Six “musts” for selecting and installing VMS

Editor / Provider: The Editorial Department, a&s International | Updated: 10/23/2013 | Article type: Tech Corner

When it comes to configuring surveillance solutions, it all comes down to two important factors—openness and customization. Over the years, video management software (VMS) has emerged as a business-enabling technology where a more open platform allows the integration of other value-adding system combinations such as POS, RFID, video analytics, time and attendance, access control, and more. The ease of use, improved algorithms, and data libraries are improving its reliability. The result is that the value of video is increased both in real time and when viewing recorded video.

According to Jumbi Edulbehram, VP of Business Development at Next Level Security Systems, the decision-making process can be varied and complex when considering VMS solutions. These factors include price, ease of use, integration, features, and intelligence.

Cost
One of the most important considerations when purchasing and installing VMS is total cost of ownership. For total cost of ownership, some key points should be taken into account: cost of installation, cost of maintenance, and time to deploy and conduct the system setup.

User-Friendliness
Another critical requirement is that the VMS should be simple and easy to use. As video surveillance systems become more complex, people using surveillance systems not only include security personnel, but also administrative and IT staff. Different users will have unique needs when accessing video. “It's important that everyone involved – from the head of security to workstation operators – can quickly find their way around the system and know how to configure it,” said Alan Ataev, Global Sales Director at AxxonSoft. For instance, there is a security customer who has certain wants and needs, as well as a business user and administrator, and their demands differ. Being able to have an interface that communicates with these different groups is important.

Gadi Piran, President of OnSSI agrees. “The VMS's interface needs to be as intuitive as possible, and should not require technical savvy to operate. Users should not be required to memorize codes or commands, and the system should display all, and only, the actions available at the current time for each individual camera.”

Ease of deployment
Deploying VMS can be a complicated task. “System integrators have to be educated on networking, hardware, operating systems, and edge devices to name a few,” Krugliak said. “The fewer tasks the installer is required to perform, the more automatic the setup procedure will be and therefore, the sooner the system installer can complete the project.”

Fully-supported hardware list should be as many as possible. It is always preferable to go with an open VMS solution capable of integrating a great variety of third party IP cameras and encoders. This ensures end users have greater freedom to select best of breed hardware. “We can already see today that the world [of] security [industry] is heading for network solutions in a big way,” Ataev said. “Right now, we have 1,300 models of IP cameras integrated with AxxonSoft products, and this number is constantly growing.” An open platform not only enables the user to optimize the system to do the job at hand, it also reduces long-term costs as it is possible to change components without a forklift upgrade.

Customization & Scalability
Video is just one component in the overall security operation. The VMS may need to integrate with other systems, including access control, video content analytics, license plate recognition, facial recognition, fence detection systems, fire alarm systems, and others. In addition, users should be able to customize the software to meet their unique needs. Whether or not SDK is extensive enough in order to enable customers to develop integrations or to customize the user interface to meet their needs becomes crucial.

The VMS architecture and how it fits within the network environment also needs to be considered. “A VMS solution that can adapt to any network and scale to thousands of cameras as the system evolves over time ensures customers are future proofed and can grow their system as required,” Palatsoukas said. For some verticals with a large camera count system, such as airports, the VMS should allow for growth with more locations, more recording servers, more cameras, and more users, without paying a penalty for going from one system size to another. For instance, an airport video surveillance system is typically composed of several hundred or thousands of cameras. The large camera count also comes with a large number of users, alarms, and workflows, which all in turn needs to be supported by the VMS. In this case, a suitable VMS needs to have the appropriate scalable architecture in order to support this infrastructure.

High Availability and Redundancy
In addition to the number of hardware components, the number of clients on a server can take a toll on the system. “It is crucial to ensure that the VMS has built-in capabilities to ensure that video is recorded and can be reviewed at all times,” Palatsoukas said.

A built-in mechanism in the VMS to offer continuous system access, uninterrupted video streaming, health monitoring, and system self-check is especially crucial for verticals that cannot afford the downtime. “High availability is of the utmost importance for a security system that is used to minimize threats and protect assets,” added Palatsoukas. “An offline system can result in revenue losses through operations stoppage and theft, hence making it very important to minimize downtime. The embedded high availability features are tailored specifically for the VMS, minimizing configuration and management time. They are also less expensive than third-party solutions.”

