Technology & Trends - Access control systems & kits

Biometrics is most useful as an additional level of authentication — determining that you are who you say you are Over the years, the growth of biometric security technology has faced challenges of cost and pushback from users. Prices have been higher than more traditional technologies. In addition, users did not advocate storage of their personal biometric data by employers or the government. “I believe this is changing,” says Rueben Orr, CPP, vice preside...

What does it take to be a success in the rapidly expanding home automation sector? For large and small security companies, making the jump from providing traditional security services to enabling the new Smart Home means dealing with competition. Security firms v/s cable and telco giants The market is filled with providers of all kind who want a piece of the action. In addition to security companies, cable and telco giants have all rolled out a home automation platform – usually on top o...

When it comes to protecting buildings and property, traditional methods of security—such as structural barriers, security guards, and security cameras—have their limitations.  Advanced laser scanning technology can overcome many of these limitations and provide a safe, reliable, and easy-to-use solution. Overview of laser scanning technology Laser scanning technology for building security applications utilises the time-of-flight method, in which a sensor em...

Suffering a breach is probably something that companies won’t admit to unless they must As the world has grown more and more interconnected through the Internet and company networks, cybercrime has grown at an alarming rate. According to the Federal Trade Commission, 783 businesses reported IT breaches in 2014, up 27.5 percent from 2013. “There were probably many more, but most go unreported,” says Kim Phan, of council with the Washington, D.C., law offices o...

Just how big is the home automation industry? One way to tell is by looking at the sheer number of companies – large and small—that have rushed to enter this fast-growing space. They include some of the world’s largest corporations – Apple and Google – along with the nation’s biggest cable and telecom companies – Comcast and AT&T. It includes big names in security like Honeywell and ADT. Then there are less known, but fast growing, contenders such as...

Stowaway incidents in the last two months in the United Kingdom have dramatised the desperate nature of individual attempts to cross borders. They have also exposed the callous methods of human traffickers. Sixty-eight foreign nationals were discovered in four lorries at the port of Harwich on the south coast of England in June after the vehicles had disembarked from a Stena Line ferry entering English waters from Holland. None of the group, which included 15 children and tw...

The great increase in the amount of data is driving physical security to the cloud Physical security is migrating to the cloud — because it improves the performance of physical security technology while holding down costs. “Essentially what is happening is that physical security technologies are growing more powerful and generating more and more data,” says Steve Surfaro, business development manager and security industry liaison with Axis Communications, wh...

In the vast centre of the hall almost none of the randomly shaped stands display their index number I enjoy IFSEC each year, spending three days walking the halls. I do feel frustrated by the acres of "me too" products prompting a "meh" response. So often I’m left feeling the "big news" is that hype and lies are growing and continue to drown out the truth. If companies' marketing budgets were simply given over to their product development departments, we would find thing...

Security beyond its traditional boundaries is a big theme at IFSEC 2015 The security landscape is changing. Touring exhibitors on the first day of IFSEC International in London, it seems an increasing number of vendors are offering products that go beyond what may be termed "security," offering solutions for applications such as health and safety and data collection. They are also offering more smart technology with mobile phones and tablets, and are selling smarter by tailori...

A retail banking tipping point is fast approaching with the state-side adoption of EMV technology Banking faces a challenge: to reconcile major security concerns with improving technology in order to reflect modern, mobile technology and the self-service solutions that customers have come to expect from their non-banking retail experiences. This is probably the number one issue I discuss with my bank clients. Banks need to make the technology in their branches more automated,...

This year's IFSEC International show in London will provide a reflection of the physical security industry's rapid growth, especially in the video sector, says one industry observer who is also a speaker at the show, coming up 16-18 June. “If we look at the overall trend, it is no surprise to anyone that IP is driving the growth and the future of the security business,” says Jim McHale, managing director of research company Memoori, and a speaker at IFSEC. Secur...

Managed and hosted services allow users access from a variety of connected devices It’s not about hardware anymore, although quality components are a must. Now, it’s about how technology performs. For the systems integrator, there’s also an opportunity to provide essential services to keep customers connected. As with many other businesses, the security industry is being “disrupted” and influenced by the cloud. Delivering outsourced security and...

The future will produce cost-effective solutions that can provide meaningful coverage of wide expansive areas The greatest trend in history will continue to change the world, and the physical security market. It’s called Moore’s Law. In accordance with Moore’s Law, our electronics have consistently doubled in speed, halved in size, or halved in price every two years for decades already. This trend means that our electronics, communications networks, data ne...

Integrators and end users should be aware that their definition of open might differ from those of security manufacturers Much of the buzz in the industry today about open architecture is driven by the IT world, with many security-related decisions now falling on an organisation’s IT department, where true open architecture has been around for a long time. Closed systems like we’ve experienced in the security world are not just viewed as foreign to the IT world; th...

Not too long ago the idea of home automation was strictly the province of the rich and famous. With costs that soared as high as $100,000 or more, controlling HVAC, lighting, doors and security from a single source just wasn’t in the budget for Main Street America. That was then, but now is an entirely different story. The “connected home” in which smart phones and tablets serve as controllers for Internet-enabled devices has gone mainstream. Installers are still fashioning hi...

