Security Magazine logo
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • MANAGEMENT
  • PHYSICAL
  • CYBER
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • SECTORS
  • EVENTS
  • MEDIA
  • MORE
  • EMAG
  • SIGN UP!
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Security Newswire
  • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
  • Leadership Management
  • Enterprise Services
  • Security Education & Training
  • Logical Security
  • Security & Business Resilience
  • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
  • Access Management
  • Fire & Life Safety
  • Identity Management
  • Physical Security
  • Video Surveillance
  • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
  • Cybersecurity News
  • More
  • COLUMNS
  • Cyber Tactics
  • Leadership & Management
  • Security Talk
  • Career Intelligence
  • Leader to Leader
  • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
  • Annual Guarding Report
  • Most Influential People in Security
  • The Security Benchmark Report
  • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
  • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
  • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
  • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
  • Banking/Finance/Insurance
  • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
  • Education: K-12
  • Education: University
  • Government: Federal, State and Local
  • Hospitality & Casinos
  • Hospitals & Medical Centers
  • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
  • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
  • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
  • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
  • Industry Events
  • Webinars
  • Solutions by Sector
  • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
  • Videos
  • Podcasts
  • Polls
  • Photo Galleries
  • Videos
  • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
  • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
  • MORE
  • Call for Entries
  • Classifieds & Job Listings
  • Continuing Education
  • Newsletter
  • Sponsor Insights
  • Store
  • White Papers
  • EMAG
  • eMagazine
  • This Month's Content
  • Advertise
Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Access Management

TV Station Upgrades with Visitor Management System

Over the past 15 years the visitor management market has evolved from a simple “hello my name is” label to roaming officers processing visitors with 4G-enabled tablets and evacuation systems

By Karyn Hodgson
Visitor Management System

Upon arriving at the station, a visitor presents their ID to be scanned by the front desk. Photo courtesy of KGW

Visitor Management System

While the majority of visitors check in at the front desk, KGW also had a kiosk installed in their lobby for pre-registered visitors. Photo courtesy of KGW

Visitor Management System
Visitor Management System
September 1, 2014

Over the past 15 years the visitor management market has evolved from a simple “hello my name is” label to roaming officers processing visitors with 4G-enabled tablets and evacuation systems that automatically notify both employees and visitors at the time of an emergency. One of the most recent trends in visitor management is Software as a Service (SaaS), which allows an online visitor management to be hosted or managed, and gives the user an easily accessible record of visitors in the building at any given time. An enterprise security director or even local authorities can access real-time data, from any computer, laptop or even a smartphone. Many visitor management systems today have IT limitations that prohibit rapid deployment or widespread adoption. iVisitor by Veristream, Orlando, Florida, is an online SaaS visitor management system that has processed more than seven million visitors globally over the last year with predictions of exceeding 10 million per year by the end of 2015. This story features Portland’s NBC affiliate KGW Channel 8and its implementation of the solution.

KGW decided to conduct a thorough security assessment of its building, which not only houses their 180 employees, but also two tenants: Comcast Sports Net, a cable broadcaster, and Advanced Broadcast Solutions, an equipment reseller.

“It was recommended that we institute some kind of visitor management process,” Boyd says.

He began looking around at the different options available and ruled out paper badges as not being thorough enough. “With a paper solution it would be hard for anyone else to know who was in the building,” he says. This was also a consideration with in-house systems he looked at. “If there is a fire or evacuation we want to be able to have some record to report to the fire department of who is in the building. If you have a paper system or one located on the computers inside your offices, you would have to take that with you to have that information.”

For that reason, Boyd decided on the system: a real-time Web-based system that allows each employee to manage visitors individually through their own personal iVisitor account.

 

Easy to Use

The system allows KGWemployees to pre-register guests, entering the date and time of the expected visit and even automatically emailing the guest directions to the building. The employee can select what department they are visiting, choose how they want to be alerted of the guest’s arrival, such as by text or email, or look up a past guest and reschedule them without having to reenter information.

“The nice thing is it doesn’t require any administration,” Boyd says. When an employee joins the company or needs to have the ability to register guests, they can self-enroll in the iVisitor system.

Upon arriving at the station, the visitor presents their ID to be scanned by the front desk. If they are pre-registered it pulls up their information automatically. If not, it fills it in automatically. “It is a quick process for the front desk, and we also know for sure the person is who they say they are,” Boyd says.

“When someone needs to have unescorted access in and out of the building, we can program an access card for them, and they can have temporary access – all managed through the system,” he adds.

