Category Archives: Blog

Blog

Understanding the Value of Cloud Metrics

By Homer Enriquez, Tyco Kantech hattrix North American Sales Manager, Johnson Controls
Cloud technology is the physical security industry’s future foundation, and, in order to position yourself for the most lucrative migration in our industry’s history it’s imperative that one achieve a commanding understanding of cloud metrics. Several factors play a key role in successfully leveraging cloud technology:

  • Having a command knowledge of cloud metrics and its associated mindset
  • The operational sustainability of your cloud offering
  • Simplified messaging that aligns with the ease-of-use your cloud offering provides
  • Sales strategies that transition from selling a product to selling a service
  • Understanding cloud technology’s bi-directional impact to your business

Successful sales of cloud services require a strategy of simplifying the message to your customers. And, it actually goes a bit further than that, where successful sales of cloud services also requires simplifying the conversation.
Cloud Metrics
Cloud technology is here for today and the foreseeable future. A commanding knowledge of cloud metrics is critically essential to the success of your cloud offering. Furthermore, with 80% of companies already calculating ROI for cloud initiatives currently in process, walking into a conversation that is already taking place requires an understanding of the mindset and drivers that are motivating migration to the cloud in order to take part in that conversation.

There are several cloud-metrics used to gauge the value of a cloud offering:

  • Business agility
  • Efficiency
  • Ease-of-use
  • Risk mitigation
  • User experience
  • Capital expenditure reduction
  • Predictable operating costs
  • Performance and response time
  • Availability versus recovery SLA
  • Degree of service responsiveness
  • Throughput
  • Rapid elasticity

Operational Sustainability
Operational sustainability is a core requirement of any business. It means 24/7 working conditions. You must be able to demonstrate that your cloud offering will eliminate downtime associated with upgrades, updates, and planned maintenance. It must provide inherent disaster recovery and redundant systems to mitigate risk and to ensure business continuity. It should have the ability to navigate around any disruption of operational processes. To achieve the goal of operational continuity, businesses are choosing cloud solutions with redundant platforms. Cloud strategies focus on operational sustainability to establish and maintain a competitive advantage, reduce risk, and increase productivity.

Simplified messaging that aligns with the ease-of-use your cloud offering provides
Successful sales of cloud services require a strategy of simplifying the message to your customers. And, it actually goes a bit further than that, where successful sales of cloud services also requires simplifying the conversation. This is one of those areas that is extremely simple to achieve yet often people make this effort complicated than it needs to be. Here’s the key… ask questions and listen. Our industry is notorious for talking our way out of an easy sale. Here’s a great three-step program to help with the process:

  1. Step one – Understand your customer’s objective and what their current pain points are. Listen to them and stop trying to tell them about all the feature sets of your product before you’ve given them a chance to show you the easy path to winning them over.
  2. Step two – Understand why they have said objective. While they probably already know what their objective is, they probably don’t associate that with business outcomes. Solving “A” may ultimately provide increased efficiency, reduced risk, or greater productivity. Developing the ability to gently guide the conversation to business outcomes and steer the conversation down a thought process that educates/enlightens your customer lets them know you’re listening to them.
  3. Step three – Frame technical features in nontechnical terms. Here’s an example: “Our product, per access control door, consumes X amount of bandwidth over X amount of time and has a latency rate of X which is an incredible feature.” How about this approach instead: “Our system operates in real-time and takes up very little bandwidth.” Relay information simply and your sales process will in turn be simple.

Sales Strategies
Incorporating a relevant sales strategy for your sales team and actively participating in that process is a core requirement. Creating and providing hands-on, in-person sales training that transitions a sales team from selling a product to selling a service and using assumptive closes all must be accompanied by a clear top-down directive that cloud technology is the new business model with 100 percent buy-in, without exception. This is a prerequisite for the successful sales of your cloud offering. This transition empowers the sales team to speak the cloud technology language which today’s business world speaks. Your customers and opportunities are already accustomed to cloud technology and the simplified messaging your sales team masters caters to the business world of today and tomorrow. Cloud technology is now ubiquitous, and our industry is just starting to gain momentum, which is fueled by cloud technology. It’s critical to train your sales team to succeed.

