LG Iris Access control systems & kits

How can security system integrators not just survive but thrive in today’s IT-led market? The key seems to be in training. As increasingly more clients look to integrate access control with IT environments, they want integrators with the specialist skills to achieve this. For integrators that don’t invest in training, the risk is being left behind. Because many security system integrators aren’t providing specialist IT support, manufacturers are now offering services to make implementations and integrations easier. This isn’t a scalable or desirable option for many manufacturers though, they don’t want to become integrators. The result? Manufacturers will be pushed into developing products that can be integrated with IT networks off the shelf. And this isn’t necessarily the best option for end user, manufacturer or integrator. With a growing number of cloud-based security solutions, integrators also face the threat of clients opting for installation-only services. How security system integrators can survive and thrive today It’s not all doom and gloom for security system integrators though. To avoid becoming redundant, or being downgraded to simple access control installers, there’s lots you can do to strengthen your position. Listen carefully Many integrators are reluctant to do this, but it’s a great way to demonstrate the depth of your experienceOne of the first ways you can distinguish yourself from your competitors is by really listening to what your clients want and need. You can then translate this into a security or access control application tailored carefully to them. Many integrators are reluctant to do this, but it’s a great way to demonstrate the depth of your experience and product knowledge. It’s far superior to carrying out a standard implementation, which can leave clients feeling they’ve not been listened to or given good value. Up your IT knowledge TCP/IP has become the standard for communication between devices and central server applications in access control and security in general. So every technician now needs to know how to connect IP devices to networks and configure them in the central application. This is only the tip of the iceberg though, there’s so much more that integrators now need to be proficient in when it comes to IT. From understanding a client’s WAN, LAN and VPN networks to back-up systems, encryption technologies, key management and transparent communication. It’s also important to know how to integrate applications at server level, whether you’re integrating two or more security systems or a HR database. Most integrators have begun to invest in one or two IT experts, but this usually isn’t enough to meet clients’ needs. To really stay ahead, it’s crucial to invest more heavily in IT training and expertise. Choose your portfolio carefully When considering your portfolio, ensure you check the background of each product’s manufacturer Ideally, your portfolio should be small but rich, which is more difficult than it sounds. Choosing products that will scale easily is complex, and you need to consider the potential for increased functionality or connectivity as well as scalability. When considering your portfolio, make sure you check the background and outlook of each product’s manufacturer. You don’t want to select items that are likely to be discontinued in the near future, which can often happen after a manufacturer is acquired, for example. Get in the cloud In the security market, the mid and low segments are already shifting to cloud-based solutions that need neither integration nor IT skills. This leaves you with opportunities for just installation and maintenance services, where profit opportunities are reduced. An alternative is to begin selling cloud-based security services yourself to help you attract and retain clients for the long-term. Give clients added commercial value As competition increases and budgets shrink, offering added value, to new and existing clients, is a vital way to differentiate your business. This will help you to not just defend against competitors but to grow your business and increase your profitability. Configuring access control reports for clients is just one example. It’s relatively straightforward to do but provides really valuable insight into visitor flow. This can then enable them to, for example, staff reception adequately and provide sufficient catering, which all improves the experience for visitors and employees. Providing this kind of consultative service, instantly pushes you up the value chain. Stay agile and well informed To survive and grow as a security system integrator today, the upshot is that it’s crucial to keep pace with the market’s ever-changing trends, technology and client needs. And, to make sure you’re ready to adapt and give clients the services they want, it’s vital to give your people the in-depth training they need.