According IHS Technology, more than 11 million consumer and DIY network cameras will be shipped worldwide this year Perhaps we should start looking at do-it-yourself (DIY) systems such Google’s Nest and other devices as an opportunity for existing security contractors – those that are open-minded anyway – to bring in additional customers and new streams of recurring monthly revenue (RMR). DIY systems continue to proliferate in the marketplace and are availab...

“Better, Faster, Cheaper – choose any two” is the old adage for computerised systems.  When it comes to businesses subjected to federal or industry security regulations, the equivalent saying might be, “mitigate risk, achieve compliance, or reduce cost – choose any two.” So if there were a way to have all three that would get your attention. Complying with regulations More and more industries are subjected to some form of regulation....

Recently there has been great interest in long range reading (433 MHz technology) For the last two decades, the primary contactless technology used in access control systems has been the proximity card (125 kHz technology). In the last decade, proximity cards have been augmented by the smart card (13.56 MHz technology). And that's the way it has been until just recently. All of a sudden, there has been great interest in long range reading (433 MHz technology). Merging traditi...

Most of us have a basic instinct as to what is and is not ethical behaviour. But is instinct enough?  “Ethics and the security industry is a balancing act,” says Mike Hurst, vice chairman of the UK Chapter of ASIS International. “Most people will have an instinct as to what ethical behaviour is, but there’s an absence of hard and fast rules.” Examples often crop up in video surveillance situations, Hurst says. For instance, when and where i...

SWOT evaluates a company’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) in connection with a project Expanding into other countries with sales offices, manufacturing facilities and distribution centres can present a number of security risks. SWOT analysis for security strategy Physical security technology can help to mitigate some of these risks. “The physical security technology used in international locations is similar to what we use here, but t...

The trend towards greater unification is facilitated by an all-encompassing shift to IP technologies As more organisations are looking for ways to maximise resources and increase operational efficiencies, unification of multiple security and business systems is gaining popularity. From the central command center, there is significant time lost when operators have to jump from video surveillance to access control systems to analyse an incident and take appropriate measures. Eve...

Michael Byrden, Sales Director of ACT, considers the convergence of facility management. He describes how ACT, the access control manufacturer, has acquired a VMS and analytics development house in order to unify security solutions and bring customers nearer to the goal of a truly intelligent building. Desire for open systems Major acquisitions have been dominating the news recently and, even if this lays me open to a charge of naivety, I genuinely believe that they aren’t predatory. As...

Timm typically walks through school buildings to assess vulnerabilities, and recommends systems and products As an independent school security consultant, Paul Timm of RETA Security conducts security assessments and provides technical assistance for numerous school districts throughout the United States and Canada. Timm typically walks through school buildings to assess vulnerabilities, and recommends systems and products, practices and policies, and other strategies to optimi...

Honeywell recently helped the Penns Valley Area School district in Pennsylvania design and implement a custom security system Security systems are just part of the solution to protecting primary/secondary schools. Technology can contribute to a broader, holistic approach to security that is customised to meet the needs of each educational institution. Honeywell has helped many schools customise security systems to meet each school’s unique needs, says Bruce Montgomery,...

Beyond the need to install new systems, often overlooked is how schools are going to pay for security upgrades Limited financial resources are a common pain point for primary/secondary schools looking to implement cutting-edge security technology. But security needs persist despite scarce resources. All school administrators want to do everything in their power to secure their facilities against threats. More schools are recognising the benefits and, in some cases, requiremen...

Wong was the first Asian woman to obtain the Alarm Contractor License Mun C. Wong, PSP and president of VinTech Systems Inc. in Chicago, is a successful entrepreneur who has brought new technologies and a knack for superior service to her integration business.  In fact, at the age of 29, she was the first Asian woman to obtain the Alarm Contractor License from the State of Illinois and its Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. But she doesn't focus on gend...

Integrators must understand that the primary/secondary education market has a unique and urgent need for access control, but with limited budgets Systems integrators play a key role delivering effective security solutions to the kindergarten through 12th grade (primary/secondary) education market. Schools certainly depend on an integrator’s expertise regarding which electronic products to choose. However, schools also rely the benefit of an integrator’s experience...

Readily available security technology can help officials take control of their campuses Two top priorities for school security are the ability to communicate within a facility, and the ability to control access of who comes and goes. Paul Timm, president of RETA Security, an independent school security consulting firm, acknowledges the value (and popularity) of video cameras for school security, but that value is almost completely realised in terms of forensics – reactin...

It’s that time of year: show season! And for systems integrators and security installers, PSA-TEC is one of the quintessential annual conferences, offering hundreds of hours of education and training during the May 4-8 show (exhibits are May 6). Hotel registration at the Westin in Westminster, Colo., is due on or before April 16. PSA Security Network was established in 1974 as the Professional Security Alliance, Inc. dba PSA Security Network and is now the world’s largest electronic...

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...