Austrian hotel boasts homey feel with concealed security design

Editor / Provider: Assa Abloy | Updated: 2/23/2013 | Article type: Residential & Consumer

VingCard Elsafe, an Assa Abloy company, installed the world's first concealed electronic door lock at 5-star Hotel Bristol in Vienna. The lock's minimalist design eliminates all lock hardware on the door, and encases all electronic components, including the reader, inside the door. The design covers the access device, making it practically "invisible" to hotel guests, which solves hotel design professionals' dilemma of blending lock hardware with hotel décor.

Although lock manufacturers made design progress in recent years by minimizing hardware and incorporating new technologies such as RFID and NFC, visible card readers remained on the door exterior. The minimalistic design could help hotels become more elegant and can fit in with the hotel's Art Deco design, said Matthias Winkler, co-owner of the 150-room hotel. The lock can help hotel designers stick to the current trend of giving hotels a more residential look.

VingCard RFID locking systems feature contactless capability via RFID-encoded communication and secure anti-cloning software. Additionally, NFC technology, which is expected to be in widespread use globally within a few years, was incorporated and will enable travelers to use mobile devices as room keys. The electronic lock also minimizes several other operational challenges inherent to guestroom-locking hardware, such as integration, installation and maintenance. The lock is compatible with VingCard's RF-online wireless door lock system that connects stand-alone electronic locks and other guestroom devices and systems, via a central property server.

VingCard Elsafe is confident in bringing this unique design and security solution to additional properties around the world, said Tim Shea, President.

Nedap announces 2012 financials

Editor / Provider: Nedap | Updated: 2/20/2013 | Article type: Security 50

The revenue of Nedap for the year 2012, at US$230.6 million (€ 171.9 million), was 13% up on 2011 ($204.3million). Corrected for the planned phasing-out of the traditional supplier activities, the growth in revenue was no less than 20%. Nearly all market groups - despite the difficult economic climate - managed to once more continue the solid upward trend of organic growth in revenue. The profit after taxes went up by 23% to $ 18.1 million (2011: $ 14.8 million). The earnings per share finished at $ 2.70 compared to $ 2.20 in 2011. Of the profit, 75% will be distributed as dividends. The dividend per share will therefore be $ 2.03 (2011: $ 1.65).

The market group AVI (Automatic Vehicle Identification, products for vehicle and driver identification and wireless parking systems) once more managed to achieve an impressive growth in revenue in 2012. With a complete range of long-distance recognition systems, AVI now offers the ideal solution for a whole variety of projects. The broad product portfolio - in combination with a further intensification of the marketing activities - resulted in higher revenue in virtually all countries where the market group is active.

Despite the difficult conditions in the retail market, the market group Retail (security, management and information systems for retail) managed to achieve a solid growth in revenue in 2012. The market group is becoming increasingly successful in developing attractive propositions for specific market segments, and winning clients for these propositions amongst leading retailers. To improve the quality of supply and distribution to multinational retailers, in 2012 a lot of effort was put into expanding the partner network. In addition, the Global Label Center in Hong Kong played an increasingly more important role for the propositions of the market group. During the year under review, the !FaST label was introduced, which is extremely effective for so-called "source protection". In addition to the fashion industry, where Nedap has always traditionally had a strong presence, the market group also explored excellent opportunities for growth in the food sector. On the basis of practical experience in supermarkets and megastores, the market group has developed a new anti-shoplifting system called !Sense. The market group is progressively moving further along the chain, from a supplier of just anti-shoplifting systems, to a partner for Store Technology. With Store !D, the market group offers retailers solutions that can help them to optimize their stock control with RFID technology.

After the robust growth in turnover during recent years, the Security Management market group (systems for access control, registration, payments, fire and intrusion alarms, surveillance, locker management, and biometrics) experienced a slowdown in 2012. The growth in turnover for security systems achieved by this market group with international clients was not enough to fully compensate for both the planned phasing-out of the activities of the former Education market group (attendance registration systems for schools) and the impact of the drop in the construction activity in the Netherlands. Over the past year, the trend of greater standardization in security systems pursued by major international enterprises has become more pronounced. Instead of trying to mesh together a multitude of local systems, there is now a shift towards the introduction of a single system for all branches. With the Nedap AEOS security management platform, the market group is excellently positioned to benefit from this trend. In 2012, the turnover from locker management systems also rose once more. More and more organizations are recognizing the benefits of using a single access pass for both doors and lockers. This all the more since office space will be used more flexibly with the spread of New Working methods.

