Parisian shopping centre, La Samaritaine, has had a video management system upgrade by Qognify.
La Samaritaine, Paris, France
La Samaritaine offers a shopping experience in the heart of Paris, on the right bank of the river Seine, facing Pont Neuf. In 2001, La Samaritaine was bought by the LVMH group and it 2005 is was reported to have to close its doors for security reasons.
After several years of structural investigations, lengthy consultations with various architects and the validation of building permits, according to Qognify, the (re-)construction finally began in 2015, to be completed by 2020.
The Covid pandemic delayed the opening of the new department store by another year, which finally took place on June 23, 2021. The new complex offers a mixed development, including, in addition to the department store, a Cheval Blanc Hotel in the Art Deco part on the bank of the river Seine, offices, a day care centre and 96 social housing units.
Novadis, a partner of Qognify, was said to be in charge of implementing the physical security installations for this building complex in the heart of Paris. Nicolas Jdanoff, Project Manager at Novadis said: “Our company always strives to offer state-of-the-art security solutions to ensure the smooth running of our clients‘ operations. Qognify‘s video management solutions already have proven themselves in other projects we manage. Thus, opting for Qognify VMS was almost a no-brainer.”
Mr. Jdanoff continued: “Wherever possible, we try to simplify the integration of the various security solutions in a way that not only meets the needs of operators, who want easy-to-use systems, but also of IT departments, who demand solutions that are both flexible and scalable.”
For the commercial and real estate complex, Novadis advised to integrate Qognify VMS with the DDS Amadeus access control software. “Qognify VMS offers many different ways to either incorporate other security solutions or to deliver video footage and alarms to a third-party system.” the Project Manager explains.
The site’s current video surveillance is designed to have a preventive and deterrent effect and also help to the control room staff secure access to all buildings 24/7. Around 1,000 cameras are reported to be connected to the system and is designed to be displayed on the monitor wall in the control centre of the La Samaritaine complex.
When the access control system transmits a door alarm, the security system is said to automatically display the video stream from the corresponding camera. If necessary, security personnel are also said to be able to view the video archive to evaluate the situation at the relevant entrance.
To better secure the different sales areas within the department store, alarm buttons were installed all over the retail space designed to allow employees to discreetly raise an alarm should they experience any dangerous situation. If activated, the respective video feed is ‘instantly broadcasted’ to the control room to allow the security staff to take necessary actions to remedy the situation.
“Qognify VMS has enabled us to effectively protect the various sectors of La Samaritaine,” says Gilles Munch, Loss & Prevention Manager of the site. “From a day-to-day operational perspective, the video delivery has been perfect, we couldn’t be happier with the performance”
Mr. Munch concludes: “Qognify VMS has delivered everything we hoped it would. It has been extremely beneficial to not only have a close relationship with Novadis but also with the Sales and Professional Services Team at Qognify, to set up and operate the modern centralised integrated security management system that we have today.”
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