Quick installation, 8 cents per square foot saved: how remote video monitoring strengthened security for two Atlanta office towers

About Behringer Harvard

Behringer Harvard is a commercial real estate investment and management company. At the properties covered in this case study, the company oversees two multi-story office buildings in downtown Atlanta.

The challenge

Behringer Harvard relied on security guards to protect its two multi-story office buildings in downtown Atlanta. Looking for ways to run its security program more efficiently, the company began evaluating technology that could work alongside its guard staff rather than replace it outright, eventually choosing Kastle’s Remote Video Monitoring service.

“We quickly saw the value in the Kastle solution,” says Judith Sponsel, Regional Portfolio Director at Behringer Harvard. “It blends new technology with our existing security manpower, providing our staff with a much higher level of situational awareness throughout the property.”

The solution

Kastle Systems surveyed both buildings with the Behringer Harvard team, reviewing security requirements and procedures section by section. Because different areas of a large property often call for different rules, such as a hallway with a no-loitering policy after hours and a lobby with its own separate policy, Kastle and Behringer Harvard defined detection rules building by building.

“Kastle succeeded in understanding what we were trying to achieve and quickly tailored their solution to meet our needs,” says Sponsel. “The time they spent with our staff really demonstrated that they were our security partners, not just providers.”

Kastle then installed its Remote Video Monitoring service on 16 cameras across the two buildings, using smart analytics programmed to watch for the security policies Behringer Harvard specified. When a camera detects a rule violation, it immediately alerts a security expert at the Kastle Operations Center, who follows the enforcement steps the two companies agreed on, whether that means notifying on-site staff or contacting authorities directly. The service also gives Behringer Harvard’s off-site staff live video access to the property.

The outcome

The new approach let Behringer Harvard adjust its on-site security staffing without losing coverage, producing a five-year net savings of 8 cents per square foot. The entire solution, from initial assessment to a fully operational system, was designed, installed, and running in under a month, with minimal disruption to tenants or staff.