For critical use, such as casinos or banks, redundancy is a key concern as storage itself might take 30 to 40 percent of the total surveillance system price. A smart redundancy feature saves storage space and money since only triggered event footage is stored as backup. “In casino and city surveillance, smart redundancy is important as there will be enormous amounts of information and simple 1-1 redundancy is very wasteful,” said Patrick Lim, Director of Sales and Marketing at Ademco Far East (an Ademco Security Group Company). “Smart redundancy can reduce up to 50 percent of additional cost, which is ideal in controlling the budget and space needed.”

Intelligence and Automation
Security has traditionally been used to protect assets in a passive fashion. However, VMS allows video surveillance to go beyond traditional security by gathering business intelligence and driving decisions. A system with intelligent video analytics can combine multiple video analytic events using rules dependency to trigger an alarm and to minimize false alarms. “The system must be able to intelligently generate and distribute valid alerts in a variety of forms – video, text, audio, data and other – so that operators are no longer required to view live video from dozens, hundreds, and thousands of cameras,” Piran said.

Automation is important for remote sites as combining different security and non-security systems under a set of rules requires automated security. For instance, when reviewing the VMS, it is important that users seek out an automated platform that will deliver the video intelligence necessary to help security personnel rapidly detect, act on, and investigate security breaches and other threats.

Automation can include lighting, access control, door management, and more. It can also include more complicated tasks such as automated system health monitoring. “Automated system health monitoring is a critical feature to help users manage geographically distributed video operations, while enhancing system uptime and reliability to ensure video is being captured and is available for review at all times,” said Debjit Das, VP of Global Marketing, Video and Situation Intelligence Solutions, Verint Systems.

A large project may have multiple security systems scattered on multiple sites, creating a lot of complexity for the operator who might have to connect to multiple applications on different computers. “Being able to watch live and playback video, receive events, and run reports from multiple sites with one application makes operations easier for the users, who can concentrate on identifying and analyzing security threats,” Palatsoukas said.

The automation feature is important for remote sites. “Software features such as smart tracking of personnel, activities and events become very important, as they may have very limited security manpower at sites looking at cameras over a very large area,” added Lim.

User-centric mindset Picking the wrong VMS solution can be catastrophic and the consequence is not as simple as replacing a surveillance camera. Knowing the capability of VMS, project complexity, and user needs will help integrators at the start and avoid a mismatch scenario.

Homework for Integrators
Integrators might start by outlining end-user needs. Steven Lowrance, Applications Engineering Manager at Aronson Security Group offers some of the following tips. Below are some of the questions that help integrators better understanding a situation and system requirements:
1. How many cameras will there be? 
2. Is there a need for specialty cameras or brands (thermal, IR, covert, etc)? 
3. Where are those cameras located?
4. What is the recording schedule? 
5. Will the system be used for live viewing or more for forensic use after an event? 
6. Do users need advanced applications such as video analytics? 
7. How many users will view the cameras? 
8. Is permission restriction necessary to the business? 
9. Is centralized administration of users and devices important? 
10.Does the business have a server operating system requirement or restriction? 
11.Is integration with other systems a requirement?

HID Global, DLRS and X INFOTECH secure Ireland e-passport

Editor / Provider: HID Global | Updated: 10/22/2013 | Article type: Security 50

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Ninth Symposium and Exhibition – HID Global announced the successful roll-out of the newly designed Irish electronic passport (e-passport). HID Global joined forces with DLRS Group, the security printing company in Ireland, and X INFOTECH, a system integrator and MultiPerso software suite developer, to implement the Irish e-passport project. Working together, the companies are providing an end-to-end solution including e-passport delivery, personalization and production management. The newly designed Ireland e-passport uses the latest security technologies to protect citizens' identities while providing the Republic of Ireland with a flexible, efficient and highly secure passport solution.

DLRS is the prime contractor for the project. Beyond serving as the project manager for the joint effort, DLRS manufactures and delivers the new Irish passport booklets and configured the personalization solution for the new e-passports alongside its partners HID Global and X INFOTECH.

The new Irish e-passport replaces the previous document, and provides an exceptional level of security including HID Global's polycarbonate electronic data page with contactless chip inlays making the passports very hard to forge or copy. The new e-passports also incorporate HID Global's innovative Crack Prevention Feature (CPF) that enhances the durability and reliability of polycarbonate e-passport data pages, especially those with embedded RFID chips. With CPF, governments can fully leverage the advantages of smart card technology and protect their investment by extending the life of ID credentials for up to ten years.

