Inside Atlanta’s High-Profile Security Control Rooms

Security technology at CNN Center ties back to a robust command center (no pictures allowed) that includes an array of displays with the ability to view a dozen on-screen images simultaneously plus several other flat panels; dedicated air-conditioned server room with UPS and full redundancy; head-end for fire systems, access control, video, map/GPS integration, weather monitoring, incident reporting information, analytics, etc. CNN’s Paul Varner, a former integrator, notes that the security technology includes products from Axis, Pelco, VideoIQ and DSX.

“We’re not reliant on anybody from the outside; every server we have is maintained by us and run by us,” he says. “It’s another unique situation from an IT standpoint where it’s not that we don’t want to share it’s just that you can be a one-stop shop and not have to worry about somebody else’s gear, it’s entirely up to us to hold onto this information and go through and share it … it actually works out better because it’s much easier to get access to as opposed to relying on another department.” About half of the video cameras are high-definition models and the department continues to move in that direction so all major points offer detailed imagery.