Back in the 1960s a lead engineer working in conjunction with the United States Navy for Lockheed’s Skunk Works team coined the acronym KISS, which translated to the design principle ‘keep it simple stupid’.  The KISS principle embraces the concept of simplicity, stating that most systems work best if they are kept simple rather than geared up to be more complicated. When it comes to physical security systems, this concept can also play a key element in its overall success. Secure work environments For years the tug of war in the security industry has pitted the need for a secure environment against the desire for technology that is convenient for users. However, finding a happy medium between the two has often seemed elusive. I believe you can design and have operational convenience at the same time as achieving high security" Jeff Spivey, a security consultant and the CEO of Security Risk Management, has this to say about it, “If there is an understanding of the security-related risks and their separate and/or collective impact on the organisation’s bottom line business goals, a resolution can be reached.” Jeff also does not think that convenience and high security have to be opposing each other. He says, “I believe you can design and have operational convenience at the same time as achieving high security.” Importance of secure access control The premise is that for organisations and spaces to be truly secure, they must be difficult to access. So, by its very nature, access control is designed to be restrictive, allowing only authorised staff and visitors to access a facility or other secured areas inside. This immediately puts convenience at odds with security. Most people will tolerate the restrictive nature of a controlled entrance using badge, card or biometric because they understand the need for security. When that technology gets in the way of staff traversing freely throughout the facility during the course of a business day, or hindering potential visitors or vendors from a positive experience entering the building, they become less tolerant, which often leads to negative feedback to the security staff. Enhancing corporate security Security consultants like Spivey and security directors all stress that understanding the threats and risk levels of an organisation will most likely dictate its physical security infrastructure and approach. All the technology in the world is useless if it is not embraced by those who are expected to use it and it doesn’t fit the culture of the organisation. Once employees and customers are educated about what security really is, they understand that they're not losing convenience, they're gaining freedom to move safely from point A to point B. Converged data and information shape new access options Migration of physical access control systems to a more network-centric platform is a game-changer for security technologies The migration of physical access control systems to a more network-centric platform has been a game-changer for emerging security technology options. The expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT), Near-Field Communication devices powered by Bluetooth technology, and the explosion of converged information systems and identity management tools that are now driving access control are making it easier than ever before for employees and visitors to apply for clearance, permissions and credentials. Wireless and proximity readers Advancements in high-performance wireless and proximity readers have enhanced the user’s access experience when presenting credentials at an entry and expediting movement throughout a facility. A user is now able to access a secured office from street-level without ever touching a key or card. Using a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone or triggering a facial recognition technology, they enter the building through a security revolving door or turnstile. A total building automation approach adds extra convenience, as well as seamless security, when access technology is integrated into other systems like elevator controls. A total building automation approach adds extra convenience and seamless security How to Meet Security Concerns at the Entry While security managers are charged with providing their facilities the maximum level of security possible, there is always the human element to consider. But does the effort to make people comfortable with their security system ecosystem come at a cost? Does all this convenience and the drive to deliver a positive security experience reduce an organisation’s overall levels of security? And if so, how can we continue to deliver the same positive experience including speed of entry – while improving risk mitigation and threat prevention? Door entrances, barriers Users can slip through the door or turnstile barriers while they are still open after a credentialed individual has gone through Let’s examine some of the various types of entrances being used at most facilities and the security properties of each. With some entrance types, there is the possibility for security to fall short of its intended goals in a way that can’t be addressed by access control technology alone. In particular, with many types of doors and barriers, tailgating is possible: users can slip through the door or turnstile barriers while they are still open after a credentialed individual has gone through. To address this, many organisations hire security officers to supervise the entry. While this can help to reduce tailgating, it has been demonstrated that officers are not immune to social engineering and can often be “talked into” letting an unauthorised person into a facility. Deploying video cameras, sensors Some organisations have deployed video surveillance cameras or sensors to help identify tailgaters after the fact or a door left open for longer than rules allow. This approach is not uncommon where facilities have attempted to optimise throughput and maintain a positive experience for staff and visitors. Security staff monitoring the video feeds can alert management so that action can be taken – but this is at best a reactive solution. It does not keep the unauthorised persons from entering, and so is not a totally secure solution. Optical turnstiles, speedgates Security staff should carefully evaluate its facility’s needs and consider the technology that is built into the door itself Security staff should carefully evaluate its facility’s needs and consider the technology that is built into the door itself. Not all security entrances work the same way. And, there will always be a balance between security and convenience – the more secure the entry, the less convenient it is for your personnel and visitors to enter your facility. For example, it takes more time to provide 2-factor authentication and enter through a mantrap portal than to provide only one credential and enter through an optical turnstile or speedgate. Perimeter protection So, it is an important first step to determine what is right at every entrance point within and around the perimeter. Remember that convenience does not equate to throughput. Convenience is the ease and speed of entry experienced by each individual crossing that threshold, while throughput relates to the speed at which many individuals can gain access to the facility. A more convenient entry makes a better first impression on visitors and is good for overall employee morale. Throughput is more functional; employees need to get logged in to begin their workday (and often to clock in to get paid), and they quickly become frustrated and dissatisfied when waiting in a long line to enter or exit the premises. Considering form and function when designing a security entrance can ensure that those requiring both high-security and convenience are appeased.

