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AstraZeneca partners with Axis to update facility security

Biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and Axis Communications announced new surveillance upgrades to AstraZeneca’s research and development (R&D) centre in Gaithersburg, Md.

The upgrades are designed to improve campus security and lab safety, enhance operational efficiency and augment sustainability efforts. As one of four global R&D centres, AstraZeneca’s Gaithersburg campus – located outside of Washington, D.C. – is home to around 3,500 employees.

The state-of-the-art campus is comprised of 10 buildings, spans 1.4 million square feet and includes offices, laboratories, manufacturing facilities and more.

The company partnered with Axis to replace the campus’ video management system with new features and capabilities.

“It was important for AstraZeneca to have a surveillance solution that can keep pace with our innovative work environment, ultimately elevating our operational processes and enabling smarter space planning,” said Brooks Cucuel, director of regional security, Americas, AstraZeneca, in a statement. “The deployment of Axis Communications’ technology has had a direct, positive impact on our operations – including improved office and lab space planning, manufacturing team training, emergency evacuation drills, and enhanced safety and security. We now have access to advanced functionality and analytical capabilities that did not exist with our previous system.”

The reimagined video management system includes:

• AXIS Camera Station, an all-in-one video surveillance and access control system that allows security teams to monitor cameras and other devices remotely
• Axis high-speed pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) cameras
• Motion detection triggers in less trafficked areas like parking garages
• Analytics to assist with sustainability efforts, emergency response, space planning, and childcare centres
• AXIS 3D People Counters equipped with analytics
• AXIS Object Analytics to track pedestrian traffic