Security access systems - Expert commentary

Security is a big concern for local government buildings, but there are measures that can make a difference Back in August of 2013, Rockne Warren Newell, armed with a rifle and a handgun, stormed a township meeting in the Ross Township Municipal Building in Saylorsburg, Pa. Witnesses say he fired through a wall into the meeting room and then burst into the room itself, guns blazing. Three people died, and two sustained wounds before citizens attending the meeting restrained hi...

The future will produce cost-effective solutions that can provide meaningful coverage of wide expansive areas The greatest trend in history will continue to change the world, and the physical security market. It’s called Moore’s Law. In accordance with Moore’s Law, our electronics have consistently doubled in speed, halved in size, or halved in price every two years for decades already. This trend means that our electronics, communications networks, data ne...

Integrators and end users should be aware that their definition of open might differ from those of security manufacturers Much of the buzz in the industry today about open architecture is driven by the IT world, with many security-related decisions now falling on an organization’s IT department, where true open architecture has been around for a long time. Closed systems like we’ve experienced in the security world are not just viewed as foreign to the IT world; th...

According IHS Technology, more than 11 million consumer and DIY network cameras will be shipped worldwide this year Perhaps we should start looking at do-it-yourself (DIY) systems such Google’s Nest and other devices as an opportunity for existing security contractors – those that are open-minded anyway – to bring in additional customers and new streams of recurring monthly revenue (RMR). DIY systems continue to proliferate in the marketplace and are availab...

“Better, Faster, Cheaper – choose any two” is the old adage for computerised systems.  When it comes to businesses subjected to federal or industry security regulations, the equivalent saying might be, “mitigate risk, achieve compliance, or reduce cost – choose any two.” So if there were a way to have all three that would get your attention. Complying With Regulations More and more industries are subjected to some form of regulation....

Recently there has been great interest in long range reading (433 MHz technology) For the last two decades, the primary contactless technology used in access control systems has been the proximity card (125 kHz technology). In the last decade, proximity cards have been augmented by the smart card (13.56 MHz technology). And that's the way it has been until just recently. All of a sudden, there has been great interest in long range reading (433 MHz technology). Merging Traditi...

Ethics and the security industry is a balancing act Most of us have a basic instinct as to what is and is not ethical behavior. But is instinct enough?  “Ethics and the security industry is a balancing act,” says Mike Hurst, vice chairman of the UK Chapter of ASIS International. “Most people will have an instinct as to what ethical behavior is, but there’s an absence of hard and fast rules.” Examples often crop up in video surveillance situa...

SWOT evaluates a company’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) in connection with a project Expanding into other countries with sales offices, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers can present a number of security risks. SWOT Analysis For Security Strategy Physical security technology can help to mitigate some of these risks. “The physical security technology used in international locations is similar to what we use here, but t...

ESX is designed to provide information and knowledge alarm companies can’t get at any other event For those of you who have been honky-tonking the last several years during the ESX Show, there’s a new game in town – as the annual educational, exhibits and networking event moves to Baltimore, Md., June 24 to 26, and the excitement of the Inner Harbor. Focused And Futuristic Celebrating its eighth year, ESX focuses on peer-to-peer education and strategies &n...

Easy does it is the watchword of the day, as industry suppliers make their products more intuitive A common theme emerging from physical security manufacturers is a focus on making installation, setup and integration as easy as possible for the installer. With technology moving at break-neck speeds and the Internet of Things promising seamless device connectivity, manufacturing are doing their best to help systems integrators succeed. Of course, the manufacturer benefits...

The trend towards greater unification is facilitated by an all-encompassing shift to IP technologies As more organizations are looking for ways to maximize resources and increase operational efficiencies, unification of multiple security and business systems is gaining popularity. From the central command center, there is significant time lost when operators have to jump from video surveillance to access control systems to analyze an incident and take appropriate measures. Eve...

Timm typically walks through school buildings to assess vulnerabilities, and recommends systems and products As an independent school security consultant, Paul Timm of RETA Security conducts security assessments and provides technical assistance for numerous school districts throughout the United States and Canada. Timm typically walks through school buildings to assess vulnerabilities, and recommends systems and products, practices and policies, and other strategies to optimi...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Too often a valid assumption turns out to be the opposite in practical operation It’s easy to misinterpret product specifications of IP video transmission products to the detriment of system functionality. We have seen how this problem relates to port speed, power over Ethernet (PoE) and transmission media. Now let’s look at some additional aspects of product specifications – and how they can be misinterpreted. Importance Of Temperature Rating What about te...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...