“HID Global is delighted to contribute to the new generation of Ireland's e-passport and national eID program,” said Rob Haslam, Vice President Government ID Solutions with HID Global. X INFOTECH provided its MultiPerso personalization solution for contactless chips including ICAO data preparation.

The newly designed Irish passport features images of iconic Irish landmarks including the Croagh Patrick, Kylemore Abbey and Croke Park, in addition to drawings depicting Irish music and dance and Gaelic games. According to Mr. Gilmore, the Tanaiste and Minister for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, “Irish passport holders travel more often and to more destinations than at any time in the past.” More than 630,000 Irish passports were issued in 2012 and the Republic of Ireland has approximately 4.5 million citizens who could potentially be issued these new passports.

SALTO Systems upgrades Australian College access control security

Editor / Provider: SALTO Systems | Updated: 10/8/2013 | Article type: Education

The customer
St Paul's College in Sydney, Australia, is an all-male Anglican residential college and affiliated with the University of Sydney. Founded in 1856, it is Australia's oldest university college and has nearly 200 residents, of whom about 150 are undergraduates; with the remainder being graduates undertaking further study or holding university positions.

The college has a substantial tutorial program and uses the principle of peer tutoring, a development of the idea of ‘peer assisted study'. Nearly all tutors are students in college, and most of them are undergraduates, at most a year or two further advanced than their class. As a result university work is drawn to the centre of college life, and teaching and intellectual leadership is part of the mainstream conversation. The organisation of the tutorial system is largely in the hands of students, under the supervision of the Senior Tutor. Social networking is also used by the students to supplement teaching.

Background
The buildings at St Paul's College date from the late 1850's up through to those constructed in the 1960's, 1970's and 1990's. There had been many changes to the locking installations over the years meaning the college had ongoing problems with students loosing keys giving them the expense of having to replace locks and keys on a regular basis.

This meant that security could have the potential to be compromised at times, making it difficult to ensure the safety of students and their assets. After all, a College or residence building can be a tempting target for opportunistic thieves as many students, besides money and credit cards, can often have a variety of expensive electronic equipment with them including laptop computers, mobile phones, iPods and so on.

Recognising that effective protection against such risks would require an extensive overhaul of their security equipment and procedures, the College decided the answer was to remove mechanical cylinders and keys from their buildings and replace them with a modern electronic access control system.

Solution
“When I first met David Rees of SALTO Systems at a conference I told him about our challenge of wanting to upgrade security but that we needed something suitable for our heritage doors dating from 1858. At that time his response was “I can't help yet, but we are about to launch a product that is exactly what you want” says Derek Watt, Executive Manager at St Paul's College in Sydney.

“That product was the SALTO GEO (Global Electronic Opening) cylinder comments David Rees, Managing Director SALTO Systems Australia Pty Ltd.

“Derek explained to me that the mechanical lock installation within the College was not providing the level of protection or security required to manage the access movement of the students. To achieve this a more robust product was required, one which would not only offer a greater degree of physical protection but also provide a full complement of modern access control benefits including smart fob operation, audit trail information, flexible calendars, auto locking and unlocking and so on.

Given the fact that the College was designed by one of Australia's most well-known architects, Edmund Blackett, who also designed one of the major cathedrals in Sydney and the University of Sydney, this heritage aspect also created special demands for the installation of the access control system needed to provide control over entry to and movement within the College.”

SALTO GEO proved the ideal solution as it has been specially designed and developed for use with doors where normal escutcheons cannot be fitted or are not allowed i.e. on certain types of fire doors, some multipoint locking systems or, as in this case, antique doors in historic or listed buildings.

GEO locks can be fully integrated with the full SALTO platform, and are a versatile, cost effective solution. They incorporate SALTO's patented Data-On-Card SVN (SALTO Virtual Network) which can manage many thousands or even millions of individual doors and users if necessary. This allows the stand-alone cylinders and locks to upload, store and download the latest access information as people use their RFID fobs around the College. The cancelled fob list can be updated, key fobs can be cancelled and audit trail reports can be downloaded in both wire free or wireless environments depending on the locks selected. All of which gives the College additional security and operating benefits compared to standard locking systems.

