Mobile access

Flexibility and a trusted record of reliable security in real-world environments: these are critical features when choosing any new electronic locks. With the Aperio E100 Wireless Escutcheon from ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions, one can get both. A robust device suited to almost any medium- to high-traffic door, the E100 is easy to install wire-free - an ideal choice for both retrofit projects and new buildings. With Aperio’s open platform, it is straightforward to then integrate the escutcheons with almost any new or existing security system. One can integrate Aperio E100 escutcheons online or offline - or combine both online and offline doors within the same access control system. The E100 escutcheon offers a convenient combination of free exit from the inside with automatic locking on closure from outside. One can also lock securely from the inside, if they wish, with the Privacy Function. Door security levels A new InHolland campus in Amsterdam will require access control to integrate with a smart building system It comes in a variety of specifications to fit different door security levels or everyday usage. Supplementing a Standard version, the E100 Premium offers upgraded security that is also certified (DIN/EN) for use at fire and escape doors. “Available for EURO, DIN, Scandinavian and Finnish door profiles, the Aperio escutcheon provides trusted security at a range of sensitive locations, including many universities, offices, stadiums, public buildings and hospitals across Europe,” says Lars Angelin, Aperio Business Development Manager at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions EMEA. Smart building system At the Centre Hospitalier Métropole Savoie (CHMS) in France, for example, around 1,300 E100 escutcheons integrate natively with a central access system. The hospital’s wired and wireless doors are managed together with real-time logs and remote opening. CHMS door credentials are tailored for compatibility with the government’s electronic Health Professional Card, so staff only carry one, dual-use RFID-enabled badge. At the Netherlands’ InHolland University of Applied Sciences, Aperio escutcheons seamlessly integrate with a Nedap AEOS system. A single credential enables users to unlock all authorized openings managed by AEOS - whether wired or Aperio-secured doors. Looking to the future, a new InHolland campus in Amsterdam will require access control to integrate with a smart building system. Battery-operated wireless locks Because all Aperio locking devices are wireless and battery powered, they are installed quickly Aperio is designed for interoperability, so is a natural fit: “I am very satisfied with the implementation and operation of the Aperio solution,” says Frans Bruggeman, Facility Services Consultant at InHolland. Because all Aperio locking devices are wireless and battery powered, they are installed quickly and with minimal building disruption. A recent ASSA ABLOY benchmarking study measured installer labor costs at over 80% lower for these wireless locks versus standard wired locks. “The same study confirms improved energy efficiency with Aperio, too,” adds Angelin. “The ongoing cost of running these battery-operated wireless locks is much lower than for equivalent wired electronic locks, which require an ‘always on’ mains electricity connection to retain secure status. Potential cost savings are significant over every lock’s life-cycle.” Comprehensive RFID compatibility Alongside comprehensive high and low frequency RFID compatibility, the Aperio escutcheon allows convenient cellphone access powered by Bluetooth Low Energy. The user’s identity is stored and protected using native, on-device security and strong end-to-end encryption. For door entry, a user presents their smartphone or mobile device to the escutcheon’s inbuilt reader, which communicates securely with the access system to generate a fast decision. The Aperio E100 wireless escutcheon completes a comprehensive range of Aperio wireless locking devices which includes electronic handles (H100), cylinders (C100), locks (L100) and a wireless lock for server cabinets (KS100).

ISC West, in collaboration with premier sponsor, the Security Industry Association (SIA), has announced breaking news and guidance regarding ISC West 2021 event. The international security event was originally slated to be held March 23-26, 2021, but after extensive internal and external consultation and monitoring of the ongoing COVID-19 virus pandemic situation, they have made the decision to reschedule ISC West 2021. Rescheduled ISC West 2021 event The ISC West 2021 security event now will take place from July 19 to July 21, 2020, at The Venetian Resort and Sands Expo & Convention Center, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The organizers thank The Venetian Resort for their leadership, partnership and ongoing dedication to bringing the event back safely. They’re pleased to have a plan in place to host ISC West in 2021, and after a long respite, the ISC and SIA teams look forward to welcoming customers back to Las Vegas for strong education, demos, product announcements, awards ceremonies, networking opportunities, special events, and more.  Now more than ever, the security industry’s integrators, installers, dealers, consultants and end-user practitioners have an essential services role, with heightened responsibility for protecting companies, employees, customers and the public. The 2021 event will further accelerate the convergence of security, public safety and health tech solutions, and chart the course for expanded levels of public-private sector cooperation and results. 2021 SIA Education@ISC West program The curriculum will include a new track on health and safety best practices in response to the COVID-19 pandemic The 2021 SIA Education@ISC West program will include an extensive schedule of physical security and converged security content, while also adding in key new topics. The curriculum will include a new track on health and safety best practises in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including case studies and technology solutions that address employee/customer wellness and access control, business continuity, and facilities management. Plus, the 2021 event model will also offer a hybrid format, with both face-to-face conference pass and virtual conference pass options available, in order to serve the wide-reaching ISC community. The security and public safety community by nature is very face-to-face, with physical presence and engagement being the foundation of the business, solutions and professional diligence. Adherence to health and safety protocols To ensure that ISC West is the safest environment for a live event, the Reed Exhibitions Health & Safety Task Force, along with the expert team at the Sands Expo venue, will be ensuring that all key health and safety protocols and systems are in place for enhanced hygiene and cleaning, air conditioning and ventilation, physical distancing, PPE, health tech and health services. ISC West Topline Schedule: July 19-21, 2021: Monday, July 19: morning Keynote, Day 1 of SIA Education@ISC West, and Day 1 of the Expo Tuesday, July 20: morning Keynote, Day 2 of SIA Education@ISC West, and Day 2 of the Expo Wednesday, July 21: Women in Security/Diversity & Inclusion Breakfast and Keynote, Day 3 of SIA Education@ISC West, Day 3 of the Expo, plus a high-profile closing Keynote general session to wrap up the event

After a year of extensive research and investment, Sargent & Greenleaf (S&G) introduces a bold new look to reflect a powerful commitment to product innovation and customer experience. This dynamic transformation embodies the company’s energetic and passionate focus to a future-forward vision of products and services, as well as a commitment to its customers’ security and success. Developing high-security solutions S&G will concentrate on enhancing the customer experience, while actively expanding its portfolio to deliver complete, game-changing solutions for the evolving global market. “Our bold new look at S&G builds on our company’s 160 years of expertise in global security while focusing on innovating for the future,” states Mark LeMire, Chief Executive Officer, Sargent and Greenleaf, adding “We are investing in our people, facilities, products and emerging technologies to ensure we continue developing high-security solutions for a rapidly changing world.” S&G product development process S&G is completing new rigorous testing processes, layered protocols for added security and accessible digital tools The powerful S&G product development process evaluates a wide range of issues, threats and trends to develop solutions that are innovative and secure. To that end, the company will announce new security solutions over the next several months, such as a new smart LCD touchscreen keypad and a government-approved 2890C locking system. In addition to introducing new products, S&G is completing new rigorous testing processes, layered protocols for added security and accessible digital tools. “Our team’s passion and drive for continuous improvement will deliver transformative locking solutions that exceed our customers’ expectations,” continued LeMire, adding “Our brand transformation represents a significant step in our ongoing growth. We are driving change as we focus on building a stronger, more secure world.” S&G family of brands S&G expanded its product offering earlier this year with the acquisition of Delaney Hardware and Premier Steel Doors and Frames, Inc. Now, it has continued its brand growth with the addition of MegaMet Industries. These combined businesses provide customers an extensive lock and door solutions portfolio, a broader base of technical resources, and enhanced security solutions. The comprehensive S&G family of brands offers customers the highest quality and broadest selection of security and hardware solutions.