BSIA guide on retail access control

Editor / Provider: BSIA | Updated: 2/19/2013 | Article type: Tech Corner

What is access control?
Access control provides the ability to control, monitor and restrict the movement of people, assets or vehicles in, out and around a building or site.

Access control is essential in the protection of people and assets and has the additional benefit of being expanded from controlling, for example, a single entrance door to a large integrated security network.

There are also huge potentials in terms of integrating access control with other systems, such as CCTV and intruder alarms, allowing for cost savings and greater security benefits.

What risks does the retail sector face and how can these be countered by access control?
The retail sector faces a variety of threats all year round, including shoplifting, organized retail crime and dishonest staff, and these risks can increase significantly during busy shopping periods such as seasonal sales.

Recently, the BSIA carried out a survey of its members to discover the trends in retail security over the last year. Over 50% of respondents felt that the use of private security measures in retail had increased over the past twelve months, with a further 65% anticipating this use to increase over the course of the next year.

Members perceived the biggest threat to retailers to be shoplifting and petty theft, with theft by employees following in second. Online theft and armed robberies were also considered to be risks.

Retail environments are full of valuable assets, both on the shop floor and in the stock room. Access control systems are all designed to permit access only to people with the necessary authority to enter a particular area, ensuring that goods and people are protected and helping to manage known or anticipated threats.

Generally, systems are comprised of three main components:
1. The physical barrier – to physically restrict access to a building or area. This can be achieved through methods such as:
- Doors – secured by either a magnetic or strike lock, or can be revolving or sliding.
- Turnstiles and speedgates – designed to limit access to one person per identification device.

2. The identification device – there are a number of different technologies available to identify users of an access control system, including:
- A proximity card and reader via Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID: these cards can be programmed to work at a short or long read range
- A smart card and reader
- A swipe card and reader
- PIN pads
- Biometric devices such as fingerprint or iris scanning

3. The door controller and software – these are at the heart of the access control system and are used to decide who can gain access through which entry point and at what time of the day are they permitted. These can vary depending on the size of the system and how many readers or sites you are trying to control from one point. Some of the options include:
- A stand-alone door controller linked to a single door with no software
- A number of door controllers all linked together to a single PC to control one site
- A number of sites all interlinked together over a wide network area The added benefits of access control

Retail environments often incorporate large numbers of staff working varied shift patterns. Access control systems can offer a wide range of benefits, including Human Resource management and integrated security systems.

Time and attendance
Retail security does not necessarily just offer protection for the shop floor itself, but can encompass all stages of the supply chain – including staff offices, warehouses and even the delivery process. Naturally, various different employees and outside visitors are involved in these processes and access control systems can assist with staff management.

Badge/token technology can be used to record employee hours and monitor visitor movement within a specific site. If appropriate, these can be processed against working hours, applicable for both temporary and permanent staff – this can be useful for busy shopping periods when additional seasonal staff are employed temporarily. This can work in real time to feed transactions through to the company's payroll. Time and attendance systems also accurately help keep employers on the right side of the European Working Time regulations and manage holidays and absences effectively. Fast, accurate and easy-to-use, these systems are suitable for businesses employing just a few people, right up to large multinational companies.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition
To monitor the movement of vehicles around an area, CCTV-style cameras and computer software can be used to identify number plates of vehicles. Some systems can also store photographs of the driver and vehicle for subsequent analysis. This sophisticated software allows critical information to be passed to the police to assist in the pursuit, identification and capture of offenders should an incident occur. For example, if a shoplifter flees the scene of a crime via a vehicle, ANPR cameras situated around an area could help identify the criminal. Visual proof of parking offences with the corresponding time and date information is provided as evidence and to avoid disputes. Using a Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) link, monitors are then able to identify the owner of a vehicle and process the offence automatically.

Fire roll call
Health and safety is a key consideration for any business. Since retail environments involve multiple staff members with varying shift patterns, it can be difficult to keep track of all employees during an emergency. Fire roll call technology generates a report containing crucial information in relation to who is within the building and potentially where they are. This software operates via the access control smart card or fob that an employee uses to gain access to or exit a building. In the event of an emergency, the fire roll-call software alerts occupants to the emergency whilst simultaneously activating the report at a safe pre-determined remote point.

Please note: In order for the fire roll call software to effectively carry out its function, employees and visitors must always present their card or badge. The use of smart card or RFID controlled turnstiles can help in this situation.

Integrated security systems
For maximum security, retail environments can benefit from a fully integrated access control system with CCTV, intruder alarms, fire detection and building management systems. One way to attain this is by adopting the use of Internet Protocol (IP) technology, which allows these systems to communicate with each other to maximize their effectiveness. Separate access control and intruder alarm systems, for example, could allow an employee to access an area that is set with an alarm.