In all cases the system produces a printed badge. For temporary access control situations, another RFID badge is printed as well, which is then placed behind the visitor ID badge.

While the majority of visitors check in at the front desk, KGWalso had a kiosk installed in their lobby for visitors who are pre-registered and don’t want to wait. “With an average of 10-20 visitors per day, we generally have enough support at the front desk,” Boyd says. “But if we have two or three guests come in at once, pre-registered visitors have the option of using the kiosk to print out the badge themselves.”

 

No Complaints

The system has been working well since its installation in 2012. “I think the fact that I don’t hear anything is a good sign,” Boyd jokes. “Generally I only hear about things when there is a problem. I never hear about this system, but I know it is being used.”

Employees are currently able to pre-register guests both from their desktop and from their home computer or laptop. KGWis collaborating with Veristream to work on an app that will also allow them to do it from their cellphones in the near future.

“The system gives us a sense of security because of the pre-registration process,” Boyd says. “There is a good communication path. If the front desk doesn’t know what is going on they can’t provide effective security up front. This allows them to know ahead of time what to expect.”

It has also had a side benefit of alleviating a common parking issue that was occurring:

“We have very limited visitor parking,” Boyd explains. “By having this online system it is easy for us to check and see what visitors we have, how many are in the building and whether someone is abusing the visitor lot privileges.

“The main thing we were trying to address with this system was the security surrounding the visitors and to provide a better organized, consistent process for that. I believe we have done that very effectively.”

 


Key Considerations When Planning a Visitor Management System:

  1. Defining types of visitors.
  2. Defining number of check-in points and method of verification.
  3. Visitor identification policy and type of visitor badge.
  4. After-hours and weekend policies.
  5. How to manage lost or forgotten employee access cards and processing.
  6. How to manage “Do Not Admit” people.
  7. Acceptable methods of ID verification.
  8. Evacuation policy and mustering process. 
KEYWORDS: KGW station security media security visitor management VMS

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Karyn Hodgson is a long-time security industry reporter with previous assignments at Security Magazine and SDM Magazine. Karyn is the managing editor for SDM Magazine. She can be reached at 630-694-4025.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024

    Security magazine's Top Cybersecurity Leaders 2024 award...
    Cybersecurity
    By: Security Staff
  • cyber brain

    The intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable cybersecurity...
    Cybersecurity
    By: Pam Nigro
  • artificial intelligence AI graphic

    Assessing the pros and cons of AI for cybersecurity

    Artificial intelligence (AI) has significant implications...
    Logical Security
    By: Charles Denyer

Recommended Content

  • Security’s 2025 Women in Security

    Security’s 2025 Women in Security

    This year’s Women in Security honorees drive meaningful...
    Management
    By: Rachelle Blair-Frasier
  • Bandage over cracked pavement

    Breaking Down Burnout: Healing Cyber Teams with the Right Tools and Strategies

    Cybersecurity teams are burning out, and it’s happening...
    Security Education & Training
    By: Ravid Circus
  • Rendered computer with keyboard

    16B Login Credentials Exposed in World’s Largest Data Breach

    A record-breaking data breach occurred, involving the...
    Cybersecurity News
    By: Security Staff

Recommended Content

  • Security’s 2025 Women in Security

    Security’s 2025 Women in Security

    This year’s Women in Security honorees drive meaningful...
    Enterprise Services
    By: Rachelle Blair-Frasier
  • Bandage over cracked pavement

    Breaking Down Burnout: Healing Cyber Teams with the Right Tools and Strategies

    Cybersecurity teams are burning out, and it’s happening...
    Security Education & Training
    By: Ravid Circus
  • Rendered computer with keyboard

    16B Login Credentials Exposed in World’s Largest Data Breach

    A record-breaking data breach occurred, involving the...
    Cybersecurity News
    By: Security Staff

Recommended Content

  • Security’s 2025 Women in Security

    Security’s 2025 Women in Security

    This year’s Women in Security honorees drive meaningful...
    Services
    By: Rachelle Blair-Frasier
  • Bandage over cracked pavement

    Breaking Down Burnout: Healing Cyber Teams with the Right Tools and Strategies

    Cybersecurity teams are burning out, and it’s happening...
    Cybersecurity
    By: Ravid Circus
  • Rendered computer with keyboard

    16B Login Credentials Exposed in World’s Largest Data Breach

    A record-breaking data breach occurred, involving the...
    Cybersecurity
    By: Security Staff
Manage My Account
  • Security eNewsletter & Other eNews Alerts
  • eMagazine Subscriptions
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Online Registration
  • Mobile App
  • Subscription Customer Service

