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A paradigm shift in security management
In recent years we’ve all seen the rapid change that has swept through network technologies and the economic circumstances in which they’re applied.
To Nedap, it was becoming increasingly apparent that existing approaches to their speciality – security management systems – would not meet the demands of the new century: all the trends were indicating a need for network-based systems with distributed intelligence. In short, it was time to go back to the drawing board. In 2000 Nedap launched AEOS, a fully integrated security platform that has since been tried and tested at well over a hundred high-profile sites. Business Unit Management manager Berend Jan Palamba provides us with some insights on the company’s strategy and vision.
Market and technology drivers
“Extensive market research revealed the nature of the gap between supply and demand in security management,” says Palamba. “Traditional security management solutions were suffering from rigid system architectures and a lack of R&D investment. The main complaints we heard included limited scalability, an inability to execute certain tasks centrally, the need to integrate different card technologies, and the fact that users were restricted to specific client software. To take just one example: a growing organization with a security management system that could handle up to 64 doors and 999 cards would encounter serious problems the moment it exceeded that limit. They’d have to purchase an additional system with new hardware – and maybe new software as well. You get the picture”.
Trends in security management
Nedap’s design of a new generation of security management systems was therefore driven by customer demand. It was also supported by two important technical developments: the commercial exploitation of modern network technologies based on the TCP/IP (Internet) protocol, and the wider application of distributed intelligence. These opened up a range of extremely interesting options for security management. Says Palamba: “All this explains why we decided to build a completely new systems architecture. Armed with a substantial R&D budget, a large dedicated team of security and software experts came up with an innovative future-oriented security management platform, which we called AEOS.”
Distributed intelligence
One of the key features of the new system is distributed intelligence – in other words, intelligence that is no longer located in the server, but in the components. Berend Jan Palamba explains: “In the past, if you wanted to add a camera to a door where you were having problems with people entering simultaneously, you would need to make substantial changes to the system. The communication path would look something like this: the controller would send a message to the server, where it was processed and sent to the video matrix. Next, a message would be sent to the camera, which, only then, would be able to start recording. By that time, of course, far too much time would have elapsed. Communication might be further delayed by a whole range of other factors. For instance, the server might not have enough processing power at that moment, or the server and the matrix might not communicate in the same language. By letting the controller instruct the camera to record directly via a TCP/IP network, AEOS now makes it possible to resolve all of these issues instantly. For by moving server power to the server to the controller, you don’t only ensure fast, direct communication: you also get reliability, since components are no longer dependent on the central server.”
From hardware to software
In addition, since functionality is programmed into the software rather than the hardware, new-generation systems such as AEOS are extremely flexible and scalable. This reflects a wider trend away from rigid off-the-shelf products and towards virtually unlimited system architecture. To provide new functionality, conventional systems usually require the connection of an additional unit – a cumbersome and expensive method. “In AEOS, hardware effectively becomes a commodity item: it’s the software that counts.” says Palamba.
“As changes are implemented at controller level rather than at the server, the system can easily be modified or expanded. It becomes child’s play to add functionality, such as instructing an IP camera to take a photo when a card is read, and then, if necessary, to instantly alert the control room. Rather than adding new components to the camera, burglar-alarm and access-control system, all you need to do is download a single behaviour module.”
Helping run your business
Since the new generation of security management systems such as AEOS can gather all kinds of demographic, analogue and digital data, they also offer support for business processes. Depending on the client’s requirements and wishes, this could include a wide range of administrative tasks, from visitor registration and contractor management to dealing with security violations. For instance, the management of authorized cards for use by third-party contractors and sub-contractors. Or the automatic execution of tasks such as blocking passes once the contractual period expires. Berend Jan Palamba refers to some of the features of AEOS business process support: “In such cases, each permit can be restricted to a particular group of workers and a specified period of time.
In addition, the system also provides valuable information on outsourced tasks. And it enables you to set a maximum number of entries allowed into a certain room, for example in relation to fire and safety regulations.” Most companies are required to implement safety regulations applying to visitors, employees, vehicles and third parties. Each of these poses hazards of its own. To deal with them, the new generation of security management solutions provide freely definable risk categories – smoking in combustible areas, for instance, or failure to wear mandatory protective gear. Each category can be linked to a time period, during which an individual who violates a particular rule or policy can be put on a blacklist.
System security
System security is an important concern for those making the transition to next-generation security management systems. Berend Jan Palamba: “Unlike traditional systems, AEOS uses techniques similar to those that protect the keypads in automatic teller machines. An extra physical security layer was added to controllers, rather like the SIM card in your mobile phone.”
A new mindset
These days, decision-making in security management is influenced by a number of factors, including cost versus performance, functionality versus design, and short-term versus long-term investments. New demands require a different mindset: rather than looking at inflexible, off-the-shelf systems, security managers now look for flexible, modular solutions. And rather than paying for separate security products or systems, companies are increasingly choosing to invest in the innovative integrated architecture that underlies them. “As our numerous satisfied customers can testify,” says Palamba, “making the change from paying for a system to investing in a future-proof and highly flexible architecture is the way to go”.
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