Quantum Corp. unveils the all-new data and storage management platform - Quantum ATFS. It is the first network-attached storage platform to integrate real-time data classification and insights with the needs of applications, determining how storage resources are allocated and consumed. Data insights enable organizations to visualize data without the constraints of a file system, automate purposeful data placement based on policies, and optimize resources using just-in-time data movement policies. The ability to support the needs of data and applications on premise or in the cloud advances Quantum’s strategy to be the provider of management and storage services for unstructured data anywhere. Crawling file systems “The engineering teams at Quantum worked with storage experts to address the many challenges IT teams face with growing storage needs. They designed an innovative and unchained solution with cutting edge technology, data provenance and analytics to provide a storage platform that works for IT, instead of IT that works for storage,” noted Jeffrey McDonald, PhD, Director of Information Technology, The Hormel Institute. Customers are performing ‘unnatural acts’ to manage their data – guessing at capacity and where data lives, or crawling file systems for days to find what is needed by the business. They are often uncertain about what they can delete and when they can delete it. The results are silos of data, and a loss of control and visibility. Optimizing storage resource ATFS delivers a consistent end user experience to deploy resources on premise or in the cloud ATFS (All-Terrain File System) meets this challenge. It is designed to ensure just-in-time purposeful placement of data, meeting the performance, resiliency, availability, and access demands of applications and workflows. As a result, ATFS delivers a consistent end user experience to deploy resources on premise or in the cloud. By leveraging data classification, metadata and business-oriented tagging to streamline and optimize storage resource consumption, ATFS transforms storage economics, eliminating the premium organizations pay for performance. It is designed to manage hardware resources as a service to the application when and where it is needed it at scale. Achieving greater efficiencies “The ATFS system we have at 5 Guys Named Moe is the backbone of our extremely high bandwidth cloud data migration work,” said Eric A. Reid, Head of Post-Production, 5 Guys Named Moe, Inc. “Utilizing the metadata tagging built into the ATFS platform allows us to prioritize data efficiently and make sure that NVMe space is automatically allocated to the most resource intensive tasks without any manual input. This reduces costs overall while ensuring we have the right balance of storage space and high-end performance available for our workflows.” ATFS ingests data, which can be placed into flash, bulk, or the cloud based on policies, application defined tags, or manually. Performance may be tuned based on the size of the active data set. Automated policies place data ‘just-in-time’ to support workloads while achieving greater efficiencies and improved productivity per unit of storage. Asset management tools By automating data classification and placement, ATFS serves a wide range of use cases: Automate Application Workflows: Integrate with asset management tools, schedulers, and other applications to automate tasks using API in life sciences, media and entertainment, finance, and more. Active Data Retention: Metadata and tags simplify access to data over time. Deploy Resources in the Cloud: Burst into the cloud using cloud-based applications or use ATFS for large data set retention. Collaboration: Secure data sharing across the organization and externally without creating duplicates. Control Data: Execute on retention, protection, and access guidelines per regulations, best practices, to ensure data. Providing deeper insights ATFS is available to order beginning this December as software installed on a Quantum appliance ATFS is available to order beginning this December as software installed on a Quantum appliance. Scott Sinclaire, Senior Analyst, ESG: “Cloud adoption continues to accelerate, as businesses demand greater elasticity from their storage resources, their compute capabilities, and their budgets. ATFS is designed for this new data landscape, to provide businesses with the insight necessary to extract value from their unstructured data.” Ed Fiore, General Manager, Primary Storage at Quantum: “For customers with millions or billions of files, classifying those files so they can be organized, searched, and then placed based on rules is a key advancement toward getting control of massive unstructured data sprawl. We designed the ATFS platform to address these challenges, to align an application’s needs with storage resources in real time, and to provide deeper insights into data.” Unique industry perspectives Quantum will host VirtualQ | Transform, an online forum for unlocking the value of unstructured data, November 17th in Europe, and November 19th in North America. The company will showcase the latest offerings to capture, store, manage, protect, and archive unstructured data in all its forms. Participants will gain unique industry perspectives on the forces and trends shaping Quantum’s technology roadmap and get exclusive access to executives, as well as product and technical leaders.

Last year saw vehicle thefts rise by a staggering 50% in the UK, and again by a further 20% so far this year, which is regarded to be the highest level in four years. With cases worsening during lockdown, motorists are now being warned that they face a greater risk of vehicle theft now that the nation is making fewer trips in their vehicles and spending more time at home. Countering the rise in vehicle thefts The cost of a lost or damaged vehicle can quickly mount up for any business owner, not only due to the replacement of the vehicle, but also the effect of doing business with a reduced fleet. With thefts on the rise, business owners are quickly realizing that securing their fleet and its contents can be imperative to the operational stability of their businesses. Yet the RAC reported that only 42% of new vans are produced with an alarm fitted as standard, with 5.5% not even having the capability to have one fitted. Importance of automotive locksmiths Automotive locksmiths are specialists in their field, possessing the knowledge on how to utilize, adapt and develop the right products on the market to maximize security for both commercial and private vehicles. From on-board diagnostic (OBD) port protectors to anti-scan wallets, there are a number of solutions available to create strong sales opportunities for locksmiths who work in this field. Thatcham slam locks, deadlocks, camlocks, and padlocks Mul-T-Lock offers an extensive range of advanced products that provide protection to commercial and private vehicles In support of this, Mul-T-Lock offers an extensive range of advanced products that provide protection to commercial and private vehicles of all varieties. These include lock cases, Thatcham accredited slam locks, deadlocks, euro cylinders, camlocks, and padlocks. Mul-T-Lock’s solutions for commercial applications have been specifically designed for durability, robustness and ease-of-use to allow motorists to access their equipment and goods without any hassle. Enhancing automotive security protection Quality is also of paramount importance when it comes to automotive security protection. Many factors, such as wet weather and road gritting, during the icy months can get into vehicle locking mechanisms causing rusting, damage and failure, but Mul-T-Lock products are developed to withstand these conditions. Designed and manufactured to the highest specification and quality, each product is typically adapted to suit the market’s needs, having evolved into heavy-duty commercial offerings, Mul-T-Lock’s locking solutions range allows users to ‘fit and forget’, allowing them to focus on the job at hand. ArmaDLock locking solution Mul-T-Lock’s ArmaDLock was designed to fortify the security of commercial vehicles, in particular, those carrying goods and equipment. Simple to use and install, ArmaDLock fits almost any type of vehicle door, both rear and sliding. With these darker evenings, now is the time for automotive locksmiths to get fully stocked for the busy period ahead. From domestic customers to commercial and fleet clients, there is no doubt that vehicle crime is affecting all markets and is set to rise over the winter months.

Safetrust, the globally renowned company in virtual credential solutions, has released touchless mobile access and WiFi options for the millions of HID iCLASS SE and multiCLASS SE readers deployed globally with their new SABRE MODULE. The 30-second plug-in makes the SABRE MODULE the fastest way to enable touchless mobile access at the door, turnstile or elevator, while using existing readers. SABRE MODULE touchless mobile access The SABRE MODULE enables hands-free authentication from a configurable distance As organizations transition back to the workplace, eliminating community touchpoints of legacy door readers is paramount for employee safety. Unlike traditional cards and keyfobs that in practice are touched at the reader, the SABRE MODULE enables hands-free authentication from a configurable distance. With dynamic credential management, administrators can instantly issue and reissue a secure mobile credential to employees or visitors with the click of a button, removing the need for face-to-face onboarding and handling cards. IoT technology integration with readers “Lifetime warranty should mean for a lifetime,” said Jason Hart, the Chief Executive Officer of Safetrust, adding “We independently developed the SABRE MODULE to extend the useful life of existing HID iCLASS SE and multiCLASS SE readers by adding the connectivity and sensor features that were missing.” Jason further stated, “By adding IoT technology to the reader, organizations can augment their traditional physical access solution and utilize the readers as network-connected sensors for touchless access, presence detection and remote management, in addition to being forward capable as industry standards evolve.” WiFi-enabled and full remote management The SABRE MODULE is WiFi-enabled and supports digital certificate 802.1x authentication, MQTT and SIA OSDP, allowing full remote management of the traditional RFID reader, no matter the reader’s current wiring configuration. The module is made in the USA and comes with a lifetime warranty.

