IFSEC Global takes readers through the latest product launches and software updates to hit the security market throughout December 2022. This month we cover biometric access control, company collaborations, asset tagging and app re-designs.
Keep up to date with all the product releases and software updates in the security industry here:
Or head straight to the latest releases over the past few months below:
Redesigned app for easier use
Ajax Systems has redesigned their app aimed at improving the user experience to be more ‘holistic and comfortable’, without changing the familiar system control patterns.
The company reportedly received many requests about the opportunity to change the device order in the list to quickly move the most frequently used ones to the top. Most often, these are automation devices — Socket, WallSwitch, and Relay.
The application has increased contrast and extra icons for clearer navigation with fonts and details in a higher contrast than before.
To ensure that installation engineers and users see conveniently summarized and grouped information, the same approach is applied in the Rooms menu.
Information is easier to read with its amended clear colour coding, and the updated text icons ‘leave no doubt’ about its meanings.
The new design is available in mobile applications for Android — version 2.25 and iOS — 2.22.
Openings Studio Asset Tagging launched
ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland has introduced an asset tagging functionality for doors developed using its Openings Studio Building Information Modelling (BIM) Software, with the first customer project utilising this system now installed.
The BIM application is designed to provide access to complete doorset information at all stages from product concept to product care.
The new Openings Studio Mobile App is aimed at allowing users to manage buildings as a holistic system, and design, build and maintain openings for their ‘life cycle’.
Information stored within the app aims to enable buildings to be ‘safely and effectively’ designed, constructed and operated, providing a more ‘seamless’ link between design intent during the specification process onto the product in service.
Every door logged in Openings Studio is automatically assigned a unique asset tag, which can be affixed to the door as either a QR code or RFID Tag, enabling direct access to the door details, including installation, inspection, and service history.
The asset tag functionality is designed to enable direct access from the mobile app to information such as product specification, hardware schedule, product information, inspection reports, digital images, and change management tracking.
Digital access cards using biometrics launched
Biometrics company, Fingerprints, is supporting the move to passwordless logical access control, helping FIDO2 authenticator vendors integrate biometrics to enhance the authentication user experience while improving security and enabling multi-factor authentication.
Valmido, a French startup offering a multi-app device to authenticate mobile and web services, has launched its first biometric access card, ProFIDO Bio.
The smart card is a FIDO2 hardware authenticator and is now equipped with a biometric fingerprint sensor. It is designed to enable secure logical access, with typical use cases including secure, passwordless and hassle-free Windows login and website authentication.
“Thanks to a partnership with Fingerprints, Valmido enables getting rid of passwords with the highest security level and yet superior user experience. With our multi-purpose device based on biometrics and 21st century connectivity, citizens and corporations stay in control of their digital credentials. Phishing-resistant authentication based on FIDO passwordless solution, is making password- and PIN-related problems history,” says Marc Muller, CTO of Valmido.
Fingerprints and SmartDisplayer, a Taiwanese card manufacturer have also collaborated by bringing to market a ‘unique’ biometric FIDO2 card, integrating Fingerprints´ FPC1323 sensor as well as its FPC-BEP software platform. The card can be used for a wide range of different logical access applications.
“We are happy to collaborate with SmartDisplayer to bring biometric authentication to FIDO2 card design. The result is a card which combines security, flexibility and user-friendliness, facilitating highly secure access to a multitude of devices and data. Enabling safe and convenient FIDO2 biometric cards for everyday use”, says Roger Carrico, VP of Sales, Payment & Access at Fingerprints.
A prototype is expected to be ready by Q1 2023 and certified by Q2 2023.
Click here to find out more about Fingerprints’ Access solutions.
FlipX Advanced sensors for high-security environments
Following the EMEA roll out of its FlipX Standard indoor sensors in September, OPTEX has announced the launch of its new Grade 3 FlipX Advanced series.
The product features a pyroelectric sensor for increased performance that is designed to ‘adapt’ to the human shape, and a ‘unique’ lens that can be flipped, designed to provide both wide and narrow detection in a single sensor. By rotating the lens through 180°, the sensor can be used to help protect narrow or long areas such as a corridor or warehouse aisles ‘up to 24m’, or a wide, open area like a lobby or a high-value retail store to 15m at 85°.
To provide a higher level of security, the Advanced models feature IR-Antimasking, which aims to protect both the PIR and microwave sensors, generating an alert if they are covered. It’s also equipped with additional algorithms to ‘ensure stable detection’ and to reduce false alarms. Double conductive shielding aims to avoid ‘nuisance alarms’ caused by changes of light, temperature or Radio Frequency Interference (RFI).
The sensors also feature a ‘super high PIR sensitivity’ mode, which when set, enables the sensors to maintain stable and highly reliable detection even when the temperature difference between the human and the environment is very small, this helps to ensure greater catch performance for high-security, high-risk sites where missed alarms are unacceptable.
The sensors feature a sleeker and more compact design, with flexible mounting height options (between 2-3m) meaning they ‘blend’ into building aesthetics, as well as buildings with higher ceilings.
Following the launch, OPTEX plans to release further models in the FlipX series in early 2023.