Deployment
With a decision made and a contract awarded, SALTO partner W. F. O'Brien Pty, one of Sydney's leading door and access control specialists, began the job of removing the 200 plus mechanical cylinders from across the College site and replacing them with GEO RIM cylinders, which are designed to fit most doors that are equipped with surface mounted lock cases.

Chris Drake of W. F. O'Brien's says “David Rees and I had looked carefully at the layout of the College and noted the position and condition of the various doors to make sure we fully understood what the customer wanted, and then planned the rolling replacement of the locks in a structured manner.

Installation was straightforward, with no unforeseen surprises that can sometimes occur when working with older doors and properties. Now the College operates an easy to use, proven, future proof access control security solution that provides 24/7 critical security protection. The end result is a solution that the customer loves, the students find easy to use and that the heritage architect is very happy with.”

Results and development potential
Due to the installation of their SALTO GEO system, St Paul's College in Sydney now has a reliable and effective solution for ensuring security across its campus.

Derek Watt, Executive Manager at St Paul's College in Sydney concludes “If you want to keep ahead of the game, you need to be doing innovative things – especially from the security point of view. With the technology we have now, we are both more discreet and more secure.

It has so far proven robust in the hands of young men aged between 18-23 and our housekeeping staff now have individual key fobs coded for access limited by both area of the College and time of day.

Overall we're very pleased with the efficiency of the SALTO product. It has maintained the aesthetic integrity of our heritage doors while giving us the control we wanted, with the added flexibility to easily grow to meet any additional future security requirements we may have.”

MOBOTIX launches new lowlight exposure optimization for BA/HA offering

Editor / Provider: MOBOTIX | Updated: 9/16/2013 | Article type: Security 50

MOBOTIX AG launches the new Lowlight Exposure Optimization (MxLEO) software and new hardware for its building automation/home automation offering. The MxLEO is part of the latest MOBOTIX firmware 4.1.9 that also includes support for Hemispheric 5 Megapixel technology sensor modules.

"MxLEO is the latest in MOBOTIX image enhancing technology," says Dr. Ralf Hinkel, founder and CEO of MOBOTIX AG. "The main benefits for all MOBOTIX users are that our camera solutions now offer a dramatically enhanced sharpness of images, considerably less noise in these images, extremely user-friendly light settings in the camera(s), optimized recording and alarm results using the added MxActivitySensor intelligence. All these benefits in low-light conditions are made possible through the new MOBOTIX 5 Megapixel technology".

MOBOTIX is adamant that one of the most important criteria for a security camera is to offer high-quality images no matter what.

Comparison Between Two MOBOTIX Images At 0.7 Lux:

"Our users do not have the luxury to choose when and how they want to use MOBOTIX camera solutions whether it is day, night, good/bad weather or whatever. Our technology is put to test everyday and in the worst conditions imaginable for a camera. The sun is shining directly at it - no problem the camera handles it through the built-in automatic exposure settings, unwanted movement in the images triggering alarms - no longer a problem as the MxActivitySensor in the camera reduces these alarms and now in extreme low light conditions - the MxLEO enhances the images to a completely new level", continues Dr. Hinkel.

The Lowlight Exposure Optimization software is included in the firmware release 4.1.9 and is as all MOBOTIX software and firmware free of charge. It can be downloaded on all 5 Megapixel MOBOTIX cameras and is included as standard from today.

Apart from the MxLEO does the 4.1.9 also include support for MOBOTIX new Hemispheric sensor modules for the newly released S15 and M15 camera platforms.

The firmware 4.1.9 enhances the MOBOTIX door station offering further as MOBOTIX today launches the AudioMount for the S14/S15 camera platform. "We have customers around the world that want to build their own building automation/home automation solutions," says Dr. Hinkel. "As a customer-focused company we have seen the possibilities and advantages of using our core strength in decentralized product technology to allow the S14/S15 product platform to be the main product for our partners to build their own door station offerings around. For instance mailboxes, different steel casings, etc. are solutions that MOBOTIX does not offer but we can help our customers through sharing our technology solutions with them. The AudioMount is extremely simple to install and integrate for the users." MOBOTIX also offers a new door opener, the MxDoorMaster for their users to integrate in their own solutions.