The emergence of smartphones using iOS and Android is rapidly changing the landscape of the IT industry around the world. Several industries, such as digital cameras, car navigation, MP3, and PNP, have been replaced by equivalent or even better performance using smartphones. Smartphones provide increasing portability by integrating the functions of various devices into a single unit which allows them to connect to platforms with network-based services and offer new services and conveniences that have never been experienced before. These changes have expanded into the access control market. Although not yet widespread, ‘Mobile access cards’ is one of the terminologies that everyone has been talking about. RF cards used for access security are being integrated into smartphones just as digital cameras and MP3s were in the past. While people might forget their access cards at home in the morning, they seldom forget their smartphones. Using smartphones for access control increases entry access reliability and convenience. Mobile/smartphone access control A key aspect of mobile credential is that it makes it possible to issue or reclaim cards without face-to-face interaction As in other markets, the combination of smartphones and access cards is creating a new value that goes beyond the simple convenience of integration enhancing the ability to prevent unauthorized authentication and entrance. People sometimes lend their access cards to others, but it is far less likely they might lend their smartphone with all their financial information and personal information – to another person. This overcomes an important fundamental weakness of RF cards. Another valuable aspect of mobile credential is that it makes it possible to issue or reclaim cards without face-to-face interaction. Under existing access security systems, cards must be issued in person. Since card issuance implies access rights, the recipient’s identification must be confirmed first before enabling the card and once the card has been issued, it cannot be retracted without another separate face-to-face interaction. Mobile access cards In contrast, mobile access cards are designed to transfer authority safely to the user's smartphone based on TLS. In this way, credentials can be safely managed with authenticated users without face-to-face interaction. Mobile cards can be used not only at the sites with a large number of visitors or when managing access for an unspecified number of visitors, but also at the places like shared offices, kitchens and gyms, currently used as smart access control systems in shared economy markets. The market share of mobile access cards today is low even though the capability can offer real benefits to users and markets. While the access control market itself is slow-moving, there are also practical problems that limit the adoption of new technologies like mobile access cards. Use of Bluetooth Low Energy technology While NFC could be an important technology for mobile credential that is available today on virtually all smartphones, differences in implementation and data handling processes from various vendors prevents universal deployment of a single solution to all devices currently on the market. Accordingly, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) has been considered as an alternative to NFC. Bluetooth is a technology that has been applied to smartphones for a long time, and its usage and interface are unified, so there are no compatibility problems. However, speed becomes the main problem. The authentication speed of BLE mobile access card products provided by major companies is slower than that of existing cards. Enhancing credential authentication speed Authentication speed is being continuously improved using BLE's GAP layer and GATT layers The second problem is that mobile access cards must be accompanied by a supply of compatible card readers. In order to use mobile access cards, readers need to be updated but this is not a simple task in the access control market. For 13.56 MHz smart cards (which were designed to replace 125 kHz cards), it has taken 20 years since the standard was established but only about half of all 25 kHz cards have been replaced so far. Legacy compatibility and the need for equivalent performance, even with additional benefits, will drive adoption timing for the Access Control market. While BLE technology helps resolve the compatibility problem of mobile access cards, it can identify some breakthroughs that can solve the speed problem. Authentication speed is being continuously improved using BLE's GAP layer and GATT layers, and new products with these improvements are now released in the market. Making use of key improvements allows Suprema's mobile access card to exhibit an authentication speed of less than 0.5 seconds providing equivalent performance to that of card-based authentication. AirFob Patch MOCA System's AirFob Patch addresses the need for technological improvements in the access control market in a direct, cost effective, and reliable way – by offering the ability to add high-performance BLE to existing card readers – enabling them to read BLE smartphone data by applying a small adhesive patch approximately the size of a coin. This innovative breakthrough applies energy harvesting technology, generating energy from the RF field emitted by the existing RF reader – then converting the data received via BLE back into RF – and delivering it to the reader. By adding the ability to use BLE on virtually any existing RF card reading device, MOCA allows greater ability for partners and end users to deploy a technologically-stable, high performance access control mobile credential solution to their employees, using devices they already own and are familiar with. Adding MOCA AirFob Patch eliminates the need to buy and install updated readers simply to take advantage of mobile credential, lowering costs and risks, and increasing employee confidence and convenience. Growth forecast of mobile access card market in 2020 In 2020, forecasts show that the mobile access card market will grow far more rapidly Several companies have entered the mobile access card market, but they have not set up a meaningful product solution stream until 2019. In 2020, forecasts show that the mobile access card market will grow far more rapidly. Reviewing new entries into the market allows identification of the latest products that provide improving solutions to compatibility and speed problems. MOCA AirFob Patch addresses development plans in process today that overcome the legacy installed base of card readers – allowing rapid creation of an environment that can make immediate use of BLE mobile access cards. Integrated mobile digital ID With proven usability and within suitable environments, mobile access cards will also begin to make inroads into other markets, not just the access control market. In the sharing economy market, which seeks access management without face-to-face interaction, the integrated mobile digital ID led by the 'DID Alliance' will serve as a technical tool that can be used in access authentication – forging increasing links between the access control and digital ID markets.

It’s hard to believe that we’re in the final quarter of 2019. It’s time to wrap up goals and make new ones that will guide us into another decade. As we look forward, we can’t help but look back at some of the key trends that emerged in the last couple of years, and their continued presence in the product road maps and plans that so many security industry leaders and manufacturers are creating.  Some of these trends have enhanced the efficacy of security systems, whereas others have the potential of having adverse impacts.  Cybersecurity Cyber-attacks of all kinds have become, and will continue to be, a major threat, making this one of the most important initiatives that today’s businesses embrace. From a manufacturer’s perspective, building cybersecurity into the product from its inception is critical, with integrators beginning to demand this level of consideration from the products they sell. As a result of a rise in the convergence of IT applications alongside security investments, end users are now seeking out solutions designed with data security top-of-mind. All network connected devices such as DVRs/NVRs, servers, IP cameras, access controllers, intrusion alarms, smart sensors, are vulnerable, which is why this added step in developing cybersecurity protocols and applying them across the organization is critical.  Building cybersecurity into the product from its inception is critical More connected devices The Internet of Things (IoT) has been a major trend for the past few years in many industries, and this will continue as we integrate sensors of all kinds into the network. The collection and analysis of the data collected by these sensors is giving rise to a plethora of applications such as industrial applications, intelligent building management, event management, and much more. The physical security industry benefits by having additional intelligence for situational awareness and emergency management, as well as opportunities to provide additional value-added services and business insights. Being deployed in an increasing number of scenarios and with continued improvements in computing capabilities, video has the opportunity to become the eye of IoT. AI-enabled devices Software manufacturers are looking toward artificial intelligence to help propel advanced analytics in an effort to deliver more situational awareness to operators, and an increased ability to proactively assess threats or anomalies. While video and data analytic capabilities have been around for quite some time, some would argue they were rudimentary in comparison to software that uses AI to make existing applications such as facial recognition much more accurate, and to create new ways to detect anomalies. In addition, AI continues to be used to make sense of the large amounts of data that are being generated by intelligent sensors and by analyzing the growing amount of video. 5G connectivity It’s safe to say that 5G will revolutionize the way people stay connected to the internet. Extra speed, extra bandwidth are going to make our mobile devices faster, more powerful and hyperconnected, with the same thing happening to IoT connected devices such as cameras. This is going completely change the way we think about smart cities: More powerful IP devices connected to one another, powered by AI, will have a massive impact on the way we move, shop and live in urban areas. More powerful IP devices connected to one another, powered by AI, will have a massive impact on the way we move, shop and live in urban areas Privacy concerns  In most advanced economies around the globe, citizens are increasingly concerned with privacy of their data, and many governments have put – or are in the process of doing so – stringent data protection laws in place. The EU has lead the way in using these concerns to develop privacy regulations that govern the development of data-driven applications. This trend is starting to impact the entire globe, as we shift toward more data autonomy and privacy. Since most physical security applications involve the collection of video and data about people and assets, privacy regulations will continue to have a significant impact on the industry well into the future. Cloud and mobile capabilities Mobility is critical for physical security and is emerging through the development and use of cloud-based services, as well as the ability to access security devices through a smart phone or Web-based browser. That’s why there’s been such an influx of mobile apps created to manage cameras, receive automatic alerts for the most diverse event, and giving users the ability to grant or restrict access to a facility. All of this demonstrates the world’s demand for mobility, connectivity and ease-of-use. More video — everywhere Video is the cornerstone of security, providing both real-time and forensic coverage for emerging threats and incidents, which is why it’s one of the fastest growing segments of the marketplace. The use of video for traditional applications in new markets, as well as for use in newer applications that are not necessary security related is poised to see the most movement. In some industries such as oil and gas, there is a trend towards extending video coverage into extremely harsh and hazardous environments, so manufacturers are challenged to develop appropriately certified equipment to meet a more stringent demand. Manufacturing facilities such as food processing plants are also increasing their use of video for training and compliance purposes to prevent incidents such as food recalls that can be extremely costly for the business. It’s an exciting time to be a part of the security market, as we’re really just beginning to see that, when it comes to technology advancements, the sky is the limit. I would argue at the core of these innovations is the video data being collected, and as we work to build technologies that can harness the power of these applications, we will continue to be at the forefront of this movement toward greater intelligence and business insights. 