Two all-in-one pendant speakers for customer experience and security needs
Axis Communications announces the launch of two new pendant speakers, aimed at mounting on high, open ceilings. The speakers can be used to make live or pre-recorded announcements and to play background music, designed to improve the customer experience and supporting security and safety.
AXIS C1510 Network Pendant Speaker and AXIS C1511 Network Pendant Speaker are all-in-one speakers that make audio announcements smarter and easier. The new speakers are ‘particularly well-suited’ to retail stores, shopping malls, and other environments where design is of importance, ‘blending seamlessly’ into any surroundings. The pendant speakers can be installed in ‘any’ ceiling, regardless of height, through adjustment of the cable length depending on requirements.
Key features in both AXIS C1510 and AXIS C1511 include:
Three new industry certifications announced
BT Redcare have announced three new certifications for its Next Generation portfolio. The certifications aim to demonstrate BT Redcare’s ‘ongoing commitment’ to excellence and maintaining the high standards across all products and services. These certifications also aim to provide installers and end-customers with more confidence that solutions can be relied upon in emergencies.
The three third-party certification schemes BT Redcare’s products have passed are:
Nick Whiting, Head of BT Redcare, part of its Enterprise business, said: “We’re proud to be leading from the front with third-party certifications. It’s vital that the industry takes all the steps necessary to protect people, premises, and possessions, and the three certifications give installers the confidence to reassure customers that solutions will perform in emergencies. BT Redcare means business and we are taking installers into the fast lane by providing a Next Generation portfolio that has the highest third-party certification, boosting their reputation and their bottom line.”
As well as being certified, BT Redcare’s Next Generation alarm signalling portfolio is ECHO-ready, is said to come with a 10-year product guarantee and is manufactured from recyclable plastic.
For more information, visit BT Redcare.
Traka integrates with Paxton’s Net2 to create one access management solution
Traka has integrated with Paxton’s Net2 software to enable users to operate from one access control platform to maintain ‘critical’ key and equipment management.
The integration with Net2 is designed to ensure ‘complete data integrity’ with Traka, allowing users to benefit from improved security and drive improvement. This includes sending personnel, credential, and access level updates to the Traka system in ‘real-time’.
Users can also benefit from a single credential operation for both door access and the keys and/or equipment managed by Traka, which are designed to be controlled by time and day on an automatic basis, with ‘instant’ audit control reporting as and when required.
With the integration operating with TrakaWEB advanced software, it aims to support intelligent key and equipment central management control with ‘significant’ benefits and additional functionality, designed to reduce administration overheads.
Further benefits include the ability to expose Traka events and alarms, making them visible within the Net2 software, and an ability to administer the Traka system from the familiar access control environment. This includes varying staff access to selected items and providing curfew functionality to ensure keys are checked out and returned in specific, defined time allocations.
Flagship door entry system adds new concierge offering
Videx has enhanced its door entry system, the VX2300, adding a desk mount concierge unit for small to medium sized installations of the two-wire video system.
The CST2310 unit can be used for ‘up to 200’ apartments, offering both handset and hands-free speech and a back lit touch control keypad along with a 3.5” LCD display with on screen information relating to both entrances and apartments and the stage of a call when in progress. It can also be used to receive or intercept calls from entrances, make and receive calls from apartments and activate outputs, open doors and gates and receive alarm calls from apartments.
The unit has three modes of operation: ‘Day’ mode where all calls from apartments and entrances are designed to be intercepted by the concierge. ‘Night’ mode where calls from entrances can go direct to the apartments unless directed to the concierge, and calls from apartments that can be received by the concierge. It also has an ‘Off’ mode where calls are designed to go directly from entrances to the concierge while the concierge is off duty.
The CST2310 is also said to be compatible with the ‘complete VX2300 range’ which includes entrance panels from 1 call button through to digital and a range of apartment options, from audio only through to 7” video monitors.
Integration partnership with ZeroEyes to enable long range gun detection
Evolon Technology and ZeroEyes has announced a collaboration that marries long-distance object detection capabilities of Evolon’s analytics with the proprietary AI gun detection technology of ZeroEyes to provide a more ‘robust’ long-range gun detection solution.
The integration between the ZeroEyes and Evolon Edge is designed to enable users to detect and track individuals carrying firearms at distances ‘greater than a football field away’. This capability has the potential to give users additional lead time in dealing with gun-related threats in public places such as schools, shopping centers, casinos, and more. The ultimate goal is to provide earlier detection of a threat, giving ‘ample time’ to lock buildings down, notify authorities, sound alarms, and get people to safety.
“Current events point to the need for a partnership like ours,” said Kevin Stadler, Evolon’s President and CEO. “Fundamentally, we recognize that the sooner you can see a threat, the sooner you can neutralize it. This partnership serves as an opportunity to leverage the very best in analytics and AI technology to foster a smarter and safer environment for everyone, particularly in places where public safety is paramount.”
“This alliance could help us save even more innocent lives,” said Mike Lahiff, CEO of ZeroEyes. “Schools, businesses and other organizations will be alerted of brandished guns when the offender is still hundreds of feet away, giving them time to lock the doors and move everybody to safe areas. Our vision is a world in which we no longer need to fear losing our loved ones to gun-related violence, and this technology integration brings us one step closer to that reality.”
