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A Single Access System: Multiple Languages Needed In US and Canada, there are various regions that require Security Software to concurrently run in multiple
languages.

Details

Through out the US, Canada and Latin America, there are a number of regions where a significant portion of the population does not speak English or even if they do, are more comfortable speaking in a different language. For example, an installation might require an English speaking administrator who makes
changes to the employee portion of the database while a Security Director, who applies the rules to the system, would prefer French or Spanish.

Solution

Doors.NET from Keri keeps all translation settings within the Client software so individuals who are more comfortable with one language, can operate the system without changing the language settings of other users. The most common uses for this are for Spanish and English in the US Southwest and Puerto Rico
and French and English in Quebec Canada. The Client Software will remember the user’s preferences so next time a logon is initiated, the system is automatically set to the preferred language. The choice of language is initiated on the fly so no additional system administration is needed. The system also returns to the last layout the operator had used. This is a core component of the basic system architecture so there are no additional charges for the feature. The most common Language translations are provided by Keri and are pre-loaded in Doors.NET. For the Americas, the four primary languages English, Spanish, French and Portuguese are ready at the touch of a button.

Summary

Keri’s Doors.NET software provides the flexibility required to meet virtually any language requirement in North or South America. Users can operate the system in the language they’re most comfortable with which minimizes potential mistakes because of a simple misunderstanding caused by a language issue. Required Equipment

1) Keri – Doors.NET Access Control Software

With typical Access Control Video integration schemes, there are several failure modes where retrieval of the video event from the access control system is impossible, effectively negating the benefits of the

Integration:
1) The connection is lost between the Access Control and Video Servers, so there is no way for the Access Control system to pull live or archived video.
2) The Video Server has either overwritten the video history that is needed by the access control system or the Video Server has failed and the stored video is unrecoverable.

Details

Virtually all access/video integration schemes rely on a live Ethernet connection between the Access Control and the Video systems to retrieve events. If that connection is lost for any reason, the access system has no way to query the Video Server and obtain the video clip for the event in question. This effectively splits the so-called integrated system into its two stand-alone components systems, Access Control and Video. Additional problems occur because Video Servers typically overwrite data every 30 to 90 days due to limited disk space. Systems with larger hard drives store more video but eventually will run out of space
because of the size of video files. Eventually, they are forced to overwrite older video clips. A standard flow chart of how virtually all integration solutions work is illustrated below.

The pitfalls become:
User requests an Access Control Report
Access Control system queries Video server for time-stamped events
Is Ethernet Connection available?
Access Systems attempts to pull a list of videos from the video server for display
Access System cannot find videos because it can’t connect to the server
Has the Video been deleted?
Access System cannot find videos because they have been erased
Access System is able to retrieve and play video clip

Solution

Keri Systems’ Video Integration solution, Reflections, is constantly monitoring our video partner’s application. If an event occurs on a camera that has been linked to a door or input point on a Keri controller, Reflections immediately makes a copy of the video event, places it in the access database, and creates a unique database link between the video and the access control text event. The difference between Keri’s video recording and the video source with the whole archive of recorded video is that Keri only retrieves and stores video events from cameras that have been mapped to either doors or input points on the access control system, and only when important pre-defined events have occurred – in other words, the video events that actually matter. Typically, this equates to less than 5% of the events recorded by the video storage device, which is monitoring all cameras and recording more often. Assuming a typical DVR/NVR has enough storage for 60 days of video, an equivalent size hard drive for Reflections would be able to store video events needed by the access control system for 1200 days (just over 3 years), providing a safe and secure long term archive for cardholder and access hardware event transactions. Because the clips are stored on the Keri Server, there is never a need to access the Video Server over Ethernet when a historical video clip is needed, so there is no reliance on the integrity of the Ethernet connection, or on the clip still being present on the Video Server. This solution is so unique that there are
several patents pending on it.

Summary

Keri’s Access/Control/Video integration is unlike virtually any other in that Reflections is a real time integration that it retrieves and records needed video data directly to its own database. The Video Server is never required again to retrieve video data associated with the access control hardware.
Required Equipment
1) Keri – Doors.NET Access Control Software
2) Keri – Reflections or Reflections Plus Video Integration Software
3) NXT Controller hardware
4) Keri Supported Video Partner – NVR or DVR

Currently Supported Platforms In Process Integrations Aimetis Arecont Vision Milestone Hykvision Panasonic Toshiba (IP Cameras) Axis IP Cameras ONssi (NetDVMS) Pelco 8100 series (on 32 OS only) Vivotek (IP Cameras)

Problem

Guards and System Administrators don’t have a single application that allows for management of the access control and video systems, especially if multiple vendor video platforms are deployed.