Understanding cloud technology’s bi-directional impact to your business
Recurring Monthly Revenue (RMR): The sum of monthly fees paid by every customer is used to calculate the RMR. This is unquestionably one of the most crucial metrics to be tracked over time because once a new customer is acquired there is no additional infrastructure cost. As the number of customers grows, the cost of that infrastructure, per customer, continues to fall making profitability rise at an increasing rate. Generally, RMR is a very predictable and major source of ongoing revenue for today’s technology savvy security services providers. Over time, a cloud technology RMR engine will enable the provider to adopt a more aggressive pricing strategy and, when competing with companies that haven’t positioned themselves in the same manner, will find themselves winning bids more often.

Estimates and current models still forecast cloud-based technology will comprise more than 50 percent of all access control sales for the access control segment by the end of 2027. Given this trend, it’s a natural assumption that research and development resources will slowly shift to cloud-based technology for access control because it will provide the greatest ROI. At this point the gap between those with a cloud driven RMR engine and those without will widen quickly. Which side of this migration you find yourself on will be determined by the decisions you make today.

Establish a competitive advantage with hattrix
The success achieved with the hattrix platform has been most impacted by deconstructing the relationship approach and formulating a 360-degree sales enablement suite of tools and resources which greatly helps our partners and their sales teams succeed. hattrix is one of the most comprehensive partner development and support programs in our industry and our partners are among the industry’s highest producing and take an active role in helping drive our roadmap, development, and innovation.

Being a part of hattrix protects your personnel and mission critical facilities to deliver operational sustainability and business agility. If you would like to further discuss how our innovation achieves business outcomes such as reduced risk, greater efficiency and higher profitability please contact Homer Enriquez at homer.enriquez@jci.com or click here to learn more about how the hattrix cloud access control platform can help your business become smarter and safer.

Blog

Why It’s Important to Develop a Cloud Strategy

By Homer Enriquez, Tyco Kantech hattrix North American Sales Manager, Johnson Controls
Replacing on-premise software solutions with cloud-based technology can help businesses establish and maintain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. This is because cloud-based solutions provide the most effective computing infrastructure based on financing, flexibility, reliability, scalability and security.

The inherent benefits produced by cloud-computing has created a trend where a growing number of CFOs and CIOs are actively investing in a cloud strategy that can support several business outcomes including lower risk, greater efficiency, improved productivity and business agility.

Drivers causing the shift to cloud computing
There are several factors that are driving the shift to cloud. Businesses believe that the current cost of traditional software is disproportionate to the value which it provides. Paying for software and infrastructure is now getting “pushback” in light of emerging cloud computing services and solutions.

In addition, lower risk businesses want a more tangible relationship between software’s benefit and its cost. The drive for reduced risk demands a greater predictability of the cost of ownership and associated ongoing maintenance costs of a business’s software solutions. Cloud computing also enhances operational sustainability strategies for critical infrastructure which is a growing concern when considering risk reduction on a deeper level.

The inherent benefits produced by cloud-computing has created a trend where a growing number of CFOs and CIOs are actively investing in a cloud strategy that can support several business outcomes including lower risk, greater efficiency, improved productivity and business agility.

Overall, cloud solutions support greater efficiency and often come with a more robust stable of feature sets, enhanced capabilities, all without software. Companies are often faced with intense pressure to reduce the cost of purchasing and maintenance of on-premise software solutions, which can quickly add up to four times the original capital cost. Since resources and labor are no longer needed to support old on-premise solutions once cloud computing is deployed, previously required labor and resources can be refocused on core business tasks.

Cloud technology promotes business agility. The value of solutions is no longer only determined by functionality, but also by ease-of-use, user experience, and being able to administer their cloud-based solution from anywhere. Now businesses can be anywhere, not tied to a desk and due to the current migration to digitalization and remote work, this is now a necessity.

The Components of Cloud Computing
As cloud computing becomes more prevalent, there is much discussion about how to define cloud computing as a computing model. Maturity models have been published and debated, and providers clearly have a model for their own products.

Initially, cloud computing was about the ability to save operational costs. This may or may not be the case and depends upon each business and their pain points. Today’s metrics which play a role in determining cloud computing’s value are:

  • user experience
  • ease of use
  • capital expenditure reduction
  • transference to operational costs
  • cost savings
  • risk reduction
  • increase of productivity
  • increase to efficiency
  • business agility

When considering cloud technology, it is essential to calculate the actual cost savings that cloud computing can bring to your business. Businesses should not only figure out how much money can be saved, but how much it will cost to save that money and compare that to the cost associated with on-premise applications.

If you would like to discuss how cloud-based technology can provide your business with clearly defined benefits where your access control system is concerned, please contact Homer Enriquez at homer.enriquez@jci.com or click here to learn more about how the hattrix cloud access control platform can help your business become smarter and safer.

