Technology & Trends - Access control cards/ tags/ fobs

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...

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...

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...

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 K-12 schools. Technology can contribute to a broader, holistic approach to security that is customized to meet the needs of each educational institution. Honeywell has helped many schools customize security systems to meet each school’s unique needs, says Bruce Montgomery, Business Deve...

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 Organizations 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 customized 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...

The security industry continues to move away from closed, proprietary systems and instead is fine-focused on open solutions that assist the move to total integration. The benefits of achieving this feat belong to both installing company and end user. Benefits of open security solutions Open, interoperable systems make it easier to integrate a wide array of sensors, devices and communication technologies across the enterprise. That means quicker installations, lower labor costs and heightened s...

While the number of incidents is falling, hundreds of thousands of workplace violence incidents still occur every year More than 572,000 people met with a violent crime at work during 2009. In addition, workplace violence caused 521 homicides in 2009. The Bureau for Justice Statistics (BJS) reported these numbers (the most recently updated) in a study of workplace violence between 1993 and 2009. That is a lot of violence. Surprisingly, though, those numbers show a significant...

Cloud-based computing is here and is heavily marketed as a revolution in the security industry Dealers 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-se...

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 centers must deploy multiple layers of access control for restricted areas Airports, metro systems and other transportation centers 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 ma...

NFC can strengthen security by turning smart phones into physical and logical access control credentials The trouble with access control cards is that people lose them, lend them to friends who use the cards, or lose them, or lend them to someone else. Losing a card is bad enough, but people that lose cards often make it worse: “When someone loses an access fob or card, he or she doesn’t always tell the security department right away,” says Paul Timm, pr...

More attention needs to be placed on the development of readers that can accommodate Wireless and Wi-Fi technology Many of the changes in the access control market are happening at the “edge” – at the reader level. Access control advances that continue to become more widespread include wireless and PoE-enabled access control hardware such as wireless locks and PoE door controllers, which both reduce installation costs. Other trends are related to mobility; o...

Unscrupulous companies reversing positive steps made by security industry to remove stigma of being known as "trunk slammers" ABC news report reaffirms need for industry action For the businesses that make up the electronic security industry, it’s an issue that undermines all the progress we have made to date. It’s deceptive door-to-door sales tactics, and it’s still having an impact on the alarm industry. It affects the entire industry – from large na...

Dozens of suppliers, dealers, installers and industry organisations participated in our First Annual Security Market Review and Forecast 2014 was a great time to be in the security industry, and 2015 will be even better. This is the optimistic view shared among industry leaders contacted by SourceSecurity.com and asked to reflect on the market in 2014 and to look ahead to the New Year. Dozens of suppliers, dealers, installers and industry organizations participated in our...

PSA Security Network is taking steps to help educate security professionals concerning both threats and opportunities related to cybersecurity PSA Security Network 2014/2015 Review & Forecast2014 was a year of great change and advancement in the security industry as a whole. We saw an uptick in DIY security solutions focused on residential and small commercial markets. Perhaps the biggest impact to the security market is that more pieces of security solutions are now cloud...

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 inno...

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 p...

Integration of wireless and edge technology will continue to change the economics of installation As a security systems integrator, we are seeing some improvement in the industrial sector. It appears that projects that were deferred during the recession are now getting funded. Healthcare continues to have complex needs with continuing consolidation, which then creates opportunity. One question that remains is military spending and whether it will return to previous levels...

 “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 organizations wanting to move out of tha...

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...

End users continue to move to smart cards and smart readers, wanting the extra flexibilities they offer 2014 was very good year at Farpointe Data. Significantly, it became part of the DORMA group, which helps cement our standing as a global partner of premium RFID solutions, including proximity, smart card and long-range solutions, for access control professionals around the world. This is a good market as there has been sustained migration among end user customers of our OEM...

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...

Biometric cards provides an easy way for to provide a biometric upgrade to access control systems using card readers More and more, security professionals using card-based front ends for their access control systems have been worried about the security of their proximity systems. They know, that for $200 or less, their proximity system can be violated. Kim Humborstad, CEO of Zwipe points out that proximity systems do not offer a challenge response; they only use passi...

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...