Details

Although many access control providers claim to integrate with video products, at best the solution is composed of displaying a live camera feed or pulling video clips to match associated access control system events. To accomplish any other function, the operator still needs to switch back and forth between the video and access applications. In most instances, live recording is viewed via the video application, so the operator must jump to the access control application to unlock a door, override an input point, run reports, etc. The problem is magnified for customers who have deployed multiple video platforms, where in addition to switching back and forth between vendors’ software as well as the access control application, the operator must learn to use two or more video software packages.

Solution

Keri’s approach differs in that we have created a separate Client that tightly integrates multiple video sources/vendors together with Keri’s access control platform into one real time application called ReflectionsTM EVR Event Video Recorder (patents pending). Reflections acts as an overlay to both Keri’s access and one or more supported video applications or direct sources, integrating data in real time, receiving simultaneous messaging from the access and video platforms, and most importantly for the user, providing a single user interface for both. The system is so flexible; it can even take inputs directly from IP cameras (if associated with an input or reader) on the access control system without the need for an NVR or DVR.

Features contained within Reflections:

Record and view live video from multiple video sources with a single uniform user interface even when using solutions from different video vendors minimizing hardware costs and space usage due to multiple vendor solutions.
Drag and drop access control hardware from within the Reflections Video Software Client (shown as a screen capture on next page) eliminates the need to switch between applications. View door or input status and control doors or outputs from within the individual camera frames in live view mode (shown as part of the screen capture on next page) eliminating the need to switch between applications. Direct IP camera support (view, record and control) when mapped to a door or I/O point without the need for an NVR or DVR eliminating video server costs. Email a snapshot burst notification of designated video events or send an SMS for real time messaging of video and access control events. Up to 4 monitors live viewing support with a single monitor capable of viewing composites of 2X2, 3X3, 4X4 or 5×5 frames.

Reflections EVR

Video Source #1 (DVR/NVR or IP Camera)

Video Source #2
Keri Access Application

Video Source #3

Cardholder photos pop up on the fly within the video screen on card presentation allowing for real time verification of a valid card user. Observation Video allows the user to manually trigger video recording or snapshot bursts on command for later usage.

Direct Access Control Hardware Status and Control from Reflections Video

Currently Supported Platforms In Process Integrations
Aimetis Arecont Vision
Milestone Vivotek
Panasonic Toshiba (IP Cameras)
Axis IP Cameras Hykvision
ONssi (NetDVMS)
Pelco 8100 series (on 32 OS only)

Summary

Keri’s Reflections EVR is the one application available through distribution that offers viewing (live and recorded video), management, and command and control of both Access Control and Video solutions from a single user interface. This produces a savings on hardware and software for the installer and the end user while providing unmatched ease of use by combining the most important aspects of Access Control and Video into a single cohesive package.

Door status shown live in video steam Direct door control from within the video stream

Needed Equipment

1) Keri – Doors.NET Access Control Software

2) Keri – Reflections Express, Reflections or Reflections Plus Video Integration Software

3) Keri Supported Video Partner – IP Camera, NVR or DVR

Currently Supported Platforms In Process Integrations

Aimetis Arecont Vision
Milestone Hykvision
Panasonic Toshiba (IP Cameras)
Axis IP Cameras
ONssi (NetDVMS)
Pelco 8100 series (on 32 OS only)
Vivotek (IP Cameras)

Problem

System clocks being out of synch between Access Control systems and Video Servers can compromise the integrity and reliability of forensic video history. The reliance on the accuracy of the PC’s internal clock, which is one of the most unreliable components of a PC, presents problems in finding and matching recorded video events with associated access system events. Video clips are often thrown out of courts as evidence due to their conflicting time stamps, because the Video Server’s time clock is simply significantly off from actual time, or the system may be unable to find an event at all based on a time
search.

Details

Virtually all Access Control and Video integration schemes are reliant on the time clocks of each system to be in synch in order to match a video event to an access control event. Depending upon user configuration, most systems allow for a window of several minutes to find matching events. Even if events are found within the specified window but the timestamps are not an exact match, the video and access event can be thrown out during a trial as being conflicting. This problem is illustrated below.

User requests an Access Control Report
Access Control system queries Video server for time window matching events
Do times fall within a specified window?
Access System pulls a list of videos clips from the Video Server for display
Access System cannot find matching video events or displays wrong events
User clicks on the requested link and Access Systems retrieve the clip
Does the time stamp match?
Evidence likely is dismissed in a trial
Evidence likely is usable in a trial

2305 Bering Dr, San Jose, CA 95131
Phone (800) 260-5265 / (408) 435-8400 / Fax (408) 577-1792

Solution

Keri Systems Video Integration solution, Reflections, is constantly monitoring our video partner’s application. If an event occurs on a camera that’s been linked to a door or input point on a Keri controller, Reflections immediately grabs a copy of the video event, places a copy in the access database, and
creates a unique database link between the video and the access control text event. This means the system can always match and retrieve both, regardless of the possible inaccurate time stamps or overwriting of data on the Video Server. This solution is so unique that Keri has several patents pending.
Also, because the events were recorded simultaneously, there is little chance that it can be eliminated as evidence in court because of a conflicting time stamp.