However, unless the employee has the authority to unset the system, the access would result in a false alarm being activated – potentially causing panic in a retail environment. An effectively integrated system would recognize that the user does not have the authority to unset the system, so would not allow them in the area to begin with.

World's smallest UHF reader offers 2-meter read range

Editor / Provider: Nedap | Updated: 2/19/2013 | Article type: Security 50

Nedap introduces a groundbreaking UHF reader for hands-free building access. uPASS Access reads normal personal access badges at a distance of up to 2 meters. It operates with passive UHF cards (EPC GEN 2) and supports combi cards. uPASS Access is the perfect solution for doors that require convenience and security, such as office doors, high volume entrances, and disabled access. This ultra small reader is designed to mount on standard door mullions and is easy to integrate with any type of security system.

Until now, the access control industry was largely focused on the security aspect of readers, tags and cards. The convenience element has long been discarded. Existing technologies for more convenient long read range mostly are battery powered, have large reader antennas, or involve proprietary technology. With the introduction of uPASS Access these objections against widespread use of long range RFID now belong to the past.

With uPASS Access, Nedap adds convenience and ease of use as the new dimension in building access control. This offers security managers the ability to select the best appropriate access control solution for each individual situation: security when necessary, convenience whenever possible. uPASS Access is applicable in many situations, such as typical hands-free building access for staff in hospitals and lab clean-rooms, wheelchair users, employees in warehouses, and more high volume entrances in office buildings and at universities.

The uPASS Access contains an advanced and patented antenna design. The small shaped reader (15 cm height x 5 cm width x 4 cm depth) is specifically designed for doorpost mounting, has a read range up to 2 meters (6 feet), and supports reading battery-less UHF (EPC Gen II) access control cards. Nedap's portfolio holds various types of combi cards that combine UHF with HID, Legic, Mifare, FeliCa, EM and Nedap card technology. The new uPASS Access reader supports all common security industry standards for communication with access control systems. The reader can be used indoors and outdoors with an IP65 rating, supports Wiegand connections as well as RS485, Magstripe and RF.

Key benefits
uPASS Access offers hands-free identification of people in buildings. The key benefits are:
- Small reader design
- Read range up to 2 meters (6 feet)
- Industry communication standards (Wiegand, RS485, Magstripe, RF)
- Operates with passive UHF cards (EPC GEN 2)
- Supports combi card technology, UHF with HID, Legic, Mifare, FeliCa, EM and Nedap
- Suitable for indoor and outdoor use (IP65 rated housing)
- 3 color LED indication
- Beeper indication

Assa Abloy/HID discusses secure identity trends for 2013

Editor / Provider: HID Global | Updated: 2/12/2013 | Article type: Security 50

HID Global, a worldwide supplier for secure identity solutions, released its projections for the top secure identity trends of 2013. The predictions span a broad range of market segments including physical access control, logical access control, and mobile access control using NFC-enabled smartphones. Other market segments covered in the company's projections include visitor management, secure credential issuance, and RFID tagging for traditional asset tracking applications as well as new uses, such as product and document certification and authentication.

"As a company that provides the industry's broadest range of secure identity products, solutions and services, HID Global offers a unique perspective on the factors driving key industry developments and the adoption of new technologies," said Selva Selvaratnam, senior VP and CTO of HID Global. "We believe that 2013 will be a watershed year for the secure identity industry, due to important advances in technology that will drive increased security and an unprecedented user experience across both existing and new markets."

From HID Global's perspective, the trends unfolding during 2013 that will impact market direction and influence how organizations will create, use manage secure identities include:

- Users want to move towards a more “frictionless” security experience.
- Mobileaccess control will accelerate and dramatically change the industry.
- NFC-enabled smartphones will still co-exist with cards for opening doors and other applications.
- Access control will continue to converge on cards and NFC-enabled mobile devices.
- The industry will accelerate its migration from magstripe to prox to smarter smart cards.
- Identity management will move to the cloud, supported by new managed services.
- Secure issuance advancements will make it easier to create and distribute more secure cards.
- A new category of trusted NFC tags will change how we secure assets and protect consumers.
- Highly secure FIPS-201 technology will move beyond the government to commercial applications.
- Access control systems will increasingly feature integrated visitor management capabilities.

HID Global anticipates that these and other trends in IP-based access control will drive new capabilities in 2013 while shaping the market in the years to come.