Imagine a home surveillance camera monitoring an elderly parent and anticipating potential concerns while respecting their privacy. Imagine another camera predicting a home burglary based on suspicious behaviors, allowing time to notify the homeowner who can in turn notify the police before the event occurs—or an entire network of cameras working together to keep an eye on neighborhood safety. Artificial Intelligence vision chips A new gen of AI vision chips are pushing advanced capabilities such as behavior analysis and higher-level security There's a new generation of artificial intelligence (AI) vision chips that are pushing advanced capabilities such as behavior analysis and higher-level security to the edge (directly on devices) for a customisable user experience—one that rivals the abilities of the consumer electronics devices we use every day. Once considered nothing more than “the eyes” of a security system, home monitoring cameras of 2020 will leverage AI-vision processors for high-performance computer vision at low power consumption and affordable cost—at the edge—for greater privacy and ease of use as well as to enable behavior analysis for predictive and preemptive monitoring. Advanced home monitoring cameras With this shift, camera makers and home monitoring service providers alike will be able to develop new edge-based use cases for home monitoring and enable consumers to customise devices to meet their individual needs. The result will be increased user engagement with home monitoring devices—mirroring that of cellphones and smart watches and creating an overlap between the home monitoring and consumer electronics markets. A quick step back reminds us that accomplishing these goals would have been cost prohibitive just a couple of years ago. Face recognition, behavior analysis, intelligent analytics, and decision-making at this level were extremely expensive to perform in the cloud. Additionally, the lag time associated with sending data to faraway servers for decoding and then processing made it impossible to achieve real-time results. Cloud-based home security devices The constraints of cloud processing certainly have not held the industry back, however. Home monitoring, a market just seven years young, has become a ubiquitous category of home security and home monitoring devices. Consumers can choose to install a single camera or doorbell that sends alerts to their phone, a family of devices and a monthly manufacturer’s plan, or a high-end professional monitoring solution. While the majority of these devices do indeed rely on the cloud for processing, camera makers have been pushing for edge-based processing since around 2016. For them, the benefit has always been clear: the opportunity to perform intelligent analytics processing in real-time on the device. But until now, the balance between computer vision performance and power consumption was lacking and camera companies weren’t able to make the leap. So instead, they have focused on improving designs and the cloud-centric model has prevailed. Hybrid security systems Even with improvements, false alerts result in unnecessary notifications and video recording Even with improvements, false alerts (like tree branches swaying in the wind or cats walking past a front door) result in unnecessary notifications and video recording— cameras remain active which, in the case of battery powered cameras, means using up valuable battery life. Hybrid models do exist. Typically, they provide rudimentary motion detection on the camera itself and then send video to the cloud for decoding and analysis to suppress false alerts. Hybrids provide higher-level results for things like people and cars, but their approach comes at a cost for both the consumer and the manufacturer. Advanced cloud analytics Advanced cloud analytics are more expensive than newly possible edge-based alternatives, and consumers have to pay for subscriptions. In addition, because of processing delays and other issues, things like rain or lighting changes (or even bugs on the camera) can still trigger unnecessary alerts. And the more alerts a user receives, the more they tend to ignore them—there are simply too many. In fact, it is estimated that users only pay attention to 5% of their notifications. This means that when a package is stolen or a car is burglarised, users often miss the real-time notification—only to find out about the incident after the fact. All of this will soon change with AI-based behavior analysis, predictive security, and real-time meaningful alerts. Predictive monitoring while safeguarding user privacy These days, consumers are putting more emphasis on privacy and have legitimate concerns about being recorded while in their homes. Soon, with AI advancements at the chip level, families will be able to select user apps that provide monitoring without the need to stream video to a company server, or they’ll have access to apps that record activity but obscure faces. Devices will have the ability to only send alerts according to specific criteria. If, for example, an elderly parent being monitored seems particularly unsteady one day or seems especially inactive, an application could alert the responsible family member and suggest that they check in. By analysing the elderly parent’s behavior, the application could also predict a potential fall and trigger an audio alert for the person and also