Technology & Trends - Access control systems & kits

The major trend ECKey has seen in 2014 is an increased demand for “accountable” access control that is both convenient and affordable  ECKey 2014/2015 Review and Forecast: The major trend we have seen in 2014 is an increased demand for “accountable” access control that is both convenient and affordable. Tight budgets are shining a light on the true cost of ownership of card reader and biometric systems. In many ways these systems are similar...

There is convergence of both the video and access control technologies, and of the companies themselves Milestone Systems 2014/2015 Review and Forecast: Milestone Systems is always in touch with our vast ecosystem of partners around the globe as we support them in their customer projects and needs. We partake in hundreds of industry events, road shows, and meetings, also holding our own partner conferences in every region to ensure face time with our stakeholders. We do...

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...

Good training is a best practice that applies across a broad range of industries and markets Owners and managers of security dealerships, both large and small, face unique challenges in running their companies, and while there is no magic formula for success, dealerships that invest in training for their staff typically do better than those who don’t.  In fact, good training is a best practice that applies across a broad range of industries and markets, but it is pa...

The security industry can be like a house built on sand if there's a lack of professional standards set in place Picture the scene: You’re suffering from a persistent pain and so decide to take a trip to your doctor to get it checked out. You step into the consulting room but, before you can speak, he looks you up and down, haw and hums, and then writes out a prescription. Would you be happy that drugs prescribed in this manner will cure your ailment when your doctor h...

AlliedBarton actively seeks out and hires family members of veterans through employer assistance groups  AlliedBarton Security Services implemented its program to hire retired service veterans five years ago. “Our CEO Bill (William C.) Whitmore announced one day that ‘we’re going to have a lot of American heroes coming home soon, and I want to give them jobs,’” said Jerold Ramos, Director, Strategic Recruiting and Military Liaison with Alli...

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...

Security costs range far beyond the cost of security technology and security officer salaries Can you account for all of the money you spend on security? Most companies can’t. Do you know how much your company is spending on security? Don’t say yes too fast. Security costs range far beyond what the security director spends on technology and security officer salaries. In 2011, a survey by the Security Executive Council’s Security Leadership Research Institute...

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...

The residential intrusion alarm market in the Americas is expected to grow by 9.5% in 2015 Interactive makes services more relevant With behemoths such as AT&T Digital Life, Comcast Xfinity and now Google promoting interactive services, the traditional security industry has become the default beneficiary of deep-pocket competitors who dole out big bucks to advertise their solutions. Whether or not this competitive caterwauling in television, print and social media will...

A planned migration provides the ability to plan, budget and control the path to an improved access control environment The installed base of legacy systems presents opportunities and obstacles for providers of newer access control systems. Most end users would prefer not to do a full rip-and-replace upgrade. Therefore, integrators (and manufacturers) have to find a smooth transition path. Access control customers eager to embrace the newest capabilities on the market are ofte...

Access control systems that leverage proprietary technologies severely limit system flexibility Access control’s ongoing transition from closed systems to more open integration provides benefits for integrators, and especially for end users looking to maximise their system return on investment. End users want greater flexibility, specifically in terms of hardware choice. As a result, more non-proprietary solutions are coming to market. For the integrator, offering more o...

Communicating access control information across multiple platforms is simplified with the PSIA's PLAI specification Managing access control across large companies or institutions, including those that span giant campuses or even multiple locations all over the world, is essential to optimum security. Too often, however, the effectiveness of a company’s access control system – or, more likely, of its multiple access systems that were installed in various locations o...

The Security Girl has become much more than a brand for American Fire & Security In the security industry, you want to be different, and what’s more memorable than a company avatar turned ambassador that sports some rockin’ pink hair? Only The Security Girl’s hairdresser knows for sure! Erica Wood, chief security officer and co-owner of American Fire & Security (AF&S) in Dayton, Ohio, is a mover and shaker of the security industry in many ways. S...

The secure inner doors of the vestibule at the front entrance of Park and River Forest High School Most school visitors have legitimate reasons for coming to school. A frightening few, however, show up with violent or other illegal intentions. Today, school security directors are actively managing visitors with secured front door vestibules and visitor management software. Oak Park and River Forest High School, a single-school district serving Oak Park and River Forest, Ill.,...