The statistics are staggering. The death tolls are rising. And those who now fear environments that were once thought to be safe zones like school campuses, factories, commercial businesses and government facilities, find themselves having to add the routine of active-shooter drills into their traditional fire drill protocols. The latest active shooter statistics released by the FBI earlier this year in their annual active-shooter report designated 27 events as active shooter incidents in 2018. The report reveals that 16 of the 27 incidents occurred in areas of commerce, seven incidents occurred in business environments, and five incidents occurred in education environments. Deadly active-shooter events Six of the 12 deadliest shootings in the country have taken place in the past five years Six of the 12 deadliest shootings in the country have taken place in the past five years, including Sutherland Springs church, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the San Bernardino regional center, the Walmart in El Paso and the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, which have all occurred since 2015. Although these incidents occurred in facilities with designated entry points common to churches, schools and businesses, the two most deadly active-shooter events since 2015 were the Route 91 Harvest music festival shooting in Las Vegas that left 58 dead and the Pulse nightclub killings in Orlando where 49 perished. As Christopher Combs, special agent in charge of the FBI field office in San Antonio, Texas, said during a news conference following the August 31 mass shooting in Odessa, Texas that claimed seven lives: “We are now at almost every two weeks seeing an active shooter in this country." Active shooter incidents Between December 2000 and December 2018, the FBI’s distribution of active shooter incidents by location looks like this: Businesses Open to Pedestrian Traffic (74) Businesses Closed to Pedestrian Traffic (43) K-12 Schools (39) Institutions of Higher Learning (16) Non-Military Government Properties (28) Military Properties—Restricted (5) Healthcare Facilities (11) Houses of Worship (10) Private Properties (12) Malls (6) What the majority of these venues have in common is they all have a front entrance or chokepoint for anyone entering the facilities, which is why any active-shooter plan must include a strategy to secure that entry point. Situational awareness in perimeter and door security Preventing people with the wrong intentions from entering the space is the goal" According to Paul Franco, an A&E with more than 28 years of experience as a consultant and systems integrator focusing on schools, healthcare and large public and private facilities, that while active shooter incidents continue to rise, the residual effect has been an increase in situational awareness in perimeter and door security. “Certainly, protecting people and assets is the number one goal of all our clients. There are multiple considerations in facilities like K-12 and Healthcare. Preventing people with the wrong intentions from entering the space is the goal. But a critical consideration to emphasize to your client is getting that person out of your facility and not creating a more dangerous situation by locking the person in your facility,” says Franco. High-security turnstiles “Schools today are creating a space for vetting visitors prior to allowing access into the main facility. Using technology properly like high-security turnstiles offer great benefits in existing schools where space constraints and renovation costs can be impractical.” What steps should they be taken when recommending the proper door security to ensure the building is safe As a consultant/integrator, when discussions are had with a client that has a facility in a public space like a corporate building, government center or industrial facility, what steps should they be taken when recommending the proper door security to ensure the building is safe and can protect its people and assets? For Frank Pisciotta, President and CEO of Business Protection Specialists, Inc. in Raleigh, North Carolina, a fundamental element of his security strategy is making appropriate recommendations that are broad-based and proactive. Properly identifying the adversaries “As a consultant, my recommendations must include properly identifying the adversaries who may show up at a client’s door, the likelihood of that event occurring, the consequences of that event occurring, determining if there are tripwires that can be set so an organization can move their line of defense away from the door, educating employees to report potential threats and creating real-time actionable plans to respond to threats. A more reactionary posture might include such thing as target hardening such as ballistic resistant materials at entry access points to a facility,” Pisciotta says. Veteran consultant David Aggleton of Aggleton & Associates of Mission Viejo, California recommends that clients compartmentalize their higher security areas for limited access by adding multiple credential controls (card + keypad + biometric), along with ‘positive’ access systems that inhibit tailgating/piggybacking such as secure turnstiles, revolving door and mantrap if your entrances and security needs meet the required space and access throughput rates. Integrated solution of electronic access control Defining a single point of entry in some public facilities is becoming the new standard of care according to many A&Es and security consultants, especially in a school environment. This approach allows a concerted effort when it comes to staffing, visitor monitoring and an integrated technology solution. The bottom line remains: most buildings are vulnerable to a security breach A proactive stance to securing a door entryway will use an integrated solution of electronic access control, turnstiles, revolving doors and mantraps that can substantially improve a facility’s security profile. The bottom line remains: most buildings are vulnerable to a security breach, so it’s not a matter of if there will be a next active shooter tragedy, it’s only a matter of where. Enhancing access control assurance “There is no easy answer to this question,” says Pisciotta referring to how a secured entrance can deter an active shooter. “There have been at least two high-profile incidents of adversaries shooting their way into a facility through access control barriers. So, if the threat so dictates, a ballistic resistant might be required.” He concludes: “There is obviously no question that turnstiles, revolving doors and man traps enhance access control assurance. Electronic access control is easy to integrate with these devices and providing that credentials are secure, approval processes are in place, change management is properly managed and the appropriate auditing measures in place, access control objectives can be met.”