the family. AI-based behavior analysis Ability to analyse massive amounts of data locally and identify trends is a key advantage of AI at the edge The ability to analyse massive amounts of data locally and identify trends or perform searches is a key advantage of AI at the edge, for both individuals and neighborhoods. For example, an individual might be curious as to what animal is wreaking havoc in their backyard every night. In this case, they could download a “small animal detector” app to their camera which would trigger an alert when a critter enters their yard. The animal could be scared off via an alarm and—armed with video proof—animal control would have useful data for setting a trap. Edge cameras A newly emerging category of “neighborhood watch” applications is already connecting neighbors for significantly improved monitoring and safety. As edge cameras become more commonplace, this category will become increasingly effective. The idea is that if, for example, one neighbor captures a package thief, and then the entire network of neighbors will receive a notification and a synopsis video showing the theft. Or if, say, there is a rash of car break-ins and one neighbor captures video of a red sedan casing their home around the time of a recent incident, an AI vision-based camera could be queried for helpful information: Residential monitoring and security The camera could be asked for a summary of the dates and times that it has recorded that particular red car. A case could be made if incident times match those of the vehicle’s recent appearances in the neighborhood. Even better, if that particular red car was to reappear and seems (by AI behavior analysis) to be suspicious, alerts could be sent proactively to networked residents and police could be notified immediately. Home monitoring in 2020 will bring positive change for users when it comes to monitoring and security, but it will also bring some fun. Consumers will, for example, be able to download apps that do things like monitor pet activity. They might query their device for a summary of their pet’s “unusual activity” and then use those clips to create cute, shareable videos. Who doesn’t love a video of a dog dragging a toilet paper roll around the house? AI at the Edge for home access control Home access control via biometrics is one of many new edge-based use cases that will bring convenience to home monitoring Home access control via biometrics is one of many new edge-based use cases that will bring convenience to home monitoring, and it’s an application that is expected to take off soon. With smart biometrics, cameras will be able to recognise residents and then unlock their smart front door locks automatically if desired, eliminating the need for keys. And if, for example, an unauthorised person tries to trick the system by presenting a photograph of a registered family member’s face, the camera could use “3D liveness detection” to spot the fake and deny access. With these and other advances, professional monitoring service providers will have the opportunity to bring a new generation of access control panels to market. Leveraging computer vision and deep neural networks Ultimately, what camera makers strive for is customer engagement and customer loyalty. These new use cases—thanks to AI at the edge—will make home monitoring devices more useful and more engaging to consumers. Leveraging computer vision and deep neural networks, new cameras will be able to filter out and block false alerts, predict incidents, and send real-time notifications only when there is something that the consumer is truly interested in seeing. AI and computer vision at the edge will enable a new generation of cameras that provide not only a higher level of security but that will fundamentally change the way consumers rely on and interact with their home monitoring devices.

Boon Edam will expand its booth presence and installs turnstiles at ASIS 2016's main entrance Boon Edam, a provider of security entrances and architectural revolving doors, has announced a greatly enhanced presence at the 62nd ASIS International Seminar and Exhibits in Orlando, Florida from September 12th-14th. In addition to expanding the booth to the largest footprint ever at the ASIS event, the company will also be the first official Turnstile Sponsor of the Exhibition.   Official turnstile sponsor   As the first official Turnstile Sponsor at ASIS International since the event’s inception, Boon Edam will install 18 lanes of barrier-free Speedlane 2048 optical turnstiles at the main entrance to the exhibits. The Speedlanes will be the first product that attendees encounter as they enter the exhibit hall.   Larger booth for increased customers  Due to unprecedented sales growth over the last several years, Boon Edam has expanded its booth size at ASIS to the largest footprint ever—now 40’x40’, with several designated meeting areas to accommodate larger groups from global and enterprise customers.   Product demonstrations  The booth will include the following products for live demonstrations:   A full complement of Speedlane Lifeline optical turnstiles, which were launched last year and offer on-trend styling and an intuitive user experience. The booth will include a Speedlane Swing, Slide and Open.   BoonTouch, a proprietary desktop touchpad with integrated software that enables efficient traffic management for many types of Boon Edam security entrances.   