Helsinki regulates vehicular access with smarts

Editor / Provider: Nedap | Updated: 2/6/2013 | Article type: Infrastructure

During spring 2012 the Finnish capital Helsinki has put an intelligent vehicle access control system for its city center into operation. Authorizing selective vehicle groups for access has proven to be an effective method for reducing unnecessary traffic volume in city centers. By applying this technology, the city of Helsinki strives to make its city center cyclist- and pedestrian-friendly, increase road safety and reduce hazardous emissions. The Dutch company Nedap developed the technology that enables selective vehicle access control and the installation of the system is carried out by Finnish company Visy. Helsinki considers expanding the vehicle restricted zone in its city centre in 2013.

To increase the liveability and economic vitality significantly, Helsinki wishes to reduce the volume of motorized vehicles in its city center and regulate the amount of traffic movements, while taking into account the dynamic aspects of the city traffic. Residents, retailers, suppliers, taxis and emergency services seek access to the heart of Helsinki at various times and for a wide range of reasons. The vehicle access control system enables selective vehicle target groups with a valid permit to enter the city centre automatically, securely and conveniently. The system offers a high degree of flexibility in granting access rights to vehicles, based on need, route, destination and time of day.

The Finnish company Visy installed the intelligent system at three access roads to the city center. At each gate various technologies for identification and communication are installed that are locally integrated and remotely controlled. Long range RFID technology is used to identify vehicles. A vehicle management controller (VMC) controls connects to barriers, traffic lights and RFID readers and controls their activity. The VMC hardware layout and purpose built embedded software enables a clean installation that is easily maintained. In the past decade, Nedap has successfully implemented these controllers in a large number of Dutch cities to enable intelligent vehicle access control. The city of Helsinki perceived the results as positive and currently considers to scale up the number of restricted traffic zones in the city.

Nedap AVI expands team to answer worldwide growth

Editor / Provider: Nedap AVI | Updated: 1/29/2013 | Article type: Security 50

The Dutch technology company Nedap AVI expanded its team to respond on the growing market position in the security and parking industry. Recently Nedap AVI, part of Nedap NV, showed satisfying increase in its revenue in 2012 as well.

New within the Nedap AVI team are:
- Tahyani Perdomo-Villaroel, responsible for business development in South America
- Melvyn Teo, responsible for business development in Asia
- Michele Monzeglio, responsible for technical sales and support in Italy

"Our leading market position is the result of our strategy to focus intensively on product development, sales and marketing worldwide. To answer the growth we expanded our team to further strengthen in our position in the security and parking industry", comments Maarten Mijwaart, GM of Nedap AVI.

Nedap AVI is specialist in long-range identification and wireless parking solutions to optimise, monitor and manage the flow of traffic in urban areas. The company offers a full range of innovative products that combine leading edge technology with quality resulting from over 30 years of experience in RFID. Nedap is headquartered in the Netherlands, has sales offices in the United States, UAE, Italy and Singapore, including an extensive international business partner network.

Security giants preview 2013 (Part 1)

Editor / Provider: Jill Lai, a&s International | Updated: 12/30/2012 | Article type: Security 50

Everything about 2013 seems uncertain. a&s asks how industry heavyweights see the year will unfold.

Consumer Market Drives Professional Market
Johan Paulsson, CTO of Axis Communications
The consumer market is a fundamental driver for the professional security market. As people get used to smart devices in their homes, they are likely to want to use it in their work as well. There will be greater usage of smart devices in security installations. Retail owners, for instance, can access their business surveillance from their smart devices anywhere and drive their businesses to be more efficient.

We can also assume that smart technology that looks after itself will reduce system crashes and downtime in the future. Just like cars are getting smarter, new surveillance cameras will be able to self diagnose, automatically reboot and install software updates, and carry out image optimization without the need for an administrator to get involved.

Analog to IP
Gert van Iperen, President of Bosch Security Systems
In 2012, world markets continued to develop on an uneven course. China, Latin America, Eastern Europe and APAC regions remained the main drivers for growth. As the fourth largest global market, Germany occupies a midfield position in terms of growth, whereas various countries in Southern Europe suffer under the financial crisis.

We are seeing a move away from proprietary, analog-based systems toward network-based systems, which can offer unlimited scalability, efficient use of resources, remote verification and control, and will enable services that will enhance security and safety. We are also seeing an influx of new competitors in the market, which is also driving forward the speed of innovation and differentiation.

Business Optimization
Eric Fullerton, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Milestone Systems
Milestone Systems sees a number of vertical applications that have developed strong focus on business process optimization, such as RFID integration for manufacturing, shipping overview and control, and integration with POS transaction systems and people counting for retail setting improvements.

