MIM is the world’s first global musical instrument museum and has a collection of over ten thousand musical instruments and artifacts housed in a magnificent award-winning building of over 190,000 square feet. Several key stakeholders at the Museum previously had positive experiences with Genetec products and believed they would be an ideal fit for MIM given Genetec’s superior technology and flexibility.

Armed with Genetec’s powerful and flexible video surveillance solution, Omnicast, museum staff are able to key in to specific high-risk pieces and ensure they remain safe. Currently, Omnicast monitors everything from the 190,000 square foot interior to the exterior of the building and parking lot for complete facility coverage.

All main security operations are centralised in MIM’s Security Command Center, a station manned 24-hours a day. However, the Omnicast system also allows for remote monitoring by senior staff and configuration of internal access user privileges by administrators, which provide an extra layer of security.

Omnicast’s intuitive user interface, which required little training despite a staff unaccustomed to security system usage, was a key feature. Jeff Worcester, Project Manager at Climatec, the integrator involved in the project said, “Omnicast’s ease of use is a key advantage to the system in any environment. It enables a security team comprised of individuals with any level of experience – from none to a lifetime on legacy systems – to quickly and easily learn to navigate the software.” Additionally, the system’s highly flexible nature – permitting customisation via programming as well as an array of plugin and macro options – was paramount to the success of the installation.

While MIM has only been open since April 2010, staff were able to use the surveillance system to track a potential thief off the grounds and onto a bus. Later, MIM staff were able to direct law enforcement to the suspect using the bus identification number. In another instance, security staff were able to promptly identify paparazzi outside the building attempting to photograph a visiting celebrity and attend to the situation immediately – all without visitor disruption.

Justin Karim, the Head of Security at MIM, notes: “We have been quite pleased with Genetec’s Omnicast Enterprise system. Its flexible nature is particularly well suited to a museum environment, where exhibits move and the security needs are amorphous, changing regularly. The Omnicast system has met our demands, and we are even looking at possibly using the system to inform business decisions – for example by expanding our system to include Genetec’s Autovu LPR (license plate recognition) software for counting license plates in the parking lot to keep track of patron numbers. I would definitely recommend this system to fellow museums, as well as other professionals seeking a robust security system that delivers on the reputation of a leading company like Genetec.”

“We are excited to have had the opportunity to play an integral role in protecting both this unique collection and its visitors,” said Mark Feider, Regional Sales Manager at Genetec. “It is immensely satisfying to see the system in action and confirm that it is able to seamlessly adapt to such a wide variety of applications as this install required.”