MOBOTIX also launches a new component for the T24 Door Station product platform, the BellRFID keypad. The BellRFID keypad offers the possibility of adding a simplified keypad for usage in the T24 Door Station product platform. "The BellRFID is modular doorbell concept that simplifies the usage for many users. We have also integrated the latest in RFID technology so that users can open their doors completely secure with an RFID card. Of course the BellRFID includes the standard in MOBOTIX Door Station technology including leaving and retrieving messages from the integrated mailbox and connection through the MOBOTIX App ", continues Dr. Hinkel.

MOBOTIX also offers a unique service for their customers. "All MOBOTIX customers using the new BellRFID module can free of charge order their wanted and needed personalized name signs for the BellRFID module using optimized paper against UV radiation. We thought all our users were worth that", says Dr. Hinkel.

Identive appointed Jason Hart as CEO

Editor / Provider: Identive | Updated: 9/4/2013 | Article type: Security 50

Identive Group, a provider of solutions and services for the identification, security and RFID industries, announced that its board of directors has appointed Jason Hart as chief executive officer and director, effective immediately. Hart replaces Ayman S. Ashour, who has resigned his executive role but will remain on the board of directors as non-executive chairman. Hart previously served as executive vice president of Identive's Identity Management and Cloud Solutions division.

“There is a major shift occurring in both information and access technology as companies, governments and individuals embrace powerful, flexible new approaches such as cloud services and mobile access,” said Hart. “We intend to focus Identive's core products and technologies to drive a leadership position in these expanding markets. In particular, we see a significant opportunity to provide our customers with a clear pathway to Identity-as-a-Service and secure authentication on mobile devices using NFC technology. In the coming months we expect to share more details of plans to simplify our operations and strengthen our go-to-market capabilities. On a personal note, I would like to thank Ayman for his vision, leadership and service in putting together the strong technology foundation to support our market strategy.”

“Jason is an experienced leader with the skill and acumen to accelerate Identive's focus towards the cloud and mobility era,” said Ayman S. Ashour, Chairman of the Identive Board. “His ability to deliver innovative technology solutions and profitable growth is key to the company's success going forward.”

Jason Hart Biography
Hart, 42, is a 25-year veteran of the technology industry with a substantial track record of innovation and success, including more than 20 years leading security companies. Hart joined Identive in 2011 following the acquisition of idOnDemand, a company he co-founded that pioneered the delivery of smart card-based identity solutions via a cloud service. Prior to idOnDemand, he served as CEO and director of ActivIdentity, a publicly-traded provider of identity assurance and strong authentication solutions. Hart joined Actividentity in 2005 through the acquisition of Protocom Development Systems, Inc., an identity management software security business that he founded and led as CEO. Additionally, Hart was the 2002 Ernst and Young, Australian Young Entrepreneur and holds multiple U.S. and international patents.

Identive promotes Stephen Healy to EVP of Access Control & Security

Editor / Provider: Identive Group | Updated: 8/26/2013 | Article type: Security 50

Identive Group, Inc., a provider of solutions and services for the identification, security and RFID industries, announced the appointment of Stephen Healy to the company's executive management team as Executive Vice President, Access Control and Security. Previously, Healy served as Vice President and General Manager, Access Control and Security. In his new role, he will continue to manage Identive's physical access control business, which provides integrated security solutions under the company's industry-leading HIRSCH brand to customers in the government, enterprise, education, healthcare and critical infrastructure markets globally.

Ayman S. Ashour, chairman and CEO of Identive Group, commented, “Steve is an accomplished executive who combines deep knowledge of the security industry with creative strategies that deliver positive results. Over the past two years, Steve has provided strong leadership for our Access Control and Security division, overseeing the development of important new products and managing customer transitions to next-generation platforms. He has helped the company to respond to a challenging budget environment in the US Government sector by reinforcing relationships with Federal agency customers while expanding our presence in commercial markets and internationally. Steve's continued leadership will build on these successes and further strengthen this important pillar of our business.”

Healy has more than 25 years' experience in the security industry, including more than 18 years in sales management positions with the Kidde-Fenwal division of UTC Fire and Security. He joined Hirsch Electronics, which now comprises Identive's Access Control and Security division, in June 2010 as Executive Vice President Sales and Marketing and was also named General Manager in March 2011. He holds a BS in Business Management, Marketing and Finance from Westfield State University in Massachusetts.

