Page 60 - Green Builder Magazine Nov-Dec 2017 Issue

THE INTERNET OF THINGS

Case Study: Wireless Keypads

In residence halls, lost keys usually mean potential theft. But one Mississippi college

solved the problem with some smart thinking.

CREDIT: JONES COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE

Smart (key) thinking. Jones County Junior College saved money and reduced stress within its residence halls by thinking wirelessly about
building and room security.

BY GREEN BUILDER STAFF
thousands of dollars regularly replacing the entire lock on 108 doors,
ITH NEW STUDENTS ENROLLING each semester Joseph Van Tuggle, director of men’s housing at JCJC, explored
at Jones County Junior College, key management dedicating those funds toward electronic access control.
can become a security issue and big expense. “Just because you lose a key, doesn’t really mean it’s lost. You can
Students at the Ellisville, Miss., school are issued lose it, someone can put two-and-two together, and now security is
Wkeys at the beginning of the semester, but there compromised,” Van Tuggle says. “Changing out an entire lock can
are always several misplaced or stolen keys throughout the course be very, very costly.”
of the year. Looking to avoid that, while still heightening school security,
On a 5,000-plus student campus, that’s a sure-fire way to Tuggle came across the Schlage NDE Series electronic lock from
compromise security: It’s easy to duplicate keys, which increases Allegion. He liked what he saw.
the likelihood of thefts and break-ins. In addition, it cost JCJC $150 “Seeing what electronic access control, key fobs and credentials
in material and labor to replace a single lost key. can do appealed to me because if a student loses his or her credential,
This became a recurring issue for the 15-20 students every year that all our team has to do is go in, shut off that card’s access and issue
are housed in Smith Hall on JCJC’s campus. Rather than spending him or her another one,” Van Tuggle says.

58 GREEN BUILDER November/December 2017 www.greenbuildermedia.com

58-59 GB 1117 IoT.indd 58 11/17/17 11:35 AM