Why Drive a Model T When You Could Be Driving a Tesla?

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By Neal Bellamy, IT Director at Kenton Brothers

Why Drive a Model T When You Could Be Driving a Tesla?When a mechanic looks at a car, he doesn’t see a specific brand, model or color. He really sees the overall system. He sees an engine, brakes and wheels. Whether it’s a Model T or a Tesla, if the engine doesn’t work, it won’t go anywhere; if the brakes don’t work, it doesn’t stop and of course flat wheels don’t roll. Access control systems are similar. They’re really just a set of inputs, output and readers.

When it comes to access control systems in detention centers, they usually don’t need readers. This is the reason that PLCs (Programming Logic Controllers) dominate access control for detention centers.

What are PLCs?

PLCs, created in the 1960’s, are most commonly a simple set of inputs and outputs. Because they’ve been around for so long, and lend themselves to centralized control, most detention centers are driven from a PLC. A PLC reads an input from a touchscreen to open a door, connect an intercom, or turn on a light. An open door illuminates on the touchscreen to show it’s not secured. The PLC might even be tied to cameras to show a specific camera when an intercom is pressed. It’s all ITTT logic; If This, Then That.

There is a lot of overlap between a PLC in a detention center and access control. Access control still needs to be able to open a door and show that a door is unlocked. An access control system might even be tied to intercoms or a video system. However, most access control systems are not designed for lights, water valves or guard tours. That’s when you need something that fits in between.

Site plan at a glance

PLC Challenges

Site plan - held openOne of the issues with a PLC is that it’s mostly wires. Changes to a PLC system are difficult and can be expensive. Most integrations from an intercom system or a video system are done with wires. If you have a hundred cameras, you have a hundred wires. 50 intercoms require 50 wires.

Sometimes, there are communication-based integrations. But even then, station 10 will always be station 10. Even if station 10 ends up being in a closet after a remodel, it is still station 10.  Even small changes to a touchscreen require hours of programming by specialized personnel. While PLC systems can talk to other systems like intercoms and cameras, they are still separate systems with separate interfaces. It’s not all managed through one “pane of glass”.

Access Control vs PLCs

It’s time for this situation to change.

Guard TourAccess control systems like Gallagher still handle the inputs and outputs like a PLC system does, but these updated systems add flexibility.

Gallagher integrations with intercom systems like Harding, and video systems like Milestone are purely programming and IP based. Changes in the Milestone system get reflected in the Gallagher programming. Changing and adding cameras, intercoms, doors or moving a map are as simple as clicking edit on the site map. Everything can be managed through the Gallagher interface. Connecting an intercom, initiating a lockdown, turning lights on and off are all handled through the click of a button. If a door is opened and it shouldn’t be, Gallagher can bring it to the forefront so it can be dealt with. Alerts, automated instructions, logs and alarm escalations are all built right into the software.

While a Model T and a Tesla might both have an engine, brakes and wheels, no one would ever say that they’re equals. Both cars might get you to where you’re going, but one of them will drive itself to your destination with the AC on while playing music from your favorite radio station.

PLCs are getting the job done for detention centers across the country, but wouldn’t you like to have a solution that gives you more features and flexibility, while costing you less?

We can help you get there. Just give us a call.

Access Control: Here’s Why the Outlook is Sunny in the Cloud.

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By Gina Stuelke, CEO of Kenton Brothers

Cloud Based Access ControlIn the security industry, cloud based video recording, retrieval, storage and archiving solutions are leading the charge for growing video subscriptions as a service.

The same can be said for cloud based access control systems.

Check out these six reasons why the cloud delivers more value and ease of use:

  1. Lower service and maintenance costs. Managing a system in the Cloud reduces the burden on IT, allows more remote diagnostics and creates the need for fewer on-site service calls.
  2. Users enjoy the most up to date software and features sets, due to the ability to update remotely.
  3. Remote health monitoring. Cloud based system monitoring helps ensure systems are recording when they should and reduces the possibility of events with no video evidence.
  4. Searching and sharing of evidence is easy via cloud export and storage of clips with password protected systems and search tools.
  5. Business intelligence. Cloud based systems provide analytic data that offer insight into business operations from real-time alerting to reports. This data can be used to improve the customer service experience, identify where employees need assistance or training, and prevent downtime.
  6. Ease of use. Cloud managed systems provide faster, easier and timely training via their intuitive interface. They provide more security and speed up the gathering of evidence when needed. The cloud systems offer greater flexibility by being accessed from a desktop, web browser or mobile device; therefore, easier and less work for IT teams.