BoonConnect, an IP-addressable, proprietary software system that provides diagnostic and configuration tools for the Tourlock security revolving door and Circlelock mantrap portal. Users can access door operations and events using devices such as a tablet, laptop or smartphone via secured corporate network.   Tourlock 180+90, the best-selling security revolving door in the industry due to its high throughput and ability to prevent tailgating and piggybacking without manned supervision.   Circlelock mantrap portal is an anti-piggybacking solution for sensitive areas. At ASIS, we will be demonstrating the procedure for secondary biometric authorisation inside the portal using the latest iris scanning technology by Iris ID Systems, Inc., called the iCAM7S Series reader.   Circlelock Wall Mount portal is a special half portal that can be used to retrofit an existing swing door into an unmanned and reliable anti-piggybacking solution. This special portal will demonstrate authorisation using facial recognition technology from Stone Lock Global, Inc., called Stone Lock Pro.   Speedlane 300 optical turnstile, a practical optical turnstile with contemporary styling for detecting and deterring unauthorised entry.   Turnlock 100 full height turnstile, ideal for rugged outdoor environments and controlling access at the perimeter/fence line.   Trilock 75 waist high turnstile, a durable and versatile crowd control solution that works in a variety of applications, from outdoors to Class A office building lobbies.

Time and attendance has proven to be a successful use of biometric technology traditionally used for controlling access to highly sensitive areas Security technology is increasingly being used to help organisations tackle challenges going far beyond controlling access to office buildings and monitoring parking lot activity. Video, in particular, has become the darling of many markets. Retailers use live and recorded video to assess promotional sales efforts. Manufacturers confirm employees are following mandated safety regulations. Transit officials debunk false liability claims with a review of recorded mobile video. But here’s a relatively new one – biometrics. Long thought perfect for controlling access to highly sensitive public and private research and military facilities, they are showing up in offices, hotels — even in remote fruit fields and sugar processing plants — for employee time and attendance. It’s proven to be a successful use of the broad technology. Risks of mechanical and electronic clocks The process of keeping track of employees’ hours has long been open to fraud and other issues. Mechanical time clocks — in use since the 1800s — and even more modern electronic clocks using magnetic stripe or proximity cards are open to a process known as ‘buddy punching.’ That’s a scheme in which an employee clocks in and/or out for a friend who may be late or not even at work. Mechanical systems are also slow, potentially leading to long queues during shift changes resulting in wasted time and lost productivity. Mechanical cards also need to be keystroked into the payroll system, requiring significant back office time for data entry. Electronic cards can be shared. They may also be lost or stolen, costing additional time and money in back office expense. Even small errors in collecting and processing employee time and attendance can add substantially to the cost of payroll, already a major expense for any organisation. Studies by a leading international human resources consulting firm have shown even small payroll errors and fraud can boost operating costs by up to 10 percent. Biometric time and attendance solution But fraud, delays and lost credentials can be largely eliminated by a biometric solution. Common biometric systems involve hand or fingerprint readers, facial identification or iris recognition. Each technology records and then compares physical characteristics unique to every individual. However, changes in weight, hairstyle, finger or hand size, cuts or even the effects of manual labour can trigger the need for re-enrolment – in all except iris-based solutions. Fraud, delays and lost credentials can be largely eliminated by a biometric solution Iris recognition advantages The structural formation of the human iris (the visible coloured ring around the pupil), is fixed from the first year of life and remains constant. And few people can’t use the technology, as most individuals have at least one eye. Even blind people have successfully used iris recognition. At employee enrolment, iris systems utilise an industry-standard camera to capture an image of the iris. Software converts that to a small template stored in a terminal database. Authentication requires employees to stand roughly 18 inches from an iris reader and the process takes about two seconds. With multiple readers installed, long lines are eliminated. Also eliminated is fraud. Since every user’s iris is unique and required to be present at the reader, time fraud schemes are virtually impossible. The system can also prevent another type of back-office time fraud known as “ghost employees” – non-existent people added to the payroll. Security is also enhanced. The digital templates can’t be used to produce any sort of visual image, affording a high-level of defence against employee identity theft. An iris recognition system