Close collaboration with customers has been a hallmark of the physical security industry for decades. And yet, less ability to collaborate face-to-face to discuss customer needs has been a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. “True innovation, which comes from close collaboration with customers, is more difficult to achieve remotely,” said Howard Johnson, President and COO, AMAG Technology, adding “Not being able to visit in person has not been helpful. Kurt John, Chief Cyber Security Officer at Siemens USA, adds “We need to plan intentionally with a strategic approach for collaboration and innovation.” Securing New Ground virtual conference Security experts from three manufacturers reflected on the impact of COVID-19 on the physical security industry Security experts from three manufacturers reflected on the impact of COVID-19 on the physical security industry at a ‘View from the Top’ session, during the Securing New Ground virtual conference, sponsored by the Security Industry Association. Their comments covered business practices during the pandemic and the outlook for technology innovation in response. “We had to pivot quickly on business models and create a cross-portfolio team task force to discuss how we can leverage technologies to help customers [during the pandemic],” said John, adding “We are having outcome-based conversations with customers about their businesses and operations, and how we can combine short-term benefits with long-term growth and flexibility.” But some of those conversations are happening from a distance. Results-oriented approach in remote work environment After the pandemic took hold, Siemens shifted rapidly to remote work and embraced other infrastructure changes. “We had to refocus and lead with empathy, flexibility and trust,” said John, adding “We gave our staff flexibility to set their hours and used a results-oriented approach.” There is also a social element missing in the work-from-home model. “Virtual coffee machines do not replace being there in person,” said Pierre Racz, President and CEO, Genetec, adding “Small talk about the weather is important psychological elements.” Positives in using multi-factor identity management He predicts that, in the future, office hours may be reduced, but not floor space, with space needed for in-person collaboration and long-term social distancing. Employees will come to the office to do collaborative work, but can work from home to accomplish individual tasks that may be ‘deferred’ to after-hours, when the kids have been fed. When the pandemic hit, Genetec had resumed 95% of their operations within 36 hours, thanks to their use of multi-factor identity management. They did not suffer from malware and phishing issues. “Multi-factor is really important so that well-engineered phishing campaigns are not successful,” said Pierre Racz. Shift to ‘Zero Trust’ model All three panelists noted a coming skills gap relating both cyber security and systems integration Remote working technologies are shifting to a ‘zero trust’ model, in which access to systems is granted adaptively based on contextual awareness of authorized user patterns based on identity, time, and device posture. For example, an office computer might have more leeway than a home computer and a computer at Starbucks would be even less trusted. The approach increases logical access security while providing users their choice of devices and apps. Skills gap in cyber security and systems integration A growing skills gap has continued throughout the pandemic. “Where we have vacancies, we have struggled to find candidates,” said Howard Johnson. All three panelists noted a coming skills gap relating both cyber security and systems integration. New technologies will clearly require new skills that may currently be rare in the workforce. Cyber security will become even more important with growth in new technologies such as AI, machine learning, 5G and edge computing. A workforce development plan is needed to address the technologies and to enable companies to pivot to new business needs, said John. Adoption of temperature sensing solutions From a technology viewpoint, Johnson has seen attention shift to the reception area and portal, away from touch technologies and embracing temperature sensing as a new element. There have also been new requests for video and audio at the portal point, to create methods of access and egress that do not require security personnel to be present. “Some customers are early adopters, and others are waiting for the market to mature before investing,” Howard Johnson said. “Security companies have been faced with the need to respond rapidly to their customers’ needs during the pandemic, but without seeming like ‘ambulance chasers’,” said Pierre Racz. In the case of Genetec, the company offered new system capabilities, such as a 'contamination report', to existing customers for free. Move to a hybrid and flexible work environment In the new normal, the pendulum will swing back to the middle with more flexibility and a hybrid approach" An immediate impact of the pandemic has been a reduction in required office space, as more employees have worked from home, raising questions about future demand for office space. “The pendulum tends to swing to the extremes,” said Kurt John, adding “In the new normal, the pendulum will swing back to the middle with more flexibility and a hybrid approach.” “Users will be much more careful about letting people into their space, which requires more policies and procedures,” said Lorna Chandler, CEO, Security by Design, who participated in a panel at Securing New Ground about how the pandemic is changing commercial architecture and access control. “Users should also be careful in the rush to secure premises from COVID-19 that they don’t violate HIPAA laws or create other potential liabilities,” adds Chandler. Continuum of mechanical and electromechanical devices Mark Duato, Executive Vice President, Aftermarket, ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions, said a “Continuum of mechanical and electromechanical devices is needed to protect premises and ensure convenient operation of an access control operation.” “First and foremost, the immediate reaction to the impact of COVID-19 is to rush to educate and invest in technologies to increase the ability to analyze people,” said Duato, who also participated in the access control panel. Shift to touchless, frictionless access control “The move to touchless, frictionless access control “is really a collaboration of people, process and technology,” said Valerie Currin, President and Managing Director, Boon Edam Inc., adding “And all three elements need to come together. Touchless and frictionless have been in our market for decades, and they’re only going to become heightened and grow. We’re seeing our business pivot to serve markets we have not served in the past." More and more data is a feature of new systems, but is only helpful when it is analyzed. “We all live in a world of data, or IoT and sensor technology,” said ASSA ABLOY’s Mark Duato, adding “But we don’t want to be crushed by data. Data is only helpful when you can reduce it to functional benefits that will help us innovate. We have to take the time to squeeze the value out of data.”

Can a smart card be used securely for multiple applications (and among multiple manufacturers )? End users are demanding such interoperability, and they also want openness to switching out components of their access control systems in the future without being “locked in” to one vendor. Those are the goals of the LEAF Identity consortium, a collection of companies that share and support end user-owned encryption keys stored securely in smart cards with MIFARE DESFire EV2 chips and are used to authenticate access control credentials and read the data required to access multiple applications secured by multiple vendor devices. Smart card systems - more secure Almost everyone in the industry now knows that low-frequency (125 kHz) “prox” cards are not secure; in fact, low-cost cloning equipment is readily and inexpensively available. As the industry transitions to encrypted cards, challenges of interoperability persist. Keeping smart card systems more secure are AES 128 encryption keys encoded onto the card chips. Information is exchanged via radio frequency (RF) in a challenge-response interaction when a card is presented to a reader. The most recent LEAF EV2/EV3 cards allow up to 16 devices to be individually accessed using 16 unique keys, respectively that are stored in the smart cards (and among a variety of manufacturers). LEAF Identity Consortium enables interoperability with encrypted Smart Cards LEAF Memory Model specifies a standard EV2 (EV1 backward compatible) smart card data format and application access protocols that ensure each manufacturer’s devices can interface with a card chip in the same way. Specifically, each card has a “common data structure” based on the LEAF Memory Model, which means that the location of information is arranged on a card chip in a predictable and consistent manner. Each end-user application (for door readers, secure printing, vending, etc.) stored in the card is secured with their own cryptographic key. Member companies adhere to that structure in order to be interoperable with a single credential. There are no license fees or intellectual property rights involved. Keysets The approach involves a LEAF Custom Cryptographic Keyset (LEAF Cc Keysets) owned by the end-user. “When we present these concepts to integrators, they realize that, first, they need to get their clients to pay attention to the risks around proximity cards and to migrate to encrypted card technology,” says Laurie Aaron, Executive Vice President, WaveLynx Technologies Corp. “Then we explain the benefits of customer-owned keys and of the LEAF data structure. Then integrators can differentiate themselves by selling the value of the end-user staying in control and having unlimited interoperability.” WaveLynx Access control manufacturer WaveLynx is implementing the LEAF concept, which is the brainchild of CEO Hugo Wendling, who saw the advantages of leveraging the ability of an EV2 chip card to authenticate access to multiple applications by multiple manufacturer’s devices. WaveLynx set up the specification, maintains the website, and is involved when a manufacturer wants to become LEAF Enabled. They provide a key management service (for life) to end-users based on LEAF capabilities. End-users “own” the keys and can submit a request to WaveLynx to have us securely share them with any other manufacturer. Sharing a key involves two key custodians from WaveLynx Technologies and the Vendor who is receiving the customer’s keys, each of whom only has access to half of the encrypted key in order to keep it secure.  Keys are shared via a “key ceremony”. Combining capabilities The LEAF consortium provides a way for manufacturers to work together to provide an ecosystem of devices that are compatible with a single encrypted smart card without the need to embed proprietary reader modules in their devices or license another manufacturer’s technology, thereby making it possible for them to increase their market share. Working together, independent manufacturers can assemble a group of devices to compete more effectively with larger manufacturers. In effect, they combine their capabilities in order to offer the end-user viable options and to compete. LEAF Consortium partners include Allegion, ASSA ABLOY, Brivo, Eline by DIRAK, Linxens, RFIDeas, and Telaeris. Biometric partners include Idemia and IrisID. Biometric devices may either store their biometric on the card or on a central database and access it through the badge number. The LEAF standard continues to evolve. Although the standard does not currently offer mobile credentials, a common mobile credential standard is currently being discussed and designed by the Consortium.  