Deborah O'Mara explains how a little innovative thinking can help boost recurring monthly revenue By Deborah O'Mara, SourceSecurity.com's dealer/integrator correspondent For the security dealer and integrator, competition swoops in from every angle, including local and national companies, utilities and telecommunications firms, and even do-it-yourself systems. But that doesn’t mean you can’t successfully boost recurring monthly revenue (RMR) with a little i...

Security standardisation reduces operational requirements Controlling identified risks at all of your sites, anywhere in the world, can be difficult. Especially when taking budget constraints into account. How can you ensure all of your people have a secure working environment? And that all employees, everywhere, adhere to your security policy? Nancy Wanders, Business Development Manager Asia/Pacific at Nedap, states that standardising security gives this assurance and more. I...

900 MHz wireless and Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz) are sometimes used interchangeably in the access control world to describe solutions that do not require running wires all the way to the opening. It’s true that, as wireless options, both technologies offer some general advantages over traditional hardwired solutions. In this article, Minu Youngkin, Allegion, Integrator Marketing Manager shares her thoughts and knowledge regarding both wireless and Wi-Fi technologies.* First of all, wire...

Access Control is the second-fastest growing area in the security market. A major shift from PC-based clients systems to solid state, embedded operating systems, browser-based user interfaces, remote services, and changes in compliance legislation are just a few factors driving access control adoption both across the residential and commercial markets. John LaFond, VP of Integrated Systems at Linear LLC, explains these factors and how they contribute to the future of access control...

At what time of day do you have most people in your building? Do you have enough parking spaces for your employees? Are there always enough first aiders in the building to meet safety requirements? Security systems provide a wealth of data, which can provide the answers to these questions and more. By extracting reports from your system, you can gather valuable information to increase safety or improve business processes.  Wiebe Koopmans, owner of Linked Solutions, advises bus...

Bluetooth Smart creates new ways to open doors and gates The latest generation of access control systems offers more secure and sophisticated credentials, and new credential form factors including mobile devices that offer a more secure and convenient way to open doors and parking gates. Mobile access control also delivers a simple and user-friendly secure identity management process, and a platform for integrated, multi-layered physical access control (PACS) and IT security s...

On April 16, 2013, snipers fired for 19 minutes on PG&E Corp.'s Metcalf electric power transmission station near San Diego, California, knocking out 17 giant transformers that supply electricity to Silicon Valley. At least 100 rounds were fired from at least one high-powered rifle. The power grid was rerouted to avoid a blackout, but it took 27 days to make repairs and get the substation back up and running. The incident got the attention of regulators and security prof...

In a highly competitive marketplace, where organisations need to ensure they are contracting for the best possible services, value must be visible. This starts with aligning with the right service provider – one that is dedicated to the organisation’s success and has the people and processes to make an impact. Certainly most, if not all, service organisations say that they strive to exceed client expectations and meet the highest standards in their industry &ndash...

Applications that reside in the cloud offer enterprises previously unavailable levels of agility, productivity and vital flexibility – all at a crucially lower cost than ever before. However, with many enterprise cloud deployments now successfully up and running, plus the integration of the Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) culture into the workplace, the complex issue of data security and access control have leapt to the fore. Ian Lowe, Senior Product Marketing Manager...

Significant technological advancements have created endless possibilities in how security is not only deployed, but also leveraged by the end user – the customer. For example, customers can now view surveillance at eight different offices in eight different states from a single, central location. A security director can manage an enterprise-wide access control system, including revoking or granting access control privileges, for 10,000 global employees from a company’s...

New security technologies have dramatically changed the security landscape over the last decade The security landscape has changed dramatically in the last decade with the introduction of numerous new security technologies to detect crime and deter criminal activity. With a long list of new tools, professionals now need to process vast amounts of information within seconds from many different security systems and then make important decisions about how to respond to an inc...

The best standards are often baseline, common-denominator standards that leave room for innovation The collaboration between ONVIF and SIA to develop new access control standards is just the latest standards-related news from the Security Industry Association (SIA), the American trade association headquartered in Silver Spring, Md., near Washington, D.C.  In fact, SIA has a long history and tradition of standards development, dating back to the 1980s. SIA has produced 1...