can also grant facility access as employee’s clock in for work. Iris recognition case study Here’s an example of how an iris recognition system has benefitted a major Turkish fruit and vegetable grower and one of Europe’s largest providers of juice. The nature of the local work force created a major time-and-attendance challenge. "Fingerprint and facial recognition systems were tried briefly. Facial recognition suffered from workers’ changes in hairstyle, facial hair, glasses and protective gear" New labourers arrive daily seeking work. Once hired, they might work a few days and then leave before returning a week later. Unreliable schedules made standard time cards virtually impossible to manage. The company’s security integrator suggested smart cards as an option. But that wasn’t much of an improvement as authorising, printing, distributing and tracking cards for thousands of on-and-off workers continued the human resources nightmare. Also, improper use of the cards threatened to cut into the company’s profits. Both fingerprint and facial recognition systems were tried briefly. The constant cuts and scars workers get from the manual labour impaired the accuracy of readers. Facial recognition suffered from workers’ changes in hairstyle, facial hair, glasses and protective gear. Daily payroll reports are transmitted to the company’s Istanbul headquarters using wide area networks in the fields and satellite communication. Software links the received data to a payroll module which automatically calculates employee hours and produces paychecks. The system currently has more than 10,000 enrolled workers. More are being added on an almost daily basis. Once a worker is in the system, it doesn’t matter how often he may leave. When he returns, the iris system immediately recognises him. Also, the contactless iris-based technology inhibits the transfer of virus or bacteria as there is no direct employee contact with the biometric readers. If these systems can work in remote areas of Turkey, they can certainly work in downtown Boston. And they do. There, a boutique hotel uses iris-based identity authentication to keep the hours of its employees. The same system also allows VIP guests to enter their suites without a key card. Reductions in cost Recent reductions in both product and deployment costs have made using biometrics, including iris recognition, a practical time and attendance investment for organisations of almost any size and in any location. Of course, biometrics still remains the go-to choice for protecting sensitive locations and international borders, as well as national identity and voter registration programmes.

Iris ID Systems Inc., formerly LG Electronics, Iris Technology Division, a leading provider of iris biometric technology, announced the introduction of its new IrisAccess® iCAM 7000 Series iris recognition cameras.The new units are plug-compatible replacements for the widely used iCAM 4000 and offer significantly more features, applications, and integration flexibility than previous models. In making the announcement, Charles Koo, President and CEO, Iris ID Systems Inc, said, "Based on our field-proven IrisAccess® systems, the world's most advanced and deployed iris recognition platform, the new cameras are designed to meet the diverse needs for speed, accuracy, and value in today's demanding biometric identification environment and continue to set the industry standard for iris recognition technology."The IrisAccess® 7000 Series has features no other iris system offers, according to Koo.  An auto-focus lens-enabled iris acquisition process ensures rapid, high quality iris image capture for enrollment and recognition, and a motor-driven targeting aid is part of an intuitive and interactive interface that also includes customisable voice prompts and visual feedback. All models feature the robust Iris ID countermeasure package experts agree sets the standard in the industry. The iCAM 7000 series devices will be ready for shipment before end of second quarter 2011. New iCAM 7000 series to provide seamless integration into legacy and future systems.Features:Fully automatic dual iris and face captureComfortable non-intrusive user interfaceIntegrated high resolution face capture cameraOptional integrated contactless smart card readerWiegand input and output easily integrates to PACS systemsBackwards compatible with 4000 series systemsTime and attendance readyStandalone door access capabilityFlush or recess mountingThe IrisAccess® iCAM 7100 Series expands the capabilities of the basic iCAM7000 model to deliver a wider range of uses for either a single biometric identification solution or multi-factor solutions. Additional features of the iCAM 7100 model include:Integrated 4.3" LCD touch screen programmable to support multiple vertical applicationsPin PAD6 customisable function keys Integrated contactless smart card reader supports multiple credentials, including proximity, magnetic strip, bar code, iClass or MIFARE / DESFireKanty Riarh, CEO of RBH Access Technology Inc., welcomed news of the new IrisAccess® iCAM 7000 Series, commenting, "This versatile and easily-integrated new series is an important contribution to RBH's access control group and our continuing relationship with Iris ID Systems. These units offer the maximum protection, versatility, simple operation, and cost efficiency that we need in our access control systems."