As a cloud-based platform for service providers in the security, smart home and smart business markets, Alarm.com has adapted quickly to changing conditions during the coronavirus pandemic. In the recent dynamic environment, Alarm.com has kept focus on supporting their service provider partners so they can keep local communities protected. “We moved quickly to establish work-from-home protocols to protect our employees and minimize impact on our partners,” says Anne Ferguson, VP of Marketing at Alarm.com. The Customer Operations and Reseller Education (CORE) team has operated without interruption to provide support to partners. Sales teams are utilizing webinars and training resources to inform and educate partners about the latest products, tools, and solutions. Alarm.com’s partner tools are essential for remote installations and support of partner accounts. Helping customers remain connected Adapting to challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, Alarm.com is further investing in solutions that help customers remain connected and engaged. The company has created a resource hub called “Succeeding Remotely” that provides tools, tips and news links that partners can use to adapt their business operations. From adjusting sales and installation techniques to maintaining cellular upgrades, Alarm.com is helping partners stay connected to customers remotely, keep their teams trained, and address rapidly evolving customer concerns without rolling trucks.The company has created a resource hub called “Succeeding Remotely “Additionally, after seeing all that our partners are doing to support their local communities in need, we were compelled to highlight those efforts with ongoing videos called Good Connections, which we’re sharing with our partner community to spark more ideas and ways to help,” says Ferguson. “Though our partners have experienced varying degrees of disruption to their business, we’re inspired by their adaptability, ingenuity and resilience,” says Ferguson. “Along with establishing proper safeguards for operating in homes and businesses, our partners are leveraging our support resources more heavily, while our entire staff has worked tirelessly to deliver new, timely resources.” Do-It-Together solutions Alarm.com partners are successfully employing Do-It-Together (DIT) solutions, focusing on 3G-to-LTE upgrades, and pivoting to new verticals like commercial and wellness. Many are also streamlining their business operations and taking advantage of virtual training opportunities to enhance their technicians’ skills and knowledge, says Ferguson. Do-It-Together installs involve depending on customers to perform part or all of the installation process. Partners can send customers fully configured kits with mounting instructions, or technicians may guide customers on a remote video call. Alarm.com’s tools, training and products help partners modify remote installation options depending on each customer’s needs. End users can validate the Alarm.com Smart Gateway with their central station that sensors they have mounted were done correctly using the Alarm.com mobile app Alarm.com Smart Gateway For example, the Alarm.com Smart Gateway can be pre-configured with indoor and outdoor cameras for easy customer installation and to reduce the likelihood of future service calls. Also, end users can validate with their central station that sensors they have mounted were done correctly using the Alarm.com mobile app. “DIT is helping our partners continue onboarding customers and avoid backlogs,” says Ferguson. “We’ve been pleasantly surprised by the resiliency and level of future investment that our residential and commercial partners have shown in the face of adversity,” adds Ferguson. For example, a significant number of business customers have used the slow period to install systems that are typically too disruptive to put in during normal business hours. Similarly, service providers are adopting new technologies or business models, such as cloud-based access control. “They’re often saying to us, ‘I’m going to take this opportunity to make changes to improve our business,’ and have been working closely with us on training and business consulting to support their efforts,“ she says. Shift to the cloud Ferguson sees a growing preference for cloud-managed surveillance and access systems over ones that have historically been run on-premise. The technology itself is attractive, but especially driving change is the enhancement to the daily lives of service providers and customers, which have been strained during this time. “The foundational benefit of our cloud-based solution is the hassle-free, seamless customer experience it delivers,” says Ferguson. “We make this possible by taking ownership of the servers, software maintenance, firmware updates, health monitoring, and more. With cloud technology, these aspects become invisible to the customer and take a lot off their plate, which is more important than ever.” End users can take advantage of Smart Tip video tutorials to help with DIT installations, or they can use the Alarm.com Wellcam to connect with loved ones anywhere.End users can take advantage of Smart Tip video tutorials to help with DIT installations Partners can attend training workshops focused on remote installation tactics, while driving consumer interest in new offerings through Alarm.com’s Customer Connections platform. The goal is to make it simple for partners to stay connected to their customers to maximize lifetime account value. “We are well-positioned to endure the pandemic because of the strength of our partners in their markets along with our investments in technology, hardware and our team,” says Ferguson. “As restrictions slowly lift, there is cautious optimism that the residential, commercial, property management, plumbing/HVAC, builder and other verticals will recover quickly. We believe that as more partners adopt the DIT model and add commercial and wellness RMR, they will find increasing opportunities to deploy security, automation, video, video analytics, access and more throughout their customer base.”

Doncaster Culture and Leisure Trust (DCLT), The Dome, required a new solution that would protect several areas, including one of the largest gym’s in Doncaster, The Fitness Village. Vanderbilt ACT365 system DCLT had a specific brief for this project that specified enhancing the staff and customer experience, while simultaneously providing access control solutions to restricted areas from the general public, members, and staff alike. Oliver Law Security (OLS) Ltd. did not hesitate to recommend the Vanderbilt ACT365 system. ACT365 is not only a fully cloud-based solution, but also offers a flexible solution for installation and management that OLS identified as a key ingredient to meet DCLT’s project brief. API Integration In addition to DCLT’s security requirement, OLS also realized ACT365 as an ideal solution for this task, given the product’s very focused API integration. Thanks to the ACT365 interface, OLS was able to integrate DCLT’s gym management system to enable single-source data to be used to populate the access control system, keep records up-to-date, and enhance customer experience. For instance, previously, the older system had taken up to 3-5 seconds to validate members and open the entry turnstiles. Once the API interface had been achieved, this validation is now done instantly through ACT365 and allows members with active memberships through the entry points without any minimal delay. Game-changer security solution According to Oliver Law Security, using ACT365 and its API interface is a game-changer for this type of project The scope of this project, although not significant in the number of doors, was a very technical project with integration into SQL server and a third-party membership system with the potential for thousands of would-be users. According to Oliver Law Security, using ACT365 and its API interface is a game-changer for this type of project. With multiple updates per day, the access control system is always fully populated with the correct, validated members ensuring DCLT’s premier venue, The Dome, is protected against memberships that have lapsed. Cloud-based off-premise solution The system is entirely cloud-based offers an off-premise solution with no additional new servers required or PC’s running software. Through the ACT365 app, DCLT’s site administrators can manage the system for staff. The beauty of the interface is once the schedule runs, all information is autonomously sent to the ACT365 database, meaning adding new memberships, updating memberships, or revoking access is seamless, not tying up staff verifying and administering the membership/access control systems respectively. Commenting on the project, Oliver (Ollie) Law, Managing Director of Oliver Law Security (OLS) Ltd., stated “We didn’t hesitate to recommend the Vanderbilt ACT365 system. As a Vanderbilt Gold Integration Partner, this is our go-to product, and for Doncaster Culture and Leisure Trust, the flexibility and scalability of the product was best placed to grow with their business.” He adds, “We are fully committed to working and growing with Vanderbilt, and we look forward to other projects of this nature in the future.”