“New technologies such as near field communication and cloud-based content delivery are beginning to shape the way security managers are thinking about their access control systems, even within the highly security-conscious U.S. Government market. Identive is positioned to provide access control solutions that marry rigorous security mandates with technologies that increase convenience and efficiency for users and administrators. I look forward to further expanding Identive's presence in the security market with new solutions that build on the solid performance and service for which we are known,” said Healy.

Identive provides cashless payment services at Olympiastadion Berlin

Editor / Provider: Identive Group | Updated: 8/23/2013 | Article type: Security 50

Identive Group, Inc., a provider of solutions and services for the identification, security and RFID industries, has been awarded a multi-year contract to provide cashless payment services at home matches of Berlin football (soccer) club Hertha BSC in Olympiastadion Berlin, the second largest football stadium in Germany. The Berlin stadium has a seating capacity of over 74,000 and is the seventh within the German Football League to implement Identive's cashless payment solution, which encompasses system implementation and ongoing operations by Identive's payment solution subsidiary.

“Identive's justpay system provides our fans and visitors with a service-oriented, simple and convenient way to pay for their refreshments, which makes their experience during home matches at the Olympiastadion even more enjoyable,” said Ingo Schiller, CFO of Hertha BSC. The system's main benefits for the fans include shorter and fast moving concession queues and the ability to reload the payment cards online. “Cashless payment is a growing trend in the entertainment sector, as it allows venues to serve more customers more quickly and increase sales while reducing the cost of handling cash,” explained Sascha Busse, CEO of Identive's payment solution subsidiary. “With the addition of Olympiastadion Berlin we now provide cashless payment solutions for the two largest stadiums in Germany as well as five more in the first and second domestic leagues. Identive continues to build early leadership in the stadium market by helping our customers run their businesses more efficiently and cost effectively.”

justpay is a closed-loop cashless payment system that includes contactless payment cards, fixed and mobile point-of-service devices and a central, cloud-based database and analytics platform. On league match days, contactless payment cards are the only form of payment accepted at concession kiosks, which significantly shortens sales transactions as merchants no longer have to handle cash or process bank cards and wait for authorization. Analytical and reporting capabilities from Identive's cloud-based database provide insight into the performance of concession operations. For the majority of its justpay customers, including Hertha BSC, Identive's payment solution subsidiary also provides complete operational support for the system, including staff to sell and reload the payment cards, financial clearing and accounting services, and regulatory filings and authorization.

Identive Group reports Q2 2013 financial results

Editor / Provider: Identive Group | Updated: 8/16/2013 | Article type: Security 50

Identive Group, a provider of products, services and solutions for the identification, security and RFID industries, reported its financial results for the second quarter (Q2) ended June 30, 2013.

“In the second quarter 2013, we delivered growth in target markets and gained traction with key offerings, demonstrating Identive's strategy is coming to fruition,” said Ayman S. Ashour, CEO of Identive Group. “Focused on becoming the leader in Secure ID, we have been investing in emergent markets with hyper-growth potential, including NFC and mobility solutions, cashless payment, and Identity-as-a-Service. Our Q2 results included successes that we believe are the early stages of important positive trends.

“For example, our increased transponder capacity drove 50% growth in RFID tag and inlay shipments. On the cutting edge of cashless payments, we have established a strong business model and sealed it with additional stadium contracts. In addition, we created a foothold with early adopters of identity on-demand and have begun to build a stable recurring SaaS revenue stream.

“While our revenue growth momentum was offset by delays in project implementation and sales in our normally stable Access Control & Security business, we view the effects of the U.S. Government federal budget sequester as a temporary setback. We are confident this business will improve and augment the growth in our target emergent markets.

“Revenues excluding our U.S. Government business grew 13% year-over-year. During Q2, more than one-quarter of transponders shipped were NFC, and more intelligent products sales continued to improve transponder margins. These factors, combined with good cost management, resulted in improvements to the bottom line,” added Ashour.

