Technology & Trends - Access control software

To guide people under stress facing emergency situations, SchoolDude developed the CrisisManager smartphone app Last year, SchoolDude asked administrators at several hundred primary/seconday schools and colleges how they communicated their emergency and crisis management plans to administrators and faculty. Seventy-nine percent said they sent their emergency plans out in paper binders. Cary, N.C.-based SchoolDude, an education enterprise asset manager, conducted the study to...

ASSA ABLOY discussed the importance of securing the critical infrastructure, the building and beyond, at a media press conference April 15 on the opening day of ISC West 2015 in Las Vegas. Martin Huddart, president of ASSA ABLOY’s Access and Egress Hardware Group, based in New Haven, Conn., outlined some of the current and future objectives of the company, which continues to fine-tune its global leadership in door opening solutions while playing a significant role in the future of access...

Kevin Brownell, principal physical security consultant at PTS Consulting Group, considers convergence of IT networks and physical security. He argues that current best practice shows that they no longer need to be separate disciplines and reassures installers that their diversity has been exaggerated. Brownell describes experiences of working with IT managers who no longer see networked CCTV and access control as ‘black arts’ and are buying into the idea of IP security as an integr...

Online wireless locks enable real-time online access control functionality Organisations require more than a “one-size-fits-all” approach from their access control technology. Today, integrators leverage a mix of both online wireless and offline locks to provide a more customised system for each end user. By combining online and offline locks, integrators have the ability to expand the limits of an access control system, with more doors and greater capabilities tha...

Schools are unlike commercial buildings or other facilities in several ways, and the differences impact how they should be secured. For one thing, the inhabitants are mainly children and won’t carry card credentials. Also, schools have distinct traffic flows and are open all hours of the day for after-school activities and evening and weekend usage. “Security solutions must take into account this flexible and fluid schedule,” says Minu Youngkin, vertical marketing manager, Alle...

Rob Martens, Allegion's futurist and director of connectivity platforms, is a leading strategist on the Internet of Things (IoT). He will be a featured panelist at the IoT Global Innovation Forum in April. In the following interview, Martens unfolds more about Allegion's IoT position and strategy.  Question: There's a lot of buzz about the IoT. How is Allegion playing in this space? Rob Martens: Allegion is very active in the IoT space and is widely respected by many other peer organisatio...

There’s more talk than ever in the security industry about cloud-based systems – where they are, where they’re going, the risks, the rewards. New opportunities for integrator companies, especially related to recurring monthly revenue (RMR), are among the benefits of new cloud-based systems. For insights into those opportunities, we spoke with Robert Hile, currently director of strategic accounts for SureView Systems and a strong proponent of cloud-based systems, whose backgroun...

Lost or damaged keys cost authorities thousands of dollars to replace Keys are a common element in any transportation department, and an automated key control system is a valuable tool. Key management systems offer multi-site transportation facilities increased security and control to help prevent authorised key access as well as reducing the number of lost or misplaced keys. As an example, road repair is often done at night and requires equipment, vehicles, lights, gene...

Overwhelmed by too many choices for an access control system? Where do you start? Always seeking to help, SourceSecurity.com asked access control suppliers to describe what differentiating characteristics set their systems apart from others in the market. AMAG: Easy migration, simple pricing model AMAG’s Symmetry platform includes access control, photo ID badging, visitor management and digital video server software, all standard in an integrated solution. The pricing model...

Installers and integrators still have questions about cloud-based services, so we asked Service Manager Michael Troiani of Idesco Corp. in New York City for his input. SourceSecurity.com: What is your opinion of the security of cloud-based services? Troiani: Cloud-based computing is here and is heavily marketed as a revolution in the security industry. Like any other service, cyber-security can always be improved in the cloud. The continued trend to SaaS (Software as a Serv...

Schools are beefing up their security, with access control their go-to technology Schools are back in session after the winter break, but security is a 24/7 matter any time of year. K-12 and upper education are on high alert, dealing with increased incidents of violence, crime and vandalism. Access control is often the chosen technology of this vertical market, pairing well with CCTV, emergency communications and lockdown. Integrators and dealers who understand the nuances of...

Airports, metro systems and other transportation centres must deploy multiple layers of access control for restricted areas. They need solutions that can accommodate high-volume traffic. Each transportation application has unique requirements, from systems that enable the use of multiple types of credentials on one reader, to reader options designed to match specific risk levels by incorporating PIN and biometric verification for higher security. HID Global’s IP-based networ...

Emerging trends include cyber security, mobile, physical access control and The Internet of Things Viscount 2014/2015 Review and Forecast: At the enterprise level, spending on physical security continues to be a challenge. Companies have to do more with less, become more strategic about security investments, focus on better situational intelligence, predictive analytics, better utilisation of IT resources and infrastructure, and shift from just integration strategies to more...

Success in the access control arena is enhanced if the business has a global presence Vanderbilt 2014/2015 Review and Forecast: In 2014, our industry continued to be quite dynamic. While there are several “conglomerates” in the industry, such as UTC and Honeywell, who have been consolidators, there are also other companies (like ours) that are focused solely on security. The industry moves in both directions—some companies consolidating and acquiring, while...

A return to quality and service will transcend the overall desire for price in the marketplace in 2015 ACT 2014/2015 Review and Forecast: 2014 has proved to be a positive year that displayed an increase in activity. The perception of an expanding U.S. economy has provided the impetus for corporate America to release capital security projects that have been held in abeyance for an exceedingly long time. Also, large-scale capital expenditures have become available for the first...

