55
TAMFER75/STOCK.ADOBE.COM
http://www.securitysales.com
Security Sales & Integration March 2023

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