SafeCharge lockers installed at Telford College, Edinburgh

400 SafeCharge lockers from Helmsman have been installed at Telford College in Edinburgh. The requirements The safety and security of the College’s ICT equipment, in particular its bank of highly valuable and useful laptop computers, was becoming a major concern for Telford College in Edinburgh.With several units being stolen from various locations throughout the old campuses, Bahram Tavakoli, ICT manager for the College made the decision to step up security for one of its most valuable resources. Telford College is not a new client for Helmsman having worked with the physical education and catering schools of the organisation in the past. "The other sections of the College that have bought lockers from Helmsman have been absolutely delighted with both the products and the service they received from the company," explained Bahram. "When I started to investigate the possibility of increasing College storage security with lockers, the other schools highly recommended Helmsman as the best company to ask." Looking for safe, secure and robust lockers that also provide users with the opportunity to charge the electronic equipment being stored in them, Bahram carried out some research into the lockers available on the market. "Although there are a number of lockers that provide AC/DC adaptors within each cubicle to enable users to charge their electronic equipment, only Helmsman provided the added security and flexibility of swipe card access," continued Bahram. "As the College has recently opened a brand new campus, security is of the highest importance. The College has made the decision to instigate a single, multiple-use staff identity swipe card that allows staff members entry into restricted areas and to access the printing and photocopying services. In order to continue this security measure, the College required a locker that could be opened with the same swipe card, cutting down on the number of keys and cards carried around by staff members – Helmsman was able to offer this with its SafeCharge lockers." Using the lockers During 2005,Telford College took delivery of over 400 SafeCharge lockers to its Edinburgh-based campus. The lockers, all accessed by means of the multi-use identity swipe cards carried by staff, are used by the 300 members of staff at the College. In addition, a further 100 lockers are used to store and charge the bank of laptop computers available for loan to the students of the College. "The security issues arose from students and staff members carrying laptops around with them during the day and taking them home at night – that left too many opportunities for them to be stolen," continues Bahram. "Once the SafeCharge lockers were fitted, laptops could be stored safely and be charged at the same time. The ability to open the lockers using the multi-use swipe cards was the icing on the cake and fitted in perfectly with the College’s security plans." The advantages Since having the SafeCharge lockers installed,Telford College has seen a marked reduction in the number of stolen or damaged laptop computers.The College ICT and learning resources can now rely on the security of their valuable resources and enjoy the flexibility offered by the swipe card access facility. Fiona Buszek, national account manager for Helmsman, explains why the SafeCharge lockers provided the ultimate security option for Telford College: "Having manufactured and installed lockers of all kinds, Helmsman has the experience, expertise and technical know-how to provide lockers for any application. It was this knowledge and flexibility that attracted Telford College to investigate our SafeCharge lockers for use on the new campus," she explains. "This new range of lockers is ideal for a busy, modern life and provides the opportunity for users to charge their electronic equipment – in this case, laptops – while keeping them safe and secure.The SafeCharge lockers provide security against even the most determined thieves with 2mm thick steel, high quality locks, swipe card access to every unit and an optional steel, padlocked security bar."

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