Financial Results for Q2 2013 Compared with Q2 2012
- Revenues were $23.6 million, compared with $23.9 million. 
  * Revenues from the Identity Management Services and Solutions segment were $10.6 million, compared with   $14.2 million.
  1. Access Control & Security revenue decreased 41% related to the U.S. Government federal budget sequester, the effects of which management believes are temporary.
  2. ID Solutions revenue decreased 16% due to the timing of orders in Europe and lower demand in the U.S.
  3. Cloud-based Identity Management recorded its first meaningful revenue, won a major international healthcare customer and signed a $2 million long-term SaaS contract with a leading technology company.
  * Revenues from the ID Products segment grew 34% to $13.0 million, compared with $9.7 million.
   1. Transponders revenues increased 81%, reflecting several large NFC product orders for mobility and M2M applications.
   2. ID Infrastructure revenues remained stable with orders from several regions supporting a variety of applications.
- GAAP gross profit margin was 39%, compared with 40%, primarily due to lower Access Security & Control sales.
- GAAP operating expenses were $11.9 million, compared with $52.9 million of which $39.7 million were related to goodwill and intangible asset impairment costs and related adjustments.
- Non-GAAP operating expenses were $10.8 million, compared with $11.9 million; the 9% reduction reflects 2012 restructuring and ongoing initiatives to improve operational efficiencies.
- GAAP net loss was $(2.9) million, or $(0.05) per share, compared with net loss of $(36.4) million, or $(0.61) per share, including the aforementioned impairment costs.
- Non-GAAP net loss was $(2.5) million, or $(0.04) per share, compared with non-GAAP net loss of $(1.1) million, or $(0.02) per share.
- Adjusted EBITDA was $(1.0) million, compared with $(1.1) million.
- Backlog at the end of Q2 was $19 million, reflecting orders over the next 12 months for NFC and reader products as well as payment and cloud-based systems; also on the order book is an additional $8 million from longer-term contracts.
- Cash and cash equivalents were $3.7 million at June 30, 2013, compared with $7.4 million at December 31, 2012. Today, the company announced that it has confirmed subscriptions in connection with a private placement of its equity securities that is expected to close this week.

Outlook for Q3 2013
Based on its current expectations and the continued uncertainty associated with the U.S. Government business, management expects revenues of $23.0 million to $25.0 million for the third quarter of 2013, and further expects adjusted EBITDA of $(0.5) million to $0.5 million. For full year 2013, management expects revenues of $98.0 million to $105.0 million and adjusted EBITDA of $(1.0) million to $1.0 million.

ievo biometric readers installed at London footaball club

Editor / Provider: ievo | Updated: 8/1/2013 | Article type: Commercial Markets

Situation
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club was to construct an all-round state-of-the-art training academy, on a 77 acre site at Bulls Cross, Essex. This new facility would be where first, reserve sides and younger academy teams could train to the highest standards, in a well-equipped, comfortable and secure environment. Proposed facilities at the site comprised: 11 outdoor pitches, one fully covered training pitch, gymnasium and therapy pool.

Task
The club selected Classic Security Solutions (Classic) as their main contractor, responsible for sourcing an integrator who would be able to deliver an intelligent integrated system capable of managing and controlling security, access and building management solutions from multiple vendors as well as provision a future-proof and scalable solution, enabling further expansion and integration capabilities.

Key requirements of the integrated security system included:
- Site-wide intruder detection system to EN50131 grade 3
- Access control for 40+ doors
- Control and monitoring of entire site via graphical interfaces at multiple locations
- An IP based infrastructure to ensure the site was future proof and the contractor could minimise the number of ducts and cables
- Real-time asset tracking system to detect and instantly report unauthorised movement of high value items, (lawn mower tractors and grounds maintenance tools) preventing unauthorised movement, removal or theft from site
- For first team players, deliver a biometric access control solution which would work effectively with dirty hands and all-weather play
- Rather than use a standard access control card which would be difficult for reserve team and younger academy team players to carry, utilise a light-weight and non- intrusive wristband incorporating RFID access control technology
- Ability to create and print access cards away from the main security

Action
Classic Security Solutions won the security tender for this impressive build and selected the Inner Range's integrated hardware platform Concept 5000 and its integration software system Insight, as the main components to manage and the control security, access and building management systems, required to create an efficient and secure environment for the football club.

Inner Range's design input during the build, coupled with their intelligent systems enabled Classic to integrate the required 3rd party solutions so they could be managed and controlled from one system and deliver a robust, scalable and future proof solution.

Inner Range also provided integration to biometric readers from ievo and RFID solutions from Identec so that Classic could meet the clubs specific access-control requirements for players and academy training teams as well as implement a solution to protect against unauthorised movement or removal of high value assets belonging to the academy.

