Allied Universal helps secure ASIS conference

ORLANDO—Attendees at ASIS International's 62nd Annual Seminar and Exhibits here, Sept. 12-15, were able to see first-hand Allied Universal's new robots in action, as they were part of the overall physical security provided for the conference by the facility services and security company.

Allied Universal, which partnered with Dan Taylor & Associates, LLC to provide security for the conference, said the combination of its security professionals with its new “Machines as a Service” robots helped to ensure a safe and secure environment.

“We had stationary robots at certain locations as a potential security enhancement and we had one robot roaming the floor, capturing video,” Steve Jones, Allied Universal CEO told Security Systems News.

“It is a great example of us integrating technology and our manguarding force,” Ty Richmond, president, national accounts and integrated security systems for Allied Universal, told SSN.

Jones said that the company began preparing for the event more than a month ago. “We pulled our best and brightest from around the country. We wanted to make sure we had them in a special uniform, that they stood out and looked sharp, and made sure that the team that we had managing it was top-notch,” he said.

Jones pointed out that security professionals were placed at the exterior gates as well as inside as greeters, and to make sure everyone had a badge prior to entering the show floor. The security detail also included protecting exhibitors' equipment outside the show hours.

“When we are outside the show floor hours, that is actually more challenging—making sure that all of the expensive equipment on the show floor is being protected,” he said. “That includes making sure all of the access control is locked down, and patrolling the perimeter of the show floor to make sure no one is stealing anything.”

Overall, Jones said that the exposure to everyone who comes to the show, including customers and potential customers from all over the world, was invaluable.

Allied Universal, with headquarters in Santa Ana, Calif. and Conshohocken, Pa., has more than 170,000 employees.