TUPELO, Miss. -- BancorpSouth (NYSE: BXS) has selected Diebold, Incorporated (NYSE: DBD) to integrate security operations for nearly 200 branch and ATM locations with a customized system that uses the bank's existing TCP/IP network infrastructure for continuous online alarm communication.
Diebold will install and service the system as well as monitor BancorpSouth's security operations at the Diebold Event Monitoring Center in North Canton, Ohio. In addition to monitoring for break-ins, burglaries and hold-ups, the center can monitor safe and vault access, light levels at ATMs and parking lots, and interruptions of service at off-site equipment locations. The center is a certified UL-listed central station.
"BancorpSouth's growth over the past years resulted in many different security systems, different levels of security and different methods of monitoring security across our branch and ATM network," said Mary Lois Stockman, vice president and security officer, BancorpSouth. "Our goals were to standardize our system and centralize our alarms to better manage our risk."
The security system allows the bank's ATM and branch alarm systems to continually communicate with the alarm receiver at the bank's network operations center in Tupelo, Miss., using BancorpSouth's existing local and wide area network (LAN/WAN.)
Roy Webb, Diebold product specialist, said, "Working with BancorpSouth, we were able to develop a non-proprietary, open architecture solution that uses an existing infrastructure, in which the customer had already invested heavily. This system provides the highest level of security in the industry and will continue to grow along with the needs of BancorpSouth, protecting their investment."
Although Diebold is providing event monitoring services, BancorpSouth is handling the day-to-day administrative functions of their security operations in-house using Diebold Revisor software. The software allows authorized BancorpSouth personnel to alter bank schedules, call lists and action plans, change staff authority levels, view alarm events and produce reports from their Revisor workstation, located in the Tupelo security center through a dial-up connection to the Diebold server.
Installation of BancorpSouth's security system is in progress and is expected to be completed during the third quarter of 2001.