Summary

Keri’s Access Control + Video integration is unlike virtually any other in that Reflections is a real-time integration that is aware of the activity on both Access Control hardware and Video Server simultaneously and has no reliance on system clocks or their synchronization. When events occur on either system, they
are linked and archived immediately and forever using a unique identifier key, eliminating the chance to incorrectly mapped or later lost via overwriting when the video hard drive is full.

Needed Equipment

1) Keri – Doors.NET Access Control Software
2) Keri – Reflections or Reflections Plus Video Integration Software
3) Supported Keri Video Partner – NVR or DVR
4) Keri NXT Series Access Control Hardware
Currently Supported Platforms 1
* In Process Integrations*
Aimetis Arecont Vision
Milestone Vivotek
Panasonic Toshiba (IP Cameras)
Axis IP Cameras Hykvision
OnSSI (NetDVMS)
Pelco 8100 series (on 32 OS only)

Problem

While extremely common, Wiegand interface readers are based on a hardware protocol that is almost 50 years old and poses a number of security and life safety risks in the modern world, as well as some significant installation limitations.

Details

1) Wiegand readers are unsupervised devices, meaning that they can be compromised without the customer knowing it, ironically creating a weak point in what are supposed to be secure systems.
The instructions on how to do it are readily available on the Internet. Two web sites that describe exactly how it can be done are:
https://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2007/08/open-sesame-acc/
https://www.securityinfowatch.com/Access+Control/hacking-wiegand-card-reader

2) They can also be vandalized, become defective, or even stolen with no notification to the system administrator. A system interfacing to a Wiegand output reader never knows if the reader goes off line or is removed, creating at best an inconvenience and at worst, a life safety issue.
Vandalized or destroyed readers can leave someone stranded outside in an non-secure area, without the ability to enter a building, which can create a serious life safety issue, not to mention a significant liability exposure.

3) The most commonly formatted card or fob used on a normal Wiegand interface reader has had the same exact ID number issued tens or even hundreds of times, creating the opportunity for a duplicate credential to gain access where it should be restricted.

4) Readers with a Wiegand interface are limited to a 500’ (150m) maximum distance from the controller using #18 AWG (1.2mm) 6 or 7 conductor cable. The distance is half of that if #22 AWG cable (0.6mm) is used.

Solution

Due to its popularity, Keri supports the Wiegand interface on all of its products. However, Keri’s NXT reader and controller communication uses a secure RS-485 interface and the readers are fully supervised and monitored by the system while a Wiegand interface solution is not. If a Keri reader is compromised or the cable is cut, the system operator is immediately notified with a message. Additional alerts can be set up within the software to include email or text message notification creating, a far more reliable and secure solution.
Keri’s NXT cards and fobs are all uniquely coded with billions of possible ID so there is never a duplicate ID issued, eliminating the chance of a purposeful or inadvertent granting of access to a duplicate card ID.
They also have an encrypted card number making them virtually impossible to predict internal patterns to duplicate cards.
Because the NXT readers communicate via RS-485, the cable distance is double that of Wiegand interface readers, and the 4 conductor cable used (including shielded CAT5) is 35%-50% less expensive than the shielded 7 conductor cable required for Wiegand output readers.

2305 Bering Dr, San Jose, CA 95131
Phone (800) 260-5265 / (408) 435-8400 / Fax (408) 577-1792

Summary

Wiegand technology readers create gaping holes in a security system, which by its nature is designed to provide security, not compromise it. This pervasive problem will only be overcome when the industry begins to embrace more secure reader technologies that provide greater levels of security for the facilities and people they are supposed to protect. The NXT system provides that secure technology.

Needed Equipment

1)NXT Controllers and NXT Readers as needed for Installation
2)NXT Cards or Tags
3)Keri – Doors.NET – Access Control Software

Problem
In 2010, only 20% of security installers consider themselves Ethernet savvy. However, the least expensive cabling costs, fastest systems and most modern and powerful integrations now are designed with IT-based products. Additionally, customer IT departments are involved in more than 50% of the
decisions regarding security systems. Many of these same IT departments throw up barriers to installing a security system on a corporate network because of network reliability, security and bandwidth concerns.