Result
Working with Inner Range resulted in Classic Security Solutions being able to:
- Design and implement a system, to EN50131 grade 3 standards, that is not only capable of integrating at both hardware and software level with multiple 3rd party systems, but also via logical programming of either software or hardware, automatically take decisions based on system status or information from other systems
- Provide a robust access control solution for all doors, with boundless provisioning (up to 50,000 doors)
- Using graphical interfaces at multiple locations, provide complete visibility and control of all security and building management systems technologies across the entire site
- Deliver an IP based solution to future proof the security project and minimise ducts and cables
- Install a biometric access control solution which means that first team players never have to carry an access-control card and the solution will provide access to authorised areas, even with dirty hands and in all weather conditions
- RFID access-control wristbands with the ability for authorised staff to automatically create access cards via a portable card maker
- Deploy effective asset tracking which protects all valuable assets against loss and theft by monitoring their location and movement in real-time

Salto provides RFID access control solution for Royal University

Editor / Provider: Salto Systems | Updated: 7/24/2013 | Article type: Education

Established in 1845 the Royal Agricultural University, president HRH Prince of Wales who lives at nearby Highgrove House, was the first agricultural school to be established in the English speaking world. As a leading university it offers over 40 career-focussed programmes within its School of Agriculture, School of Business and School of Real Estate and Land Management covering agriculture, equine management, business and rural land and property management and is home to a vibrant community of over 1000 students.

“The former mechanical lock installation within the university was not providing the level of protection or security information reporting required to manage the access movement of the students” comments Jim Caola, Sales Manager of Guardian Security South West, the local Salto certificated partner.

“To prevent this a more robust product was required, one which would not only offer a greater degree of physical protection but also provide a full complement of modern access control benefits including smart card operation, audit trail information, flexible calendars, auto locking and unlocking and so on” Caola said.

Having a security solution that is reliable and dependable is obviously important for a campus housing so many young people. And with an increasing number of female students choosing to study at the Royal Agricultural University, electronic locking was found to appeal to both the students themselves and their parents as it is perceived to be safer and more secure than other forms of security.

Salto was selected by the university as they are market leaders in education security systems, providing access control solutions to the many of the world's top universities including Oxford, Cambridge and Princeton among others.

The result has been the implementation the Salto platform, a single system that allows the university to integrate all staff and student physical security needs through networked stand-alone locks and on-line wall readers to provide real-time access control across campus.

This has been retro fitted into existing buildings, replacing the outdated mechanical keyed system, as well as installed into new build properties to offer an up to date security solution that delivers far greater control over who can access what, where and when and provide full audit trail accountability to resolve any access issues should these arise.

The upgrade is being carried out on a rolling project basis with all properties being fitted with Salto locking system wall readers and electronic escutcheons in a stainless steel finish.

The first phase consisted of two accommodation blocks fitting 2 online doors controlled by wall readers at ‘hot spot' main entranceways to control perimeter security, 20 offline bedroom doors and 4 offline office doors. The second phase saw the main building, conference rooms and services areas protected.

The third phase is seeing all residential accommodation – currently 350 bedrooms across campus - secured with Salto. Wall readers have been fitted to all main entrance doors with the internal keyed doors being upgraded on a rolling basis. Corridor doors have timed entrance/exit times, auto locking at pre-determined times. The newest building – West Lodge – has 58 bedrooms secured with the Salto solution as are the main car park barriers.

The campus wide system uses Salto's patented data-on-card SVN(Salto Virtual Network) technology which is capable of controlling an unlimited number of users and doors in a single system.

The handle sets read, receive and write information via Mifare cards as students enter and leave the accommodation buildings and since most access related information is kept encrypted on these cards, the perimeter door mounted wall readers are able to update and receive information from the cards at any time.

This provides 90% of the benefits of a fully online access control system at the cost of a stand alone system, and as the students use their smart ID cards, they build up an on-card audit trails enabling RAU Estates management to track their movement through both the offline and online parts of the system as and when required. And if a card is lost or stolen it can be quickly deleted from the system.

Phil Wood, Facilities Manager at the Royal Agricultural University comments: “We're very impressed with the Salto product. Its advanced system design gives an impressive degree of control over our student accommodation security. And as this same accommodation is also used by Conference delegates during the summer months when our normal students are not in residence, the flexibility of our new locking system endorses the fact that we can safely and securely look after these visitors too.”.