Specialized product alert: ‘Federation™’ of access control licenses

By Gina Stuelke, CEO of Kenton Brothers

For those of you using Genetec™ access control systems… did you know that Genetec offers Federation™? Federated licensing in Genetec’s security solutions provides organizations with a flexible, efficient, and scalable way to manage and optimize their security licenses across multiple locations or systems, ultimately improving resource allocation and reducing operational costs.

Federation™ joins multiple, independent Genetec™ security systems into a single virtual system. With this feature, users on a central system, called the Federation host, can view and control entities that belong to remote systems.

Let’s look at an example scenario:

Imagine a large retail company with stores in different cities. Instead of buying separate licenses for each store, they can pool their licenses into a federated licensing system. During a busy season, the licenses can be dynamically allocated to stores with higher demand (e.g., larger stores, stores with more foot traffic), while during quieter periods, the unused licenses can be reassigned or saved for future use, thereby maximizing efficiency and minimizing excess costs.

Benefits

• Cost Efficiency: No need to over-purchase licenses for every installation.
• Flexibility: Easily allocate licenses based on real-time needs across different sites.
• Scalability: As the business grows, federated licensing allows for easy integration of additional systems without significant changes to infrastructure.
• Centralized Management: Simplifies administration and tracking of licenses across multiple locations.

Federation within the scope of Genetec’s security solutions refers to a system in which multiple, geographically distributed installations of Genetec products (such as Security Center, Omnicast for video surveillance, AutoVu for automatic license plate recognition, and Synergis for access control) share and manage licenses across different locations, but in a unified and centralized manner.

Key Concepts of Federation™

1. Centralized Management: Federated licensing allows administrators to manage and allocate licenses from a centralized location. This means that licenses do not need to be tied to a specific server or installation. Instead, they are stored and managed in a federated pool that can be accessed by different systems across various sites.
2. License Pooling: Organizations that have multiple installations of Genetec solutions at different locations can pool licenses together. This gives flexibility in distributing and reallocating licenses based on real-time needs, making it easier to optimize the use of available licenses across the network of installations.
3. Efficiency and Cost Savings: Instead of purchasing separate licenses for each individual location, federated licensing allows for a more efficient use of licenses. For example, if a particular location isn’t using all its licenses, they can be allocated to another site in need, leading to cost savings and better utilization of resources.
4. Scalability: Federated licensing supports scalability. As an organization expands or needs to add more cameras, devices, or systems, additional licenses can be integrated into the federated pool without the need to modify individual systems or installations.
5. Cross-Site License Sharing: Organizations with multiple sites or regions can benefit from sharing licenses between them, making it easier to scale the system and meet fluctuating demands across various locations.
6. Simplified Compliance: With federated licensing, organizations can also ensure compliance with licensing agreements without manually tracking licenses for each installation. Genetec’s system can track the overall license usage, making compliance easier to manage and reducing the risk of under- or over-licensing.
7. Cloud-Enabled: In some cases, federated licensing can also be integrated with cloud-based systems. This enhances the flexibility of license allocation and management, especially when dealing with installations spread across wide geographical areas or multiple time zones.

Kenton Brothers is happy to assist you in advancing your uses of your access control systems. Let us know how we can help!