Let the security consultants at KB answer your questions about moving your access control to a cloud based solution. We’re here to help!

We Fly to Another Planet to Access the Kenton Brothers Vault of Knowledge!

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By Erik Andress, Sales Management Professional at Kenton Brothers

Hold on to your seats friends! This week, we’re going on a journey to another planet to access the Kenton Brothers Vault of Knowledge. (You may recognize the ship and copilot being used to get there. you won’t want to miss watching this video.)

Commercial Security Tips covered in this video:

  • Be a Good Neighbor (a clean building is a safer building.)
  • Information Sharing (get to know the businesses around you and your local law enforcement.)
  • Continued Education and End User Training (KB is a great resource as well as ASIS and SEC.)
  • Ask Your KB Consultant (We are passionate about commercial security and we are here to help!)

Sometimes, the answers to your commercial security questions might seem to be far, far away. We can help.

Everything is Sunny in the Cloud… Maybe Even Sunnier When the Robots Take Over?

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By Neal Bellamy, IT Director at Kenton Brothers

Cloud-based physical access control systems offer several advantages over on-premise access control servers.

Here are a few key reasons why this is true:

Commercial Security and Artificial Intelligence1. Scalability: Cloud-based systems can easily scale to accommodate a growing number of users and devices, without the need for expensive hardware upgrades. This makes them a cost-effective solution for businesses that are expanding or experiencing high levels of turnover.
2. Remote Management: Cloud-based systems can be managed remotely, allowing administrators to manage access control from anywhere with an internet connection. This is especially useful for businesses with multiple locations or employees who travel frequently.
3. Increased Security: Cloud-based systems are often more secure than on-premise systems because they are managed by experts who specialize in security. They also benefit from automatic software updates and backups, which can help protect against data breaches and other security threats.
4. Cost-Effective: Cloud-based systems generally require a lower upfront investment than on-premise systems, as they do not require expensive hardware or software. Additionally, they eliminate the need for costly IT staff to manage and maintain the system.
5. Flexibility: Cloud-based systems can integrate with a wide range of devices and platforms, making them more flexible than on-premise systems. This allows businesses to easily add new features and functionality as their needs evolve.

It might surprise you that the content above was written by Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Commercial Security and Artificial IntelligenceIt’s certainly not the best blog I’ve ever written, but it might not be the worst either. It’s factual, it is the top 5 reasons IT companies got to the cloud, and it has no grammatical errors. The coolest part about this content is that I asked only a single question to the AI… “Can you write a blog post on why cloud based physical access control is better than on premise access control server?”

As you can see from the question, I didn’t give much information. Yet the AI had gathered enough information to create five bullet points, use a beginning and ending paragraph and come up with valid statements. This particular AI is not specifically programmed to write blog content. It can also tell you about world events, write a Haiku in the voice of Captain Kirk, and solve math problems.

“Galaxy vast and wide
Stars that shine so bright and bold
Adventure calls forth.”

From a technological point of view, this is groundbreaking.

Computers have started to “think” for themselves. AI has been around for several years, but until now the “thinking” has been mainly contained to “What color is this object?” or “What fruit is in this video?” This is the first example I’ve seen where an artificial intelligence can take a subject and formulate a response on almost any topic based on its trained knowledge.

I can see AI launching into the commercial security world in an impactful way. While everything is “AI” right now, there is a major difference between telling a program what to look for to determine an outcome versus letting a program learn and make decisions based on past learning. I can certainly see a future where we don’t have to monitor commercial security systems for every single alert. Instead, an AI will monitor the incoming data and alert us when there is an anomaly. And we can define the rules that define an anomaly. I can see where an AI will alert us intelligently. Not that a person is in the parking lot. But the fact that there is a person in the parking lot, they have a saw, and they just disappeared under a car.

It will be interesting to see where this new AI charge leads us. I will certainly be paying attention to how AI can keep us safer while making it easier to manage commercial security systems.

If you need help designing and implementing a commercial security system to protect your people, property and possessions, please give us a call.

