Commercial real estate

A leap of decades

Organization: Plaza Mayor

Location: Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico

Customer need: Property and asset protection, Access management

Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico, 2020

The Plaza Mayor Shopping Center in Mexico implements Axis video door entry and network video solutions for preventive security management with a focus on reducing incidents.

Mission

Seventy percent of all shopping centers in Latin America are located in Mexico. Founded in the 1990s, Plaza Mayor is the largest fashion mall in the Mexican Bajío. Their analog CCTV security system was not holding up well in terms of durability and scalability which led to the need to replace it. The shopping center needed a new system that would hold up better over time and grow with the needs of the mall. In addition, Plaza Mayor required a system that would help manage the flow of people throughout the property, both indoors and outdoors, and in restricted areas. Lastly, the system needed to provide deterrence and forensic video evidence.

Solution

More than 200 IP Axis network video cameras are now deployed at Plaza Mayor along with an array of video analytics. A video intercom system and emergency call buttons provide communication and emergency response. The next phase of development will integrate an access control system to track the distributors on the property.

Result

The Axis technology solution has played a fundamental role in Plaza Mayor's security strategy, which has led to a considerable reduction in incidents. Working with Axis solutions not only solved their current challenges but also allowed them to envision a future which can evolve beyond loss prevention to include marketing and operation optimization activities.

We know that technologies such as those offered to us by Axis Communications will allow us to remain an avant-garde shopping center that also offers our customers benefits beyond safety.

Luis Morales

Head of Security at Plaza Mayor Shopping Center

Wide shot of outdoor space of Plaza Mayor

Constant flow to be monitored

Plaza Mayor receives about 1,000 distributor deliveries weekly of which 40% are recurring. Integrating an access control system will help to track vehicles entering and leaving the property. The next phase of project implementation will introduce an access control system that uses an RFID tag and an entry radio frequency reader. The system will assign time and day permits by supplier. For 60% of non-recurring suppliers, a web platform linked to the entry system will be implemented.

"A shopping center can have an avant-garde architectural design, have the best stores, impeccable cleaning, but if the security it offers is not top quality, people will stop visiting it, consequently, everything else will lose value," justifies Luis Morales, Head of Security at the Plaza Mayor Shopping Center.

Video innovation in stages

In the first stage of technology evolution, Axis network cameras were installed. In the second stage, specific camera models were identified as ideal for the environment. In this phase, the quality service and advice from Axis became the key ally in selecting the right equipment for each space. Currently more than 200 IP Axis network video cameras are installed in Plaza Mayor which has significantly improved the image definition issues it was having with their old system. The cameras are being used along with intelligent video analytics such as aggression detection, biometrics, license plate recognition, and loitering alerts.

Close up of Emergency call box at Plaza Mayor

The next step in the project was the installation of a video intercom system and emergency call buttons around the shopping center that provide immediate communication with the control center. At a push of a button, shoppers can alert security personnel of incidents related to theft, robbery, or medical emergencies so that a rapid response can be deployed to the scene.

"Axis offers its customers support that goes beyond the product; they have a clear concept of quality," Luis Morales explains. "And if the synergy of service and consulting they offer is added to this, it becomes the perfect mix for us as clients to have products or services transformed into optimal and efficient solutions."

What's to come

Currently, work is being done on the implementation of access control equipment to support supplier access management, to protect the most sensitive areas of the shopping center where tenant product is transferred.

By protecting entrances and exits before, during and after business hours, granting permits, and controlling the access of the different suppliers to their facilities, the unauthorized extraction of goods is hindered.

To accomplish this, the AXIS A1001 network access control will be installed, which will work together with a software that they hope to develop jointly with Axis. The software will generate permits by reading barcodes through the video intercom. The barcode will instruct the access control unit whether to authorize entry or not. Restricting access to the supplier’s area will enhance vehicle control and provide better security all around.

Show me how Axis technology can protect my property.