Technology & Trends - Access control readers

Observers say improved analytic technology and better support technologies are making video analytics effective Video analytics and biometrics entered the security technology market some years ago accompanied by great expectations. Both generally disappointed security directors and end users. Manufacturers oversold video analytics as a tool that could monitor video for hours on end without losing concentration — something human security officers couldn’t do. Analy...

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...

The SIA Security Market Index rose to 74.6 in November 2014, up from 72.3 in September SIA 2014/2014 Review and Forecast: The Security Industry Association (SIA) has begun to conduct a bimonthly survey of select SIA members to measure confidence in the security industry through the SIA Security Market Index. Using a scale of 1-100, the SIA Security Market Index reflected growing confidence among security industry business leaders throughout 2014 and into 2015. The SIA Securi...

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...

Organizations are looking to emerging technologies to enhance security and communications Verint 2014/2015 Review and Forecast: The overall economy was solid in 2014, with large regions and industries continuing to grow and emerging markets revealing even greater opportunity. We are seeing emerging signs of strength in industries like Higher Education that are expanding their security horizons, or taking note of global events. Additionally, security organizations continue to...

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...

There are signs of a change in the electronic access control industry in favor of systems based on interoperability as proposed by ONVIF ONVIF 2014/2015 Review & Forecast: The year ahead certainly looks to be an important one. Interoperability, data security and ease of installation will all be of concern to the physical security industry. We see an increased awareness for interoperability among the end users in the industry, which in turns reflects back on the need f...

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...

Grants continue to be available for schools to purchase products such as our intercoms and communication systems 2014/2015 Aiphone Review and Forecast: Video surveillance, audio, access control and locks are the four security solutions that typically work together as part of an overall security plan. Demand for video may have been the prime driver, but 2014 was a solid year for each of these solutions as the economy improved noticeably. Also, federal and state governments mad...

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...

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...

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 organizational 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...

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 surveillance as 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...

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 maximize 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...

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.,...

Cybersecurity is a critically important aspect in today’s increasingly IP-driven world of physical security The physical security market tends to dismiss issues of cybersecurity as outside its area of expertise, but cyber-threats are a problem that has been ignored for too long. The fact is, cybersecurity is a critically important aspect of the systems our industry provides in the increasingly IP-driven world of physical security. And the risk isn’t just reserved...

Access control growth is driven by several factors 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 helping drive the rapidly growing adoption of access control systems in both the residential and commercial security markets. John LaFond, VP of Integrated Systems at Linear LLC, explains these contributing factors as Linear LLC looks towards the futur...

Reporting has a direct effect on an organization’s security and safety 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 improv...