Solution
Even though Keri’s TCP/IP-based NXT Controller hardware and Doors.NET software is relatively easy to install and commission, Keri has created the AutoUSB Simplified Networking Solution to allow security installers with little knowledge of IT technology to capitalize on the growing trend towards IP security solutions. Utilizing Keri’s AutoUSB adapter, the installer plugs into any USB port on the computer. Then utilizing standard CAT5 cable and inexpensive off-the-shelf IP plug-in routers creates a network for the system. The Doors.NET software senses the USB adapter and instead of using the PC’s network card, it utilizes the AutoUSB adapter and then auto assigns and saves IP addresses to any of the controllers attached to the newly created network. The system is now operational with no IT information required by the technician or permission from the IT department – truly plug-and-play and network issue-free.

Plug AutoUSB adapter into PC
Connect controllers using inexpensive CAT5 cable
Is there AutoUSB in use?
Doors.NET uses a standard computer network card
Installer enters each IP address for each controller and saves it in Doors.NET
Doors.Net retrieves all controllers that are wired to the network
Hit the “Autoconfig” button in the Doors.NET software
Doors.NET retrieves all NXT controllers that are wired to the network
Doors.NET sends addresses to controllers
Doors.NET auto assigns IP addresses and sends to controllers
Doors.NET analyzes the network for possible IP connections

2305 Bering Dr, San Jose, CA 95131
Phone (800) 260-5265 / (408) 435-8400 / Fax (408) 577-1792

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It’s also important to note that even in its most active state, the Keri Doors.NET and NXT hardware use less than 2% of a 100megabit network, which should alleviate any bandwidth concerns of the corporate, IT staff.

Summary
By utilizing standard USB plug-and-play concepts that virtually all installers are familiar with, Keri has removed the biggest hurdle that faces installers who wish to move to the latest generation of products –
the knowledge of how to install and configure embedded IP based systems. Installing a powerful, “next-generation” access control system is now as simple as plugging in the network cable and hitting an autoconfiguration button. No other IP hardware setup or knowledge is required.

Needed Equipment
1)Keri – Doors.NET – Access Control Software
2)Keri – USBA – AutoUSB adapter kit
3)Off-the-shelf IP router (if using more than one controller) and CAT5 cables
4)NXT hardware as needed for Installation

Problem

A big hurdle for the end user is the cost of an access control system. More potential access control projects are abandoned for budgetary reasons than system manufacturers lose to a competitor.
Additionally, since the downturn in the economy, margins on jobs have also been cut. Installers need every cost advantage they can get to win more jobs and begin to recapture profits.

Solution

Although Access control systems are the only truly proactive step a user can take to augment the security in a facility, the cost associated with installing a system and door hardware is expensive enough that many potential buyers ultimately refuse to spend the money. Keri has addressed this cost of ownership problem with a number of software features, architectural improvements and ease of installation aids as compared to traditional systems. More details are provided below.

Controller Cost & Reader Costs

On a per door basis, the cost of our controllers, readers, and software are approximately 12% to 40% less than most other popular brands, some of which have even fewer features.

Cabling Costs

1) Keri’s supervised readers utilize a 4-conductor, shielded cable or shielded CAT5, which ever is cheaper. Other systems using Wiegand interface readers use a 6 or 7 conductor-shielded cable. On average, the 4-conductor cable costs about 36% less.
2) Keri’s embedded IP controllers use unshielded CAT5 cable for networking rather than the more expensive RS-485 or current loop cable recommended by most other manufacturers. Typical RS-485 wire can cost from $.29 to $.38 per foot. Unshielded CAT5 on the other hand typically is priced about $.07 per foot making it at least 75% less expensive.

System Programming Costs

While difficult to quantify programming times, Keri has enhanced its software offering to include a number of auto programming features designed to cut system programming and commissioning time by hours.
1) Keri’s Autoconfig feature eliminates all manual hardware input into the system, saving time and eliminating mistakes and much troubleshooting. When coupled with the optional AutoUSB feature, the software even auto assigns an IP address, thus eliminating the need for any IP knowledge on the part of the installer while the customer gets the befits of an IP-based system.
2) The auto-enroll/program feature cut cardholder enrollment time by hours. Templates can be assigned to types of user groups to automatically enroll card ID information, access information and other relevant cardholder data. Summary The purchase cost/labor advantage provided by Keri’s NXT platform is designed to give the installer the best possible chance of winning a job, which is often the biggest hurdle he faces. Once the job is won, NXT also provides the best opportunity to maximize the installer’s profits.

Needed Equipment
1)Keri – Doors.NET – Access Control Software
2)Keri – USBA – AutoUSB adapter kit
3)Off-the-shelf IP router (if using more than one controller) and CAT5 cables
4)NXT hardware as needed for installation