Aspers Latest Casino Opens its Doors to Northampton

July 2008

British casino operator Aspers, owned by the Aspinall family and Crown Ltd has opened its door to its latest and most advanced casino and leisure complex to date in Northampton, setting the benchmark for casino design in the UK.

The forth casino in the Group offers something for everyone, a lavish restaurant, a live music, lounge and bar area as well as the latest poker, gaming machine and casino games, Aspers Northampton has been finished to the highest standards to accommodate an ever increasing and varied customer base to Northampton and its surrounding areas.

ID Technology Group, the UK’s largest Casino security solutions provider were on site to design and install a fully integrated CCTV, Alarm and Access Control system to Aspers Northampton to ensure that its staff and customers can work and enjoy playing in a safe and secure gaming environment.

With such a significant development for both Aspers and Northampton, ID had to ensure the site was fully operational come opening day on 26th June.

To ensure the casino was fully protected, ID installed the latest integrated CCTV, Access Control and Intruder Alarm system into the premises.

The CCTV systems comprised of 80 cameras, using Dalmaier full colour static cameras for all gaming tables to allow greater lens adjustment for movement,360 Vision PTZ (Pan, Tilt and Zoom) and Sanyo Wide dynamic cameras were used for general and non gaming areas to give a fully comprehensive view of the floor and bar areas. To power the system, a 16 terabyte hard drive was placed on a FAST user control, giving near perfect TV quality.

A 49 point Access Control system, using Winpak Proximity Readers was used. The system covers all doors and fire escapes, with staff given Proximity Cards that allows them to enter certain parts of the casino dependent on the level of access given to them.

The Intruder Alarm system was installed to E.U. Standard PD6662 Grade 3, which gives automatic police response upon activation. Ceiling mounted 360۫ detectors, as well as door and glass contacts were used to give comprehensive coverage of the building. To ensure that staff are fully protected, Personal Attack Alarms were installed to cash and pit desks, and Pit Bosses were given radio Personal Attack Alarms that can be activated if any anti-social or potential threatening behaviour were to occur.

David Livermore, Aspers Group Head of Security, comments: “Aspers Northampton is one of the most advanced and outstanding casino and leisure venues in the UK. A luxurious interior that you world expect from a world-class casino operator, Aspers has set the benchmark for casino design in the UK. With such a significant venue, we had to ensure that it was appropriately protected so that our customers can enjoy a relaxing and pleasant experience. We are pleased to be working with ID Technology Group who have listened to our exacting design and technology requirements and have responded positively, producing a very high specification installation”.

To ensure that every aspect of the casino was protected, till scanners on the bar were overlaid on to the CCTV screen, so transactions can be monitored and correlated with items ran through the till and drinks served. Also put into the count room, so all money weighed in is checked.

The CCTV system was fully integrated with the access and intruder system, all unauthorised doors such as fire escapes swivel and records upon opening or with intruder detection.

ID Secures over £500m in Antiques

June 2008

ID Technology Group has successfully secured over £500m of some of the worlds finest antiques at the 75th Grosvenor House Art and Antiques Fair on London's Park Lane.

The seven day event sees antique dealers from around the world gather to trade jewellery, paintings, tapestries and artefacts; and is the sixth year running where ID has worked in conjunction with the fair.

A full digital camera system was installed to protect the site throughout the fair incorporating high resolution infra-red day and night cameras, and had to be installed and taken down within 14 days around the fair.

A central monitoring station was installed, giving staff complete coverage and true broadcast recording quality.

Samantha Clarke, Event Organiser comments, "The CCTV system worked liked a dream throughout the fair, and the new equipment and camera locations were a massive improvement to the events security. I would like to thank ID for their planning and organisation. The team did an excellent neat installation and removal".

Top Banana

April 2008

Banana Republic, GAP’s upmarket trading chain and an American Fashion giant opened its flagship European store on London’s Regent Street in March, and ID Technology Group were on site to ensure that the store was safe and secure by designing and installing a fully integrated CCTV system.

The store, which offers high end men and women’s fashion is set to take the UK by storm and fits in perfectly with the UK’s affinity for great fashion and luxury products. With such a high profile store, Banana Republic needed a CCTV to ensure that staff felt secure and the alarm and EAS system were encapsulated within the system.

As ID currently installs and maintains all CCTV to the GAP estate across the UK and Ireland, and therefore was their natural choice to undertake such an important project for Banana Republic.

A 29 camera CCTV system, incorporating 12 Pan Tilt & Zoom (PTZ) 360 Vision Speed dome 22:1 colour cameras that gives 100% coverage to the 18,050 sq ft retail floor was installed. Two 1.6 terabyte Cathexis DVR’s giving perfect picture quality and instant data retrieval were used to control the CCTV system.

Integrated with the stores EAS system and alarm system, suspect buttons were also installed under the counters, whereby staff can instantly notify security and management of potential anti-social instances and the cameras instantly records to a high resolution pre-set location, recording many angles of the incident to ensure maximum coverage.

Matt Allen, sales director at ID Technology Group commented: “This is one of the most anticipated store openings of 2008 to the UK retail sector. Banana Republic needed a CCTV and security system that not only protected the products, but fitted in perfectly with the high specification of the store.

The last thing Banana Republic would want trouble with come opening day is the CCTV system as there was a massive customer footfall expected. ID has demonstrated to Banana Republic an excellent partnership approach, and we look forward to this continuing with this in the future.”

TK Maxx's HomeSense Stores Moves into the UK

April 2008

HomeSense is the latest home furnishings and fashion store to hit the UK. Filled to the brim with top quality and branded homeware, home décor and kitchenware to unique accessories from around the world, HomeSense opened its doors to the UK in Spring 2008 with its first store located in Poole, Dorset.

As part of the new store format, Homsense went to electronic security provider ID Technology Group and its specialist subsidiary company ID Intact to design and install a complete CCTV and Intruder Alarm solution to protect both the store and staff.

Matt Allen sales director at ID commented "ID Technology Group and ID Intact has worked in partnership with TK Maxx since 2003, and in that time have provided electronic security solutions in line with TK Maxx’s rapid expansion throughout the UK and Eire.

With such an important move for HomeSense to enter the UK market, and an aggressive store opening plan, ID had to ensure that both the alarm and CCTV system was operational come opening day".

HomeSense store manager, Raegan Dawson comments: “HomeSense is all about unique finds at irresistible prices. Thousands of new items will arrive every week at this store, so we can offer customers a truly exciting and continually changing shopping experience. Anyone seeking inspiration for their home should discover what they are looking for at HomeSense.”

HomeSense is part of the TJX Companies Inc which already operates over 60 HomeSense stores in Canada, and over 210 TK Maxx stores in the UK.

HomeSense opens its second store in Cardiff (1st May) and continues its roll out in Bristol (15th May), Northampton and Manchester (22nd May) and Gloucester (29th May).