Defining Cloud Computing: https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/sp/800-145/final

Blog

Johnson Controls releases ioSmart cloud-enabled readers

Tyco Kantech ioSmart readers come equipped with Bluetooth technology, leveraging cloud managed mobile access solutions.

These readers offer the security and convenience of cloud managed mobile access solutions as well as support for traditional PVC cards and fobs, all in a single access control reader line for greater installation flexibility.Customers can use ioSmart readers with panel-based access control installations to complement or replace their legacy PVC card and fob strategy with smartphone-based mobile credentials. ioSmart mobile credentials not only provide a superior solution for long range access control applications, but additionally allow administrators to easily issue and revoke personnel credentials remotely without needing to manage physical card or fob stock inventory. Companies can now securely allow personnel to conveniently access facilities using their smartphones without the security risk of lost, stolen or cloning of legacy card or fob technologies.

More than just a reader, ioSmart additionally provides low-cost keyless entry by supporting panel-less access control operation for offline door applications where panel-based architectures are cost prohibitive in a variety of vertical markets, including in education, commercial, healthcare, and retail sectors.

ioSmart readers provide lock output control that can be wired to any door strike, mag lock or gate for smartphone-based mobile access using cloud managed smart keys. In panel-less operation, ioSmart readers do not require any local network connectivity and provide cloud managed access control for mobile users even when Wi-Fi and cellular networks are out of service.

ioSmart mobile credentials and smart keys are securely managed with Tyco Cloud services and delivered to Kantech EntraPass go Pass mobile app users for a seamless access control experience.

ioSmart Mobile Access

Tyco Cloud is a single suite of video surveillance and access control application services that help customers move costly and complex security infrastructure to the cloud.

For a detailed list of features and the entire solution, please download the ioSmart Mobile Access Feature Sheet.

Blog

Johnson Controls releases EntraPass v8.20 with seamless configuration and enhanced user functionality

The latest version of Tyco Kantech EntraPass security management software launches further simplifies how users remotely access the EntraPass go mobile app.

With EntraPass v8.20, EntraPass go Pass mobile app users gain improved search capabilities and other efficient upgrades to deliver remote and real-time access. EntraPass go Pass requests will no longer be attached to a selected SmartLink, eliminating the need to configure every connection. Users will now be able to access any inbound connection with little to no obstacles.

Enhanced users/card search functionality is also a significant enhancement of EntraPass v8.20. Users will be able to search for a profile, while keeping the search menu open – eliminating the need to start each search fresh. This solves the previous pain point of having to reopen the search menu, if a user had clicked on the wrong profile.

This update also opens the EntraPass Security Management Software to macOS users. EntraPass v8.0 will be compatible with the High Sierra system or higher.

Additionally, EntraPass v8.20 includes an ‘email’ field in the CSV report exports, which will be particularly beneficial for hattrix partners. This feature allows a manager to easily choose a set of accounts/owners and export email addresses, along with additional account statistics.

An additional benefit of EntraPass v.8.20 with EntraPass go Pass mobile app is the ability to view exacqVision video in hattrix, with seamless connection, easier configuration and no port forwarding. By enabling this feature within the server, the need for IT involvement is eliminated and customers will be able to connect their exacqVision NVR to the hattrix system.

For a detailed list of features and benefits, please refer to the New Product Announcement.

Blog

Using Duo at the Door: Protecting Physical Access Through New Partnerships – GUEST BLOG

Duo has recently partnered with two of the leading providers of physical access security: Tyco Software House and BioConnect. The partnership tells a complementary story. Duo was born in the cloud. Since our inception, we’ve focused on providing a simple, secure authentication workflow into any business application. Tyco and BioConnect live in the concrete world of building and office access.

Duo offers a broad integration portfolio that includes hundreds of cloud and on-premises applications. Thousands of customers leverage Duo to protect a diverse set of applications, from Office 365 to the AnyConnect VPN or even custom on-premises applications. Our technical integrations and partnerships have primarily focused on protecting the workforce from compromised digital credentials and data breaches.

However, we’ve come together with Tyco Software House and BioConnect to answer the question: how can we also protect physical workplaces and physical credentials?

Physical credentials can take many forms but often come as key cards or badges that are used to enter business critical facilities. Many of us are familiar with physical credentials and access control from their supporting roles in heist movies. In most cases, a ragtag group of would-be thieves includes a pickpocket whose responsibilities involve lifting a key card from an unsuspecting VIP. While this fictionalized version of credential theft is not the most common case for losing physical credentials, at its heart it still reveals a potential hole in physical access control. When the crown jewels are at stake, these partnerships and integrations can help you verify that the holder of a physical credential is the person who belongs to the card.