Credential form factors include mobile devices that provide a better way to open doors HID Global 2014/2015 Review and Forecast: High-profile credit card breaches during 2014 raised the profile of low-security solutions while highlighting the need for more secure smart cards. There were no real surprises, as the industry steadily continued its large-scale transition to access control platforms based on open standards. This transition sets the stage for unprecedented innovatio...

Working with proximity readers now will let even more end-users use biometrics on high security openings Zwipe 2014/2015 Review & Forecast:All of the news reports in 2014 about the mishandling and hacking of card information has made both consumers and institutions more leery of using a card only to verify the cardholder. Looking ahead to 2015, there is an increasing demand for both a more affordable, and more secure way to integrate biometrics into the payment process wit...

Technology that was traditionally used as a tool for security is now coming in to its own, providing multi-functional uses Traka 2014/2015 Review and Forecast:Despite tentative economic recovery, businesses in 2014 were still very much focused on tightening expenditure. Traka, the key and asset management specialist, has seen a spike in demand for systems that protect a company’s assets. This year, Traka has processed significant orders for high-profile companies who ar...

 “Winners” in 2015 will be multinational security solutions companies and recruiters for mid-to senior-level employment placement ASIS International 2014/2015 Review and Forecast: Spending on security systems was up in 2014: In general, it seems that there was an increase in capital projects for 2014. Two likely contributing factors are a slightly better economic outlook, and the previous capex holding patterns of many organisations wanting to move out of tha...

AMAG saw growth across all vertical market segments, making 2014 an incredibly exciting year 2014/2015 AMAG Technology Review and Forecast: AMAG Technology saw growth across all vertical market segments, making 2014 an incredibly exciting year. End users are demanding unified, end-to-end total solutions, and I see that trend continuing into 2015 and beyond. Some users want access control and video management from the same manufacturer to eliminate integration challenges, or...

Big Data is a challenge that emerging technologies are working to address Quantum Secure 2014/2015 Review and Forecast: As demonstrated by end users’ continued desire to identify and implement technologies that provide the greatest level of protection for people, property and assets, it’s clear that security will always be a necessity. Today, customers demand strong, demonstrable ROI from those technologies and expect solutions to align with their overall business...

2014 was a year for eye-popping merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the security space. The big deals of the year included some of the largest names in the industry. One name is larger than any in the security market – Google, which made not one but two acquisitions this year that could impact the future security market. It was also the year that a smaller player in the video camera market (although a huge familiar brand overall) bought a large, open systems V...

Uncoupling software from hardware allows manufacturers to respond faster to changes Nedap Security Management 2014/2015 Review and Forecast:Threats such as Mifare hacking, the European General Data Protection regulation coming in 2016, and the need for security to integrate with other IT-based systems – these are just some of the challenges security manufacturers and system users have to deal with and respond to. External factors such as these do provoke change in physic...

2014 saw more organisations making data-driven decisions with insight or foresight provided by intelligent analysis of the data Morse Watchmans 2014/2015 Review and Forecast: 2014 saw a year of continued change in the security marketplace. A healthier economy triggered growth in new projects and helped loosen the purse strings for capital expenditures. From a technology standpoint, the industry evolution to a more network-centric environment created additional opportunitie...

2014 has been a year of significant growth for TDSi TDSi 2014/2015 Review and Forecast:In 2014 we saw continued growth at TDSI, largely through unprecedented interest in integrated IP security systems. Asian markets have continued to be very buoyant, although there have continued to be some flat spots geographically, such as Europe. Compared to other technology markets, security has grown very quickly since the recession, and TDSi has enjoyed double-digit growth. Manufa...

Cloud-based services for video surveillance or hosted access control are garnering more attention in the physical security industry. Most people today are already using or are familiar with cloud-based applications in their day-to-day life, so it will only be a matter to time before the benefits of the cloud permeate security and business solutions. Dealers looking to embrace the cloud model for access control must re-think multiple aspects of how they are set up as an organ...

Think of crisis management and emergency planning as a  customer service Do you have a written emergency management plan? Where is it? When was the last time you updated it?Developing and writing a corporate or organisational emergency management plan can take a long time. Once completed, however, the plan is there for you to access when you need it. In fact, that’s wrong. According to crisis management authority Michael J. Fagel, emergency planning is suppos...

Physical access control system architecture should be built to use the changing IT infrastructures of today’s organizations to their fullest It’s time to completely rethink physical access control systems with an eye toward the changing world of information technology. Today’s physical access control system architecture only leverages existing network hardware technology – it doesn’t utilise the organisation’s full IT infrastructure, which...

Training and education are essential elements of success in the access control market for integrators and end users alike. Whether one is a seasoned veteran or still new to the industry, continued training and education are critical given that access control technologies continue to evolve at a rapid pace. System integrators who do not take advantage of manufacturers’ training seminars are short-changing themselves and their customers, contends Robert Laughlin, president of...

Access control can sometimes get overshadowed by video surveillance Technology is shifting rapidly in the access control market, but another obstacle is the need to communicate the value of the technology to users. Specifically, access control can sometimes get overshadowed by video surveillanceas it competes for a share of the customer’s security dollars. From a pure security standpoint, electronic access control is better suited than video surveillance to keeping...