Facial authentication technology, which the Cleveland Browns are using heavily for fan ticketing and concessions operations, is also an effective back of house tool, as the Browns are using it for office security as well as on-field credentialing.
Using software from a Cambridge, Mass.-based startup called Wicket, the Browns now have facial-authentication systems set up at the team headquarters in Berea, Ohio, for both team staff as well as players and coaches. And at the Cleveland Browns Stadium, where Wicket-based systems are used for fan ticketing and concessions operations, the team is also using facial authentication for on-field credential access, a process the NFL itself has studied for possible use in the near future.
“We set up facial authentication on all the doors at our team headquarters in 2020, and our security team loves it,” said Brandon Covert, vice president for information technology at the Cleveland Browns.
Instead of using a physical badge or some sort of pass card, employees can simply look at a tablet computer placed in front of secure doorways to gain access. Because the system is software-based, it is simpler to administer and is also extremely flexible, needing just a photo of someone to enter them into the system.
“After we set it up and headquarters our head coach came in and saw it, and said he wanted it on the door where the players come in, because players don’t always have their credentials,” Covert said. Two weeks after implementing it on the entry door, Covert said the simple-to-use Wicket system was used to replace iris scanners that were previously used to allow entry to other sensitive players areas, like the weight room and the medical room.
“The players love it, and wanted us to put it out on the parking lot gate as well,” Covert said. But because of the different heights of the players’ vehicles — from big trucks to lower-profile sports cars — they haven’t yet been able to come up with a system that can handle all the different window heights.
Press and staff credentials, and field access
Similar Wicket-based systems are also now being used by the Browns for staff entrances as well as media gates, as well as for access to the playing field. Though physical lanyards may still stay in use for quick visibilty confirmation, having a system that links a person’s identity to access permissions is an important higher level of security.
On the simplest level, having a facial authentication system in place prevents someone from allowing a possibly unapproved person to gain access simply by giving them a valid lanyard or physical pass.
“It’s very easy to set up the system for different types or levels of access,” said Alastair Partington, Wicket’s CEO. Access, he said, could even be time-bound, for instance allowing some people on the field for pregame but not during live action.
“You can set it up separately for players, for locker rooms, or for contractor access,” Partington said. “There’s no worry about a credential being exchanged, and it’s simpler for everyone.”
According to Covert, the NFL itself is looking into the possibility of a Wicket-type system for on-field and other credentialing league-wide due to the attributes and ease of use such a system allows. “Wicket is getting a lot of attention,” Covert said.
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