Tyco Software House

Tyco Software House is committed to providing a robust security and event management solution for buildings across the globe with its C•CURE 9000 platform to protect any company’s people, buildings, and assets. This solution scales to protect buildings of any age, layout, or location, whether a company is protecting one door or hundreds.

And now, C•CURE 9000 seamlessly integrates with Duo’s multi-factor authentication (MFA) solution to provide an additional layer of security at points of access. The integration is simple to set up and provides an easy and effective end-user experience at a company’s most critical locations. C•CURE 9000 customers will not have to change any infrastructure or card readers, and employees can self-enroll in Duo. When deployed, an employee simply taps their access card as they would normally, but instead of gaining direct access they are challenged with a second form of authentication on their preferred device. For more information about the integration and the Tyco Software House’s product portfolio, check out this informational video and the integration announcement.

BioConnect

BioConnect is spearheading the unification of the digital and physical access management sectors. Their previous solutions are known for leveraging biometric credentials (face, voice, fingerprint and eyeprint) to secure access to both physical assets, like data centers, and digital assets, like corporate portals. The outcome is higher identity assurance of who is accessing what and provides in-depth reporting and analysis regarding a company’s physical and digital access points.

BioConnect has realized a gap in the physical access market where certain customers’ physical access points are not equipped with biometric readers. In these cases, a BioConnect customer may need to use a badge on a door that currently does not provide a second factor of authentication. In order to address this use case, BioConnect has integrated with Duo’s MFA, adding it to BioConnect’s authentication flow. With Duo and a retro-fit solution that is integrated into 80% of the top access control system providers, it becomes easy and cost-effective for BioConnect customers to provide step-up authentication on all doors or access points.

To learn more about how this integration ensures security in every case, check out BioConnect’s documentation or their video guide to using Duo at the door.

Blog

Johnson Controls adds WaveLynx Technologies’ Ethos Multi-Tech Readers to access control portfolio

WaveLynx Technologies’ Ethos readers are equipped with a choice of credential technologies, enabling customers to choose migration paths to deploy secure credentials.

WaveLynx Ethos multi-tech contactless access readers feature a modern aesthetic and state-of-the-art feature set. All Ethos readers are capable of reading legacy Proximity credentials, MIFARE DESFire® smart card credentials, LEAF enabled smart card credentials and mobile credentials. Ethos readers simultaneously work with old and new credentials. WaveLynx Ethos Readers are integrated with the Tyco Software House C•CURE 9000 security and event management system, providing 24×7 mission-critical security and safety protection for people, buildings, and assets.

All ET-Series readers, including the ET10 Mullion Mount, ET20 Wall mount and ET25 Keypad Reader feature OSDP communication with the patented auto-detect feature. This feature allows the reader to automatically switch from the Wiegand protocol to OSDP when the panel is upgraded to OSDP, with no need to re-wire or re-configure the reader for OSDP functionality. Secure smart cards or Mobile credentials can be introduced at any time.

Key Features

  • OSDP auto-detect capable
  • LEAF Si enabled off the shelf, LEAF Cc ready
  • MIFARE DESFire® EV2/EV1 compatible
  • Mobile credential ready
  • Tristate LED Light Bar (red, green, amber) and buzzer
  • Easy install bracket (patent pending) and wiring system
  • Accelerometer-based tamper detection
Blog

Johnson Controls introduces an RS-485 input/output module offering an all-in-one solution for access controller expansion

Introducing the new Tyco Kantech RS-485 Input/ Output Module, which combines and enhances the flexibility of Kantech expansion modules into a single, cost-effective 16 terminal unit.

rs-485 input/ output module

The RS-485 Input/Output Module provides additional capacity for Kantech door controllers (up to 62 modules per), such as the KT-1 and KT-400, beyond the traditional confines of like modules. The Input/Output Module also reduces the need for installation of the module in close proximity to the controller due to conventional cable lengths, offering installers faster, easier installation up to 1.2km from the controller. This frees up valuable space inside the controller cabinet for additional equipment, such as integration alarms.

With this added capacity, installers can harness multi-functional features such as output supervision for locks, which enables supervised lock power that is configurable for each output; inputs, relays; elevator control programming and the Serial Peripheral Interface extension which allows users to configure ports as needed. The RS-485 Input/Output Module is compatible with EntraPass Security Management Software v8.10 and higher and also comes with a limited lifetime warranty. The new module is also firmware field upgradable and uses encrypted RS-485 communication for additional security and versatility.