Middle East Escalation, Humanitarian Law and Disinformation – Episode 25

Middle East Escalation, Humanitarian Law and Disinformation – Episode 25

The Money Laundering Machine: Inside the global crime epidemic - Episode 24

The Money Laundering Machine: Inside the global crime epidemic - Episode 24

Security’s Top 5 – 2024 Year in Review

Security’s Top 5 – 2024 Year in Review

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Security audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Security or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Sureview screen
    Sponsored bySureView Systems

    The Evolution of Automation in the Command Center

  • Crisis Response Team
    Sponsored byEverbridge

    Automate or Fall Behind – Crisis Response at the Speed of Risk

  • Perimeter security
    Sponsored byAMAROK

    Why Property Security is the New Competitive Advantage

Popular Stories

Rendered computer with keyboard

16B Login Credentials Exposed in World’s Largest Data Breach

Verizon on phone screen

61M Records Listed for Sale Online, Allegedly Belong to Verizon

Security camera

40,000 IoT Security Cameras Are Exposed Online

Security’s 2025 Women in Security

Security’s 2025 Women in Security

Red spiderweb

From Retail to Insurance, Scattered Spider Changes Targets

2025 Security Benchmark banner

Events

July 17, 2025

Tech in the Jungle: Leveraging Surveillance, Access Control, and Technology in Unique Environments

What do zebras, school groups and high-tech surveillance have in common? They're all part of a day’s work for the security team at the Toledo Zoo.

August 7, 2025

Threats to the Energy Sector: Implications for Corporate and National Security

The energy sector has found itself in the crosshairs of virtually every bad actor on the global stage.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products

Related Articles

  • willis feat

    Business, not Tourism: How the Willis Tower Handles Visitor Management

    See More
  • New York City’s Cathedral of Saint John the Divine - Security Magazine

    World’s Largest Cathedral Upgrades Video Management System

    See More
  • Visitor Management System

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • contemporary.jpg

    Contemporary Security Management, 4th Edition

  • 9780128147948.jpg

    Effective Security Management, 7th Edition

  • security culture.webp

    Security Culture: A How-to Guide for Improving Security Culture and Dealing with People Risk in Your Organisation

See More Products
×
Upon arriving at the station, a visitor presents their ID to be scanned by the front desk. Photo courtesy of KGW
While the majority of visitors check in at the front desk, KGW also had a kiosk installed in their lobby for pre-registered visitors. Photo courtesy of KGW

Sign-up to receive top management & result-driven techniques in the industry.

Join over 20,000+ industry leaders who receive our premium content.

SIGN UP TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

Security Magazine logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Security Magazine logo
  • NEWS
    • Security Newswire
    • Technologies & Solutions
  • MANAGEMENT
    • Leadership Management
    • Enterprise Services
    • Security Education & Training
    • Logical Security
    • Security & Business Resilience
    • Profiles in Excellence
  • PHYSICAL
    • Access Management
    • Fire & Life Safety
    • Identity Management
    • Physical Security
    • Video Surveillance
    • Case Studies (Physical)
  • CYBER
    • Cybersecurity News
    • More
  • BLOG
  • COLUMNS
    • Cyber Tactics
    • Leadership & Management
    • Security Talk
    • Career Intelligence
    • Leader to Leader
    • Cybersecurity Education & Training
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Annual Guarding Report
    • Most Influential People in Security
    • The Security Benchmark Report
    • Top Guard and Security Officer Companies
    • Top Cybersecurity Leaders
    • Women in Security
  • SECTORS
    • Arenas / Stadiums / Leagues / Entertainment
    • Banking/Finance/Insurance
    • Construction, Real Estate, Property Management
    • Education: K-12
    • Education: University
    • Government: Federal, State and Local
    • Hospitality & Casinos
    • Hospitals & Medical Centers
    • Infrastructure:Electric,Gas & Water
    • Ports: Sea, Land, & Air
    • Retail/Restaurants/Convenience
    • Transportation/Logistics/Supply Chain/Distribution/ Warehousing
  • EVENTS
    • Industry Events
    • Webinars
    • Solutions by Sector
    • Security 500 Conference
  • MEDIA
    • Videos
      • Cybersecurity & Geopolitical Discussion
      • Ask Me Anything (AMA) Series
    • Podcasts
    • Polls
    • Photo Galleries
  • MORE
    • Call for Entries
    • Classifieds & Job Listings
    • Continuing Education
    • Newsletter
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • This Month's Content
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!