Collegiate Times

A partnership between two software companies and Virginia Tech is bringing a new security system to campus.

Tech entered into a partnership with information technology center L-3 STRATIS and software development company ERIS Technologies LLC in October. This partnership will result in the creation of a platform for incident management and response, facility management, energy monitoring and cybersecurity. 

“What we would like to see this do is put Tech in the lead nationally as a part of new leading technology,” said Brenda van Gelder, executive director of converged technologies for security, safety and resilience, which operates out of the Virginia Tech Geographical Information Systems office in Torgersen Hall.  

A dashboard, or virtual control center, will give facility managers, emergency personnel and information technology security staff members access to two- and three-dimensional views of all buildings on campus.  

“This will allow us to more easily access information and have a holistic picture,” van Gelder said. 

According to van Gelder, the software will provide geospatial data and information about resources within the buildings, including smoke detectors, fire extinguishers and defibrillators. This will give law enforcement officials the ability to view the inside of the building and guide an individual to the appropriate resource.  

The technology will also allow more efficient evacuation in the case of dangerous weather conditions or even a toxic spill, van Gelder said. In addition, the system will help better allocate resources and save money. Sensors can be placed in buildings to monitor energy usage, saving money and helping Tech to become more energy efficient. 

“It makes the campus more secure and more safe,” said Joseph Boggs, managing member of ERIS. 

The software aggregates all of Tech’s data in real time. It creates an environment of situation awareness because officials already know what is occurring on campus before reaching the location.

The technology is also interoperable, allowing users to zoom in and rotate the view of any building outfitted with the software. This program will “enhance the university reputation of being a leader of technology,” van Gelder said. 

A few of the buildings could act as demonstration centers for other universities to view. 

Van Gelder said Boggs approached Tech a few years ago with this idea. 

However, the university was unable to explore this initiative at the time. 

Boggs worked with L-3 STRATIS to create the product and bring it to market. 

Boggs, L-3 STRATIS, ERIS Technologies LLC and Tech are currently working on a memorandum of agreement with the intention of creating a relationship between all parties. 

“We’re working together to advance the area of converged technologies,” van Gelder said.

Tech will be the first university to utilize this particular breed of technology. Boggs, an alumni of the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, feels a connection with the university and wants Tech to be the first to use the product.

“It’s the right place, the right time, the right people and the right technology,” Boggs said.

Boggs is starting to load Tech data onto the software, which will take a few weeks. 

He said the first live demo of this software with Tech data will happen in two to three weeks.

A version of this article appeared in the Nov 2 issue of the Collegiate Times.