All of these illustrate how IP video is still driving the convergence of digital systems across multiple areas. It has improved the speed of innovation across diverse applications, such as access control, human resources, finance, production and logistics. Open-platform IP video is enabling business optimizations on a larger scale, handling more than just security matters, adding measurable long-term ROIs and lowering TCOs.

New Demand and Customers
Renae Leary, Senior Director for Global Accounts, Tyco International
Ten years ago, our customers started standardizing and centralizing their access control systems. Recently, we have begun to see a trend forming in regard to the standardization of video surveillance on a global scale. This shift is due, in part, to the evolution of IP-based video surveillance technology and more intelligent video systems.

Another trend we are seeing is within the actual business structure of our global customers. Not only are IT and security departments coming together, but we are also seeing real estate and procurement come together with security. This helps our customers make centralized decisions in an effort to build a security management system in a more cost-effective manner.

In recent years, Tyco Global Accounts has seen an influx of customers from the IT industry. These companies are asking for enterprise-level security for data centers, and they are making more holistic decisions in procurement. Large oil and gas companies are also some of our largest clients. The financial sector is another growing market, as banks are looking to centralize their security operations and technologies. In Asia, the transportation sector is growing at a rapid pace.

In some new emerging markets, such as Africa, the large security demand comes from the oil and gas industry, but there is growing interest from the food and beverage industries in these regions as well.

Dubai landmark building manages vehicular access with simultaneous ALPR and RFID tags

Editor / Provider: Nedap AVI | Updated: 12/21/2012 | Article type: Residential & Consumer

At 829 meters, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, is currently the tallest man-made structure in the world. With more than 5,000 people moving in and out of this landmark building every day, fast and efficient traffic flow is vital to its day-to-day security management.

The client requested a car identification system capable of simultaneously identifying vehicles through the use of number plate recognition and RFID tags. This would allow security staff to quickly identify incoming cars, which would in turn reduce the wait time to enter the parking structure and thus increase the overall comfort experience for the residents of and visitors to the 900 apartments within the Burj Khalifa.

Nedap's TRANSIT readers offered the client reliable and robust solutions. Not only can they withstand the tower's harsh climate, TRANSIT readers fill all of the client's needs and require practically no maintenance. The client is particularly pleased that despite multiple lanes at each entrance to the underground parking area, the TRANSIT readers are capable of precisely tailoring the read range and read area, all while operating on multiple frequencies (to prevent interference and cross readings).

By relying on Nedap's Long Range solutions, the Burj Khalifa has yet another characteristic that reflects the strong and innovative image of this world-renowned building.

RFID-based security tech checked into 6-star Czech suite

Editor / Provider: Assa Abloy | Updated: 12/13/2012 | Article type: Residential & Consumer

VingCard Elsafe, the global provider in hospitality security and part of the Assa Abloy Group, proudly announces that Prague's most glamorous hotel has selected RFID security technology among its launch amenities. One Room Hotel (ORH)—located 66 meters above the ground in Prague's tallest building, Tower Park Prague in the Czech Republic.

As its name suggests,ORH is a single suite of 6-star quality that commands a breathtaking view of Prague's historic Zizkov district. Following a complete renovation of the iconic Tower Park Prague, the building now features an upgraded lookout observatory, restaurant and bar to complement ORH. The property boasts the hotel industry's premier modern luxury amenities, including the Signature RFID locking system from VingCard Elsafe.

VingCard Elsafe's suite of RFID locking systems feature contactless access control via RFID encoded communication and secure anti-cloning software. Recent advancements to VingCard Elsafe's RFID technology have enabled RFID locks to read keycards from more than twice as far as before. Additionally, VingCard Elsafe RFID solutions are designed to be easily adapted to NFC.

In addition to the RFID locking system, ORH also deploys a bespoke version of Elsafe's Infinity II RFID safe in a luxurious white finish. State-of-the-art Infinity by Elsafe UL-listed safes employ the latest locking technology, including anti-tamper labyrinths and solid-steel hinges, placing it on par with the most secure in-room safes in the world. With its audit trail, spring-loaded door and Flash-RAM memory, the safe is perfect for protecting guests' valuables, and the attractive, adaptable design makes it ideal for any hotel environment.

"ORH is honored to offer our guests the use of distinctive VingCard locks, which are the most advanced available and which provide high user comfort through their contactless identification protocols," says Roman Lain, owner of ORH. "The Elsafe Infinity II RFID safes are likewise a leading product in their category. The safes are fully compatible with Signature RFID locks, meaning a guest need only use a single card for both. This makes the VingCard Elsafe products indisputably the premium security technologies in the industry, and a perfect fit for the world's most exclusive hotel."