The New England College of Optometry (NECO) was founded in 1894. It is the oldest continuously operating college of optometry in the United States. The college occupies four classic and historic buildings in Boston on Beacon Street and a clinical training center on Commonwealth Avenue in Brookline. These beautiful and historic buildings need to have state of the art technology on the inside. So, when NECO needed improvements to their communications infrastructure they wanted a partner who could respect the college’s historic buildings as they worked with tight time frames to ensure that the inner workings of the college were 21st Century ready. That is why the New England College of Optometry chose KTS to be their go-to partner for connecting the disconnect throughout the campus.
The first project that KTS worked on with NECO was the installation of voice and data cabling, wireless access points and security in the new student lounge and café on the Beacon Street campus. The project had a tight timeframe which required that the work be done in the few weeks prior to classes starting. The beautiful brownstone building needed wireless access points so that students could relax and be productive in this newly designated space. The building also needed interior and exterior surveillance cameras wired and installed as well as a card access system. KTS’s ability to respond quickly, despite the busy back-to-school season for the many colleges and universities they serve in the area, ensured that the NECO student body had a fully operational, secure student lounge and cafe for Fall of 2016.
When the time came for NECO to renovate and relocate their Primary and Specialty Care Clinics and Optical Dispensary Clinical Training Center on Commonwealth Avenue, KTS was invited to the planning table to assist in working through the nuances of this complex and multi-phased move. Interim and permanent solutions were required during the four phases of the project. The first floor of the building was to be designed and built while the second floor remained fully functional for patients, staff and students who needed to continue with business as usual until the space was ready for them to transition over time. KTS’s involvement from the planning stage was critical to keeping the project on time and on budget. Read more about the details involved in the case study.
KTS also recommended and implemented standards for the card access system that was adopted across the campus so that solutions were integrated for technical efficiency. To improve security, a video surveillance camera upgrade was in order on Beacon Street. KTS established standards campus-wide for consistency across locations and for ease of ongoing support and maintenance.
The college’s continuing focus on campus security also included integrating an Internet Protocol paging system with speakers throughout the Beacon Street location. In an emergency all personnel would be promptly notified. This enhanced security capability eliminating reliance on phone notification. KTS installed the CAT 6 cables and speakers as part of the IP paging system solution.
The ongoing partnership between The New England College of Optometry and KTS has made improving its communications infrastructure and security a smooth and interconnected process. Through numerous projects, KTS has made this venerable institution secure and adapted it for its 21st Century needs.
