Technology & Trends - Access Control

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 K-12 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 recognizing the benefits and, in some cases, requirement of upgradin...

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 K-12 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 (K-12) 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 and the insight gained by putting se...

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...

Audio systems can enhance liability protection. Recently, a large regional convenience store chain with units across the Midwest and South supplemented its video surveillance security system with an audio monitoring system. Retail stores with Louroe audio system: The technology has been installed in more than 700 of the convenience retailer’s locations. The Louroe Electronics systems feature omni-directional capability and sensitivity and pick up sound within a 15-foot...

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...

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...

The industry has to advance in terms of attracting experienced people and paying for that experience Time was, security officers patrolled with walkie-talkies, responding to dispatchers monitoring cameras in the control center. The post of security officer was a minimum wage job requiring little more than a high school diploma, if that. Educated And Experienced Security Officers A Prerequisite No more. “Today, when we read our requests for proposal (RFPs), we’re...

Companies need to increase the knowledge within their business on the range of cyber-vulnerabilities At one time, embedded devices, such as access control components communicating with application software, used proprietary protocols like RS485. Use of proprietary protocols kept these devices safe from attack. However, in this article TDSi Technical Director Mike Sussman explains that the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) involves a move toward IP-based systems and open s...

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...

Organizations must find more effective ways to optimize the use of the resources they have available As market demand intensifies for higher resolution from megapixel, and 4K cameras, customers will begin to feel the ensuing cost pressures caused by the increased need for greater processing power. As customers update their system and add new cameras, operators must monitor additional cameras concurrently, oftentimes leveraging high resolution video streams. HPC For Quick...

School administrators are now choosing products that make the biggest, long-term impact on campus security Well-publicised events such as the U.S. school shootings at Columbine and Sandy Hook lead to an increased demand of security equipment to protect kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) education campuses. But do they also result in buying decisions made on impulse that don’t necessarily meet a school’s most pressing security needs? Increase In Demand For Secu...

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...

A comprehensive security assessment will tell how to plan and manage security in the facility A comprehensive security assessment will tell you how to plan and manage security in your facility. Without an assessment, you can only guess about security. For facilities with existing security programs, an assessment can also reveal whether the pieces of the system are working as they should. As a security director, can you do the assessment yourself? Sure, although a large school...

Anything that can incite a crowd surge is a security threat in a sports arena Security at sports stadiums is making headlines across several countries during a week when UBM announced that Protection & Management 2015 (which includes the IFSEC International trade fair) will feature Karren Brady (Baroness Brady), a career soccer executive, as one of its inspirational keynote speakers. As I type, inquests are being held into the deaths of some of the 96 people who were kill...

Daniel Budinoff, president of Security Specialists, Stamford, Conn., is almost a fixture at trade shows, especially ISC West. He attends some six to seven trade shows per year, but finds ISC West most applicable to his company, his product research needs and his networking endeavors. In fact, he has attended ISC West for more than 25 years, only missing perhaps one or two shows during that time period. With this year’s show just around the corner, April 10-12 in Las Vegas, it’s a gre...

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 organizatio...

Access control and video surveillance technologies are expensive to buy and install. So it’s important that end users make sure they get a system that works the way it is supposed to work and the way they want it to work. To that end, the principles of project management can help end users find an integrator and to manage the work of installing or upgrading security systems. If you are experienced with security technologies, you might consider managing the project yourself. If not, consi...

The security industry has been earning more than its share of accolades for employing military veterans. With big companies such as G4S Secure Solutions employing more than 9,000 veterans in various positions – 22 percent of its workforce – the industry has become distinctly “military friendly.” In fact, the company and rival Allied Barton Security Services were both named 2014 Military Friendly Employers by Victory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs. Both have also won the G...

If your company has a facility or a current business meeting in Seoul, South Korea, you would want to know the details behind the recent knife attack on the U.S. ambassador to South Korea, Mark W. Lippert. You would want to know that the attacker belonged to a group promoting the unification of North and South Korea and that South Korean President Park Geun-hye called the event an attack on the South Korea-U.S. alliance. You would want to know where in Seoul the attack occurred as well as many...

The FERC standard CIP-014-1 became effective, according to the Federal Register, on January 26, 2015 The electric power industry works with several federal agencies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Department of Energy (DOE) to improve sector-wide resilience for cyber threats. The industry also collaborates with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the North American Electric Re...

With the industry’s largest security trade show just weeks away, we spoke with leading systems integrator Securadyne Systems, Austin, Texas, for their assessment of ISC West and how they use the show to benefit their organization. Terry King, vice president and regional general manager, shares his thoughts on what Securadyne Systems plans to accomplish at this year’s event. SourceSecurity.com: What is your take on ISC West and what do you get out of it? Terry King: ISC West has al...

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 authorized 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, generato...

It’s important for everyone in a high school to wear an ID Handwritten check in and check out books fail to alert the security risks posed by individuals on school campuses. Installing visitor management systems is imperative to screen and manage visitors and thereby enhance the level of safety in schools.  However, it takes training and practice to use school visitor management technologies effectively. Security technologies can go a long way toward making K-12 sc...

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...

According to research firm IHS Technology, the residential intrusion alarm market is expected to grow by 9.4 percent in 2015 For years, the industry’s penetration rate for security alarm systems has hovered from a conservative 18 percent of households to a more liberal 22 percent or so. According to research firm IHS, the residential intrusion alarm market is expected to grow by 9.4 percent in 2015. Perhaps this increase is due in part to the rise of interactive ser...

Supply chain risk management involves identifying and dealing with supply chain uncertainties that pose a threat to business continuity Today’s complex world needs risk managers, business people that think about the bad things that might happen and lay plans to eliminate or at least mitigate those risks. This article explains the need to identify and respond to risks involved in a supply chain. Manufacturers should make efforts and develop strategies to enhance supply ch...

A true IoT platform is the confluence of Internet, business and sensory data The era of IoT - the Internet of Things - is upon us. A deluge of urban sensory data is flowing into data centers every minute, putting pressure on data-center resources and accumulating at a rate faster than anyone can process. Is the proliferation of sensory data simply evidence of an increasingly intrusive world, or can IoT be used for the improvement and development of intelligence-equipped cities...