Category Archives: Access Control

CCTV facial recognition and access control using the WJ-NV200

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Here is a thought . Could the next generation of access control be completely free of any kind of intervention from the subject being granted access through the door. Consider this,  we will take a couple of Panasonic products from the iPro range and integrate these together in order that we may open doors. Using the Panasonic WV-SF346 vandal resistant dome camera and the WJ-NV200 NVR, the technology now exists to allow us to integrate doors into camera systems.

panasonic WJ-NV200
WJ-NV200

By using the facial recognition features with the WJ-NV200 we can open doors as a subject approaches. As long as his face is a match and he has access rights granted. So what type of advantages does this integrated access control system offer to the end user. No more expensive cards or tag systems. Video evidence of the time and date the subject passes through the door and simplicity with no expensive biometric readers or card readers. The route of facial recognition to open doors brings a high tec cost effective access control solution that many end users may buy into into. Just a thought!!!

IFSEC 2011 news and reviews

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So here it is again. IFSEC 2011, time flies. Well it was a good journey up . No traffic and straight into the car-park without fuss. Have to say we were well impressed with the organization there. Still £8 for parking and we were all thinking inflation was running at 4.5%!!.

So into the show and checking in was easy. Faced immediately with the Risco stand we thought we would take a look. Lots of wireless intruder options and generally helpful chaps, well done Risco. We had no real plan in mind so started to wonder around and see what caught our eye. Bold communications were advertising that they were celebrating 30 years in the business and their stand certainly outlined that fact. Bold communications are the suppliers of integrated security monitoring software for small to medium sized central stations but also boast some pretty good customers such as the Mitie group, they certainly were able to demonstrate some advanced monitoring technology and and we left quite impressed.

Bombarded with literature we carried on taking in as many stalls as we could but generally attracted to the big names on show. Panasonic stood out and we headed that way. We have to say the stand was impressive, the cameras look great , the DVRs seem to be able to do just about anything, but the guys on the stand just did not seem to understand any of their products, each seeking answers from each other from what should have been simple questions. Not impressed although this observation can only reflect on those we talked to not all the guys on the stand. The Bosch stand was good and the Dallmeier offerings equally impressive, still exhibiting the Netbox we noticed! Walked past dedicated Micros as it just did not seem to have much interesting going on. We wanted to get some information on the Honeywell HRDP DVR did not seem like there was any literature left though, but the staff were helpful, so fair enough. Then we became interested in the HDCCTV on show. Now HDCCTV is a concept where by HDCCTV cameras can be connected to existing coax and the cameras viewed without the need for compression so true HD images can be viewed. Well plenty of  HDCCTV cameras on in the exhibition but no-one seemed to be able to offer us a recording solution, that was until we found Everfocus. They are pioneers of  HDCCTV over coax and offer the complete solution. This technology will sit nicely with smaller installers who have customers craving  HDCCTV cameras but without the cost involved of upgrading analogue to IP, lets see how this HDCCTV technology develops.

Lunchtime……. could IFSEC 2011 beat the offerings of IFSEC 2010? Well….. it was …..ok……..So on we go to the Adpro stand. They have released the new FastTrace 2 , now this one is a winner, a good name and a great product. A Hybrid recorder with transmission that central stations are familiar with and rock solid delivery of images, quality images at that.

Stand of the day was Samsung, fantastic,impressive and must of cost a few quid but it drew the crowds in and with good reason, excellent products to view and very helpful staff. Panasonic, learn from this!!!

Now a few mentions for others. Silvernet, great product.Wireless IP transmission, easy to set up and and some rave reviews about how successful some of thier projects have been. Recommended if you need wireless IP. Paxton as always were there and their new POE IP solutions look like they will make life easier for installers, so well done Paxton. Avigilon………..Quality !

Finally we had the side shows lots of exhibitors who had obviously travelled from afar to show off their cameras, DVRs, IP products etc. but they still lack the clout in the UK enjoyed by the recognised names so they tend to get politely passed by.

All in all a good exhibition, was not so IP focused as last year but the market place is still taking time to move that way , much to many peoples surprise. However IFSEC 2011 as an exhibition certainly held its own and will be worth a visit again next year.

NSI guardians of high standards or a burden on the security industry?

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NSI or is it Nacoss, but for many years this organization has been the enforcer of regulation and standards within the security industry. Many companies aspire to be NSI Gold approved and the kudos that goes with it is worth all the effort and costs involved. We ask however, is this starting to change?