For a detailed list of features and benefits, please refer to the New Product Announcement.

Blog

Johnson Controls announces VideoEdge integration to EntraPass go Mobile App

Introducing the integration of the Kantech EntraPass go Mobile App with the American Dynamics VideoEdge software, enabling remote management of access control, video and intrusion tasks for seamless, on-the-go security system operation from a mobile device.

EntraPass go Mobile App

The American Dynamics VideoEdge integration with the EntraPass go Mobile App provides a single easy use interface for managing, responding and controlling aspects of your Video Management System infrastructure through the use of the EntraPass go Mobile App. Video management capabilities include the ability to view live video with PTZ control, video playback with manual search and the ability to view video linked to access and/or intrusion events.

With the EntraPass go Mobile App, users can manage and create cards, lock and unlock doors, view live video, arm and disarm intrusion partitions and request reports. This free app enables you to interact with your EntraPass security management system software from anywhere, without being tied to the EntraPass workstation.

The VideoEdge platform improves the efficiency of security personnel and daily business operations by creating powerful video management solutions allowing users to leverage high-performance video streaming, analytics and video intelligence.

EntraPass go Mobile App is available on Android and Apple devices.

Blog

Johnson Controls introduces EntraPass v8.10 with audit trails and feature enhancements for more streamlined operation

The latest version of Tyco Kantech EntraPass security management software launches enabling new functionalities such as expanded audit features and other enhancements for a more streamlined experience for users.

For faster auditing and troubleshooting, EntraPass v8.10 users can run audit reports based on cards, components and operators, including a detailed report of who made changes to a card or component and when the changes were made. This will help to satisfy some of today’s corporate and regulatory requirements. Cardholder information fields have been expanded to include at least 20 editable fields (Corporate Edition), including a Unique ID for improved export/import.

Additionally, advancements in backup options in this latest version are designed to prevent any version conflicts or errors in the backup process for seamless operation.

Information at the user level is also easier to access and verify. Administrators can now easily see the most recent door, card or event access messages by cardholder, see when the cardholder’s secondary access level has expired and go paperless by saving access levels and links directly as a PDF.

EntraPass also adds support for up to eight ASSA ABLOY wireless locks through the KT-1 door controller, reducing installation costs and is compatible with Windows Server 2019 Datacenter.

For a detailed list of features and benefits, please refer to the New Product Announcement.

Blog

Kantech Releases EntraPass v8.0 with Mobile App Enhancements and a Redesigned web Interface

The latest version of EntraPass Security Management Software launches with new features relating to short range wireless technology, multi-factor authentication for mobile cardholders and an improved web client user interface.

EntraPass v8.0 software offers several enhancements to the EntraPass go and EntraPass go Pass mobile apps. EntraPass go, which allows remote use of the EntraPass software, provides support for American Dynamics network video recorders (NVRs). EntraPass go Pass mobile credential now supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) capabilities in ioSmart Multi-Technology Readers. EntraPass operators can choose to ignore BLE technology, enforce BLE or use a combination of both when appropriate. Multi-factor authentication is also available for EntraPass go Pass cardholders presenting at any door with an ioSmart reader. In addition to the existing card and PIN authentication, biometric data can be used as a second form of authentication offering an added level of identity protection with more secure access to doors using a mobile phone.

”In some cases, ioSmart readers in combination with EntraPass go Pass multi-factor authentication can replace the need to install an expensive biometric reader”, said Gabriel Labrecque, Product Manager, Kantech Software/ Integrations, Building Technologies & Solutions, Johnson Controls. “On a per door basis you can disable the card reader, meaning that only EntraPass go Pass will be allowed to unlock the door through the use of biometric verification from the phone itself.”

EntraPass web, where Silverlight is now no longer an installation requirement, has been redesigned to provide a more efficient and user-friendly interface for an enhance user experience. For operational speed, graphical icons are more intuitive, tabs replace the dock views and the system remembers the exact position of the most recently opened screen. Setting up hardware components is simplified by a sequential column layout, while the logical visual architecture makes monitoring and changing the hardware configuration direct.

Furthermore making sure installations are cyber secure, ITV2 Type 2 encryption has been added as an integration option for use with both the DSC PowerSeries Neo and PowerSeries Pro intrusion panels.

New Product Announcement