Supra, a provider of mobile credentialing and entry management systems for automotive and real estate sectors, announces that its TRAC-Box key management solution has been selected by Oregon-based Guaranty RV Super Centers to help secure and track keys while keeping pace with a growing demand for recreational vehicle (RV) travel. Supra is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, a global provider of healthy, safe and sustainable building and cold chain solutions. Located in Junction City, Oregon, Guaranty is the state’s largest dealer of recreational vehicles, from entry-level tent campers to luxurious diesel-powered RVs that sell for more than $400,000. Gaining valuable sales An industry publication, RV Business, has named Guaranty one of North America’s top 50 dealers for six consecutive years and a top 10 dealership based on customer reviews. “With our large footprint of 25 acres and long dark winters, it is difficult to have visibility of activity,” said Marty Nill, managing partner, Guaranty. “With the Supra TRAC-Box, we’ve improved security and gained valuable sales and marketing insights, and assigning permissions is simple. We’re confident we have authorized access to our vehicles with tracking controls in place. Our vehicles are retail-ready using the Supra TRAC-Box.” Providing greater visibility Supra’s TRAC-Box solution offers a convenient method for tracking the keys and fobs used to open vehicles Supra’s TRAC-Box solution offers a convenient method for tracking the keys and fobs used to open vehicles. Each TRAC-Box uses Bluetooth to communicate with Supra’s eKEY® mobile app on smartphones carried by Guaranty sales associates. They enter a PIN code into the app to unlock the keybox and acquire the keys from a built-in container. “Each time an authorized user opens a keybox, a record of the activity is stored in both the TRAC-Box and eKEY app, so managers and users can see the history of openings without having to return to the office,” said André Lalande, vice president – sales, Supra. “The app also transmits activity to the TRACcess Manager software to create an audit trail providing greater visibility to lock-up activities.” Removing access permissions TRACcess Manager also provides prompt visibility to the activity and frequency of RV showings, enabling management to see which RVs are most popular and reposition vehicles more efficiently. Notifications can also be set to alert management of keybox activity on specific inventory they want to monitor, for example, each time the 10 most expensive RVs are accessed. The TRAC-Box system also promotes accountability among associates and saves time looking for misplaced keys needed to show vehicles. When salespeople leave the company, managers can remove access permissions in easy, streamlined steps via any internet-connected computer or mobile device within a few minutes. Supra is featuring the TRAC-Box system in its virtual exhibit at the RV Dealers Virtual Convention & Expo, Nov. 9-20, 2020.

Hicking Building RTM Company Ltd has teamed up with Videx Security and Joes UK Limited to solve a major door entry issue for a large residential complex. The Hicking Building Ltd. is a Nottingham-based development comprising 329 self-contained flats, managed by property agents Walton and Allen. Many residents were struggling with a call issue because the existing intercom system developed a fault which meant residents weren’t receiving calls from the system panels. Because of this, tenants were missing visitors and deliveries with people thinking they weren’t home.  Videx GSM 4812 intercom system Installer Joes UK Ltd. was tasked with finding a suitable intercom system Installer Joes UK Ltd. was tasked with finding a suitable intercom system that would also work in conjunction with the existing access control system, where the fob entry element of this was working normally. Joe, who owns and manages Joes UK Ltd., said “The system installed is a very old system and we were struggling to source the repair parts needed to fix the calling issue tenants were experiencing. To fix the problem and reduce the risk of the issue happening again, I recommended the installation of a digital audio GSM 4812 intercom system by Videx that could work concurrently with the fob entry function of the existing solution.” He adds, “With the Videx GSM 4812, when someone calls a specific apartment the call is automatically directed to a registered phone number of the tenant’s, which is usually their smartphone. They now will never miss that important visitor or delivery and are made aware of who has visited even when they are not there and can authorize entry if they wish, while away from their home.” Parallel operations with software-based fob entry solution The Videx system works alongside the existing software-based fob entry solution that residents have used for many years. Mobile phones are now the handset of choice for the majority of people and as they are enabled with Wi-Fi calling, there’s no need to worry about poor mobile signal. If the existing fob system also developed a fault and stopped working, the Videx GSM system includes a preinstalled fob reader so it would be easy to switch this over to the GSM solution. Mark Gibbon, Sales Manager at Videx Security, said “The GSM system is the ultimate entry system of convenience that also provides maximum security too. There’s no infrastructure or wiring involved; it’s very easy to set up and use.” The GSM system is the ultimate entry system of convenience that also provides maximum security Mark adds, “It’s a win-win situation for both the resident and management company because it means residents won’t have to stay home waiting for a delivery, or miss a visitor, as they can answer the call to their apartment from anywhere in the world. For management companies, our GSM solution offers a fixed cost and minimizes the risk of call outs because there’s no handset maintenance involved.” Remote event log with online access A really useful feature of the GSM system is that it also carries a new remote event log that can be accessed online, allowing events to be viewed in real time, on the move via a phone, tablet/laptop. It’s a great security feature because it’s where a record is kept of calls, gate/door openings and much more. What’s also useful is that alerts can be programmed where an email will be sent should that alert be triggered. For example, if the gate or door is opened out of normal hours or if the registered number for a flat or property is changed too frequently - any unusual activity is flagged.

The Flemish Government has chosen AEOS access control by Nedap to secure its sites across Belgium and other European countries. It’s awarded a 6-year framework contract, beginning in September 2020, to Nedap channel partner G4S. This will involve G4S replacing the technology for more than 4,000 doors with AEOS. The new AEOS system will accommodate up to 50 software users and will feature various integrations, including visitor management, automatic number plate recognition, mobile readers, and QR code readers. Freedom from lock-ins This agreement with G4S replaces an incumbent supplier that had served consecutive framework contracts and whose technology was installed on more than 2,000 doors. The Flemish Government was looking for an open system that provides the freedom to select which technology it integrates and which installers it works with. Standardization across Europe The Government also wants to streamline its systems and processes. It currently has a wide mix of access control systems at its premises in various locations and wants to introduce more standardization through AEOS. Including the use of standard identifiers that are common across Europe. Service and scalability  As a large firm with teams of project managers, technicians, programmers, and more, G4S has the capability to handle such a big, multi-faceted project. And to provide the great-quality, responsive service and scalability the Flemish Government is looking for. Flexibility to manage complexity Tom van de Moerat the Flemish Government says “We’re looking forward to working with G4S and Nedap on this project. The detailed conversations they conducted during the tender process reassured us that we’ll receive a high-quality system and service.” “AEOS has the flexibility to adapt to our needs at each location, however, intricate the demands, while standardizing our processes nationally and internationally.”