NSI gold approved security company

Over the last two years within the security industry we have seen a seismic shift away from quality in favour of cost savings. This has meant that the smaller installers and have a go electricians,who had previously been shut out by strict regulation are suddenly finding they are winning jobs and making good profit. Sometimes, but not always, they are able to get away with poorly installed security installations and walk away with the money, much to the ongoing disgust of the larger installers out there. How is this possible though? Why are the big boys losing out? The answer is simple. It’s the overbearing overheads that NSI compliance demands that is dragging the larger company’s margins to breaking point. Add to this the end users lack of concern and disregard to regulation in favour of lower costs and we can see that some of the larger organizations out there are looking at being an NSI gold installer as becoming commercially unviable.

 

When NACOSS first hit the scene before becoming NSI, the improvement in false alarms from badly installed intruder alarms was astonishing. Regulation worked and insurance companies embraced the fact and so did the police. To be fair intruder alarms are not really much of an issue here. The problems for the big boys lie elsewhere.

 

Regulation then started to force its way into other areas of security installations. The NSI started to eye the CCTV industry and those who installed access control. Although not insurance driven, Nacoss decided that these disciplines should also be rigorously regulated. The problem is lots of larger security companies installed all 3, Intruder alarms, access control and CCTV. The NSI insisted any company who issued certificates on intruder alarms must also issue them on CCTV and access control. At £30 odd quid a go this adds cost straight away. In addition corrective response times and maintenance performance targets were also included. This means staffing levels must be increased as a 4 hour response became mandatory on all security systems. Now a smaller company cannot possibly compete in the servicing side of things but when a new job is out there to be won many company MD’s did not care too much about aftercare. Just the bottom line of the cost of the installation matters. With many businesses now self insured against theft and malicious damage there are no insurance companies telling the end user they must install their security systems to NSI standards. Therefore you can see why the smaller guys are winning jobs.

handcuffs on business

So does this mean that the ADT’s and Chubb’s of this world may look to move away from the NSI? We don’t know but  IP CCTV is also changing the way that the NSI will need to operate. At the moment they are not moving fast enough. Even so how can the NSI impose regulation on a security installer but not an IT integrator? The commercial advantage to the integrator would be huge. Admittedly the installation may not be as good or reliable but when the FD of the purchasing company looks at 3 quotes, seemingly identical , he is not going to question the issue of an NSI certificate or the relevant standards at that point. This means the CCTV installer is out of pocket. To us it seems despite all the CCTV installers hard work on his quotes, if things don’t change he will be going out of business fast!!! .

 

So is the NSI in danger of being dropped by the security industry? Will they all inevitably abandon the NSI ? Unless a more sensible and fairer system can be worked out then we think the answer could well be yes!

 

 

Honeywell integrated access control solutions

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Honeywell are renowned throughout the industry for thier integrated access control solutions, What products though do they offer ? Below we list thier premium access control range.

Access Control Solutions
State-of-the-art access control software that integrates the most advanced security technologies with innovative networking capabilities to bring you full-featured security solutions serving any size facility.
NetAXS- 4 – Web-based access control starting at four doors. 

NetAXS-123 – NetAXS-123 – Web based access control starting at one, two or three doors

WIN-PAK® SE with VISTA Integration – Integrated Access Control Solutions

WIN-PAK® PE with VISTA Integration – Integrated Access Control Solutions

NStar – Access Control System

For more information about Honeywell CCTV and DVR solutions click here

Integrated CCTV systems

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Integrated CCTV systems are becoming more and more widespread as industry realize the major benefits integration can bring. Security systems are becoming more sophisticated and IP security solutions means integration between all the different disciplines is inevitable.

Emizon TCD

In the past we have been used to seeing access control on one platform, CCTV on another and intruder alarms have been governed by strict European regulation meaning IP has been slow to penetrate this market place.

However Emizon broke the mould with their IP communicator and Siemens are set to launch the new Intrunet SPC 4000, SPC5000 and SPC6000 intruder panels that will form the basis of their building technologies platform that will see Sipass access control and the SPC range integrating with Siemens current CCTV range of cameras to allow a true building management system. IP based and simple.

Paxton Net2 controller

Access control from Paxton and biometric solutions such iEVO fingerprint readers have also been integrated through IP and now mean that what used to be a slow process to open a door has now become fast and efficient bringing biometrics back to the forefront of building management systems.

Sistore MX hybrid DVR
Hybrid CCTV

With many manufacturers pinning their hopes on integrated security solutions we will see many more products and much more competition in the market place. So it seems the opportunities are now endless IP has bought integration to a point where many security solutions are now seamless even when different manufacturers are involved …the future is bright it seems!!