UPDATE: The Commercial Security Supply Chain in 2023

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2023 Commercial Security Supply Chain UpdateBy David Strickland, Vice President of Kenton Brothers

It’s obvious that the last couple of years have been really rough on the supply chain. Manufacturers of Commercial IP Video Surveillance and Access Control parts have had a rough go of it.

Over the last year, we’ve seen wait times from some of the industries largest and most prolific suppliers in the 40-52 week time frame. Did you read that correctly? Forty to fifty-two week wait times. This has had a major impact on the industry and the customers that require their goods.

One of our customers shared, “Our trust levels in these manufacturers are at an all time low. Not because they don’t have quality goods, it’s because of their lack of delivery and timely information.”

Timely and Accurate Information

Timely and accurate information has risen to the top of the concerns list over the last 6 months. Manufacturers communicate a delivery date, then as the delivery date approaches they de-commit the products and send out new commitment dates. This happened often, across many of the commercial security manufacturers, and led to the inflation of delivery projections to the 40-52 week mark.

These kinds of wait times make it difficult to finish or even commit to new projects. This has led to a surge for those manufacturers that have goods available for integration immediately. One representative recently asked, “Now that our supply chain is returning to a more manageable time frame, can we count on Kenton Brothers to come back?”  It’s a great question and one that the customer will need to answer.

2023 Outlook

2023 Commercial Security Supply Chain UpdateBased on the research of industry experts, here is a breakdown of things to come in 2023 based on their insights and opinions.

HID READERS: Outlook Grade: C

HID Readers are still going to take between 10 and 40 weeks to arrive.

The issue is still the chip and it doesn’t look likely to improve for several more months. Some versions of Lenel’s Blue Diamond readers are only 4 weeks out. Some Allegion readers are down to 4 weeks delivery time but some still have 25 week delivery times. Gallagher readers are shipping within 2 weeks.

Many of our customers are having to choose prox readers that are less secure in order to get “into the building” with plans to replace them later on.

Commercial Video Surveillance: Outlook Grade: C+

Multi Imagers, PYTZ’s and Fish Eyes tend to be the issue in this category. The chips are the issue here also.

AXIS has seen times come down and product is starting to hit the distributors shelves. However, their serve time is still as far out as 40 weeks on some of their lines. Axis has been switching out chipsets and launching new part numbers to help. Avigilon is running up to 24 weeks and has seen some progress. Hanwa and Bosch have better serve times, but with their more sophisticated cameras they’re still suffering from longer than normal times.  March Networks has normal serve times for their cameras and recorders and are picking up market share because of it.

Access Control Systems: Outlook Grade: B

This is a tale of two types, Mercury and Non-Mercury.

Mercury serve times have fallen in the last several weeks and availability for some of the manufacturers will improve in the next couple months. Lenel is currently between 1-12 weeks in most of their projected serve times. 4 months ago these were up at 28-40 weeks. Software House and S2 continues to have serve times between 6 and 20 weeks but these represent half the serve time they had just weeks ago. The mercury delays effect Avigilon also and other manufacturers using their technology. Gallagher Access Control is shipping within 2 weeks.

Electrified Locking Hardware: Outlook Grade: D

Unfortunately, this category is where the largest delays are manifesting themselves and there doesn’t seem to be any “light at the end of the tunnel” coming soon.

Currently, both major players, Allegion and Assa Abloy are communicating between 20-40 weeks for their more popular smart locks. This has opened an opportunity for manufacturers such as Alarm Lock who is currently shipping their smart locks in 4-6 weeks. This delay continues to effect projects all over the country with all Access Control manufacturers.

I know our customers will be excited when these times come down to more normal levels.

Overall Grade for 2023 Commercial Security Supply Chain: C

According to the experts at Forbes magazine, the 2023 supply chain issues will not return to pre-covid levels for a few years. The two biggest issues they say are contributing to the slower recovery are inflation and the disappearance of workforce. They’re saying that this is the new normal for a while. They also see a larger issue with raw materials being sourced in a timely manner as lower wage workers found ways to earn more by learning new skills during the pandemic.

In summary – Commercial Security supply chain serve times are improving in most categories, so we’ll give them a passing grade. We love our partnerships and are rooting for our partners to prove the experts wrong. Our manufacturers are led by talented and passionate people. This gives us confidence that things will improve in 2023.