Fury Motors has served the St. Paul, Minnesota area for more than 50 years. Founded in 1963 as a family-owned and operated business, the dealership offers the community a diversified mix of vehicles and services including new and pre-owned vehicles, financing, auto repair, and maintenance. Currently, the dealership employs 115 people locally and is a one-stop-shop for all things automotive and trusted by the community. Committed to offering quality new and used vehicles for every taste and need, Fury Motors maintains a large and complete inventory of new Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep vehicles. With more than $50M in inventory on a 10-acre lot, security has taken on a whole new level of importance since the dealership was founded. Challenges faced With the face of retail ever-evolving, challenges commonplace for auto dealerships have not only intensified but evolved, too. The safety and security of employees, customers, and assets have taken on a whole new meaning-making visibility into daily operations, not just important but critical to business success. Now more than ever businesses require flexibility, agility, and adaptability in their business solutions. This is particularly evident when it comes to solving security challenges. Fury Motors is no exception. The dealership realized simply recording security events as they happened was no longer enough. It needed to take a proactive stance on protecting its assets. Security of assets and operations To provide perspective, Fury Motors’ video security system required constant monitoring to capture events that were time and cost-prohibitive even with a monitoring company. And, if they could afford to have someone watch the cameras 24x7, human observations are subject to error or oversight. Fury Motors relies on remote monitoring to protect its inventory and capture valuable insight As a result, most video footage was never viewed or put to practical use, so Fury Motors was missing valuable information that could improve the security of assets and its operations. With no guard on-site, Fury Motors relies on remote monitoring to protect its inventory as well as capture valuable insight into employee behavior and customer service practices. When the dealership turned to Global Axiom and Ava, a unified security company, it was losing $7K+ a month to internal theft and operational inefficiency above and beyond losses and damage to inventory. Global Axiom Remote Monitoring powered by Ava Aware Fury Motors realized that it could and should get more value from its remote monitoring service including its intelligent video security system and footage. The dealership turned to Global Axiom for a monitoring service coupled with Ava Aware to provide the perfect solution to stay a step ahead of criminals and potential losses. And even more importantly, it gives Fury Motors the data intelligence to take business operations to a whole new level with greater efficiency and resource optimization. Fury Motors needed a new approach to security. Specifically, a system to capture, analyze, and present the big picture data. Everything from monitoring people and assets on the outdoor car lots to technicians doing oil changes in the service bay to the handling of incoming parts and inventory after hours. Video monitoring solution Combination of Global Axiom’s remote monitoring expertise and Ava Aware technology is unprecedented The dealership’s new intelligent video monitoring solution uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning bringing a new level of agility and flexibility to monitoring services allowing Fury Motors’ security operators to quickly review footage from past incidents, increase situational awareness and respond time to evolving situations, and capture trend data for developing strategies and making data-driven decisions to prevent future problems. The combination of Global Axiom’s remote monitoring expertise and powerful Ava Aware technology is unprecedented. Ava Aware allows Fury Motors to accelerate investigations by searching objects and events of interest with speed and precision. Critical when managing $50M+ in inventory. Four important Ava differentiators  Proactive threat detection Ava’s intelligent algorithms and self-learning detect abnormal behavior in specific Fury Motors scenarios and alerts operators in real-time. It intelligently highlights what’s truly relevant from all Fury Motors’ cameras, in real-time, all the time. Powerful search using machine learning Fury Motors is now able to search by event and similarity to perform appearance and image detection powered by machine learning capabilities. The dealership is now able to comb through countless hours of video in seconds. Critical in pre-empting theft and invaluable in managing operational efficiency. Directional audio analytics Fury Motors’ dealership is expansive with $50M in inventory on-site. The dealership needed a solution like Ava Aware to provide 360-degree coverage with Ava’s innovative acoustic sensors. The cameras identify specific sound patterns to determine the type of sound and its direction, and sends instant alerts to the Ava Aware video management system, providing Fury Motors’ security operators with a complete overview of the surroundings. Enhanced business and operational insights Fury Motors security and operations teams now have more situational awareness and insights. The dealership can monitor and count people and vehicles, watch smart maps to understand hot spots or high traffic areas to manage occupancy and shift scheduling, and ultimately, improve customer service. Improved operational efficiency Fury Motors is positioned to carry on for another 50+ years as a leader in the St. Paul, Minnesota market. Management team is able to review past events, respond to changes in real-time, and enhance operational efficiency with real data With its new improved monitoring service powered by analytics, the dealership’s management team is able to both review relevant past events but more importantly, proactively respond to situational changes in any environment via real-time alerts to prevent situations from occurring. Similarly, management is able to improve operational efficiency with real data. Ava’s technology Ava’s mobile technology allows investigators to immediately search footage across multiple video cameras from the field to decrease the time-to-target and save hours of investigation and suspect-tracking. Again, creating significant operational efficiencies and increasing the likelihood to prevent and/or recover lost assets. Video analytics Video analytics has also allowed Fury Motors to create customized alerts allowing the dealership to take a proactive and preventative response to a variety of problems. This need gained significance in the wake of health and safety guidelines put in place for COVID-19 and since has allowed Fury Motors to improve customer service by being more in tune with employee response times to customers on the lot. Data analytics The ability to detect both patterns and anomalies using Ava’s powerful data analytics is empowering Fury Motors to enforce compliance and respond to important company mandates in the short term while improving operations and protecting employees and customers in the long-term. Win-Win partnership “The Ava Aware solution combined with the Global Axiom remote monitoring service has been a tremendous win. Not only have our losses been eliminated but more importantly the headaches around dealing with those losses are gone as well. Our goal is for our customers to feel safe on our lot no matter when they choose to shop. They should feel comfortable that if they drop their car off for service or trust us with it for repair we will keep it safe. The Ava / Global Axiom solution provides this level of service and allows us to stay focused on serving our customers,” Fury Motor’s Owner, Tom Leonard.

Almabani General Contractors has a long robust history which began when the founders established the company in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in October of 1972. They are a family-owned company that remains true to its founders’ spirit, covenants, innovation and perseverance. Almabani General Contractors For four and a half decades, Almabani have been building up their expertise to serve an ever more demanding and challenging construction need in the region. In a prosperous economy fueled by the oil boom, the company was positioned to participate in the execution of some of the most prestigious landmark projects in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They have the highest classification in all civil and electrical works with in-house capabilities to develop design and value engineer solutions to cater to the customers’ needs. They have proudly executed projects from complex infrastructure works to heavy civil engineering structures. Engaged in highly competitive turnkey projects The company is engaged in highly competitive turnkey projects worth several billion dollars The company is engaged in highly competitive turnkey projects worth several billion dollars. To this end, Almabani continues to invest in quality, value engineering, proactive and talented people, endeavoring at all times to satisfy their customer’s expectations and to best serve the welfare of the society. Replacing decentralized access control systems Almabani General Contractors was using traditional decentralized access control & time-attendance systems in which they were facing the issue of excessive manual work and inaccurate data. Because of the poor quality of the existing biometric sensors, user fingerprints weren't recognized in the first attempt and the process was annoying and time-consuming. As the company is dealing with construction work, one of the major challenges for construction workers is accurate attendance marking despite dirty/stained fingers. Moreover, due to existing software limitations, many policies of access control and time-attendance couldn’t be implemented. As the existing system was decentralized, on-field employees faced issues while marking their attendance. Only basic reports could be prepared for attendance and access whereas they needed more customized reports because of various shifts and different contract workers. Moreover, third party integration was not possible in the earlier system. And last, but not the least, they were unsatisfied with support from the past supplier. Matrix access control and time-attendance solution Matrix solutions experts collaborated with the decision heads to understand the exact requirement and provide a cost-effective solution. After a comprehensive discussion, Matrix offered a centralized solution for all the locations. With the Matrix time-attendance and access control solution, the customer has overcome all the challenges. Now, it's possible for them to get control of all the locations from a single central location. Multispectral fingerprint sensor technology To stop inaccurate attendance marking, Matrix offered multispectral fingerprint sensor technology To overcome the problem of inaccurate attendance marking due to dirty/stained fingers, Matrix provided the multispectral fingerprint sensor technology which contains information about both the surface and the subsurface features of the skin. This technology gives a high throughput. They also acquired Palm Vein Reader for contactless authentication verification for the higher authorities. The solution from Matrix is fully customized with multiple shifts and attendance policies that can be applied to individual users. The smart mobile application for attendance marking and leave applications facilitate easy operation for users. Now, the customer is able to get the report of each employee with 200 different options. Auto-push technology With the auto-push technology, there is no need to transfer the data into the server. The data is automatically transferred to the server in real-time. The customer also got flexibility in terms of connectivity with 3G and WiFi options. The system from Matrix also provided the flexibility for easy integration with the third-party payroll system. Result: Accuracy in attendance management Centralized time-attendance and access control management High possibility of third-party integration User-friendly and fast process because of good quality sensor OEM support Contactless and advanced technology Flexibility in terms of integration, connectivity and credentials   Products Offered: COSEC DOOR PVR – Palm Vein based Door Controller COSEC PATH DCFE – Biometric Fingerprint + RFID based Door Controller COSEC PATH DCCE – RFID based Door Controller COSEC PANEL LITE – Site Controller for Advanced Access Control Features COSEC LE PLATFORM – For 1500 + Users COSEC LE TAM – Time-Attendance Application Module COSEC LE ACM – Access Control Module COSEC LE ESS – Employees Self Service Module (Mobile App) COSEC INTEGRATION - Integration with In-house Payroll Software

The new year is several weeks old, so it is safe to say that many of our New Year resolutions have fallen by the wayside. Despite the limited success of our personal resolutions, the new year is a great time to take stock, look ahead, and plan to make 2020 the best year yet. Thinking about our industry as a whole, we asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What should be the security industry’s “New Year’s resolution?” 

Video analytics are undergoing a fundamental change in the market as machine learning enhances their accuracy while expanding their capabilities. But what are those expanded capabilities and how are they impacting the operation of security and video systems? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What new video analytics are having an impact in the market and how?

Fire and security systems are two elements of the same mission: To keep buildings and their occupants safe. However, the two systems often operate independently and may not be integrated. Should there be more integration and what are the pitfalls? We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: What are the challenges and opportunities of integrating security and fire systems?