Security Apps For Every Job

March 2, 2015
Monitor security systems, maintain key control, order parts or calculate power requirements via smartphone or tablet

The evolution of security technology has been amazing, especially looking back at when I first became involved with alarms and access control in the mid 1970s.

The theory is that an individual’s relationship to technology has a whole lot to do with their age, and the stereotype is that the older you are, the more your resist it.

But a little Google search will usually result in interesting results. I already knew I was a charter member baby boomer; but I did not consciously know there are actually six generations coexisting on our planet.

  • GI Generation (Born 1901-1926)
  • Mature/Silents (Born 1927- 1945)
  • Baby Boomers (Born between 1946 and 1964)
  • Generation X (Born between 1965 and 1980)
  • Generation Y/Millennium (Born between 1981 and 2000)
  • Generation Z/Boomlets (Born after 2001)

However, age does not automatically determine which generation you identify with.

In 1975 when I started in the security industry, the transition to transisters was pretty much complete, and computers and digital electronics were coming of age. Tubes persisted in TV sets, camera vidicons, and other specialized applications.

During the 1990s I carried a couple of pagers (one numeric, one alpha-numeric); a mobile phone as big as a brick, and a personal organizer. At some point I also got a laptop. All this gear weighed about 50 pounds.

Cell phones kept getting smaller and better, and then mobile electronics came into being.

I must have been one of the last holdouts against the transition to smartphones. No, that can’t be true, because there are many people who do not have one…. yet.

I used a tablet, a small version of a laptop from I guess the mid 2000’ and had mixed feelings about it.

One worry was that the location of my vehicle could be tracked (although I later learned management didn’t actually track anybody). Another issue was that the device didn’t meet my expectations in many regards.

I wasn’t the only one having problems. I had a corporate client who kept the video surveillance rack in a utility room. I had to go in there to service it or retreat spare security parts (strikes, cameras, card readers) which we stowed in there.

In this room he had a drawer full of malfunctioning Blackberries. These things were very expensive to begin with, but a malfunctioning one was even more expensive in lost productivity, unmet expectations and potential security breach.

A misplaced one was a huge liability since it carried corporate data and network access codes, so the funky ones wound up in locked drawer in a secured room.

I bit the bullet early in 2014 and got a couple of Galaxy S5’s for myself and my manager. This model was, if not the highest rated smartphone, in the top three. (Newer ‘better’ devices are always coming out.)

There was a learning curve, but this device is incredible, and I’ll do without a lot of things before I would do without my smartphone. I would do without my landline.

I haven’t used my digital camera since I got the S5, and I take a lot of images and videos. I hardly need a wristwatch or alarm clock. I think I forgot how to hold a pencil and write.

One of my favorite things has become APPS, a/k/a applications. There are mobile apps for smartphones, and web apps for desktops and laptops.

These mobile app programs enable smartphones to do other things. The apps are pretty much free, and the list of apps is growing exponentially.

Apps for Security are both dealer oriented as well as end-user oriented. I’ll quickly review some.

I’m not rating these apps just sharing.

Sometimes an app is not what you are after. Sometimes an app is in transition (AKA Beta), and whatever is bothering you about it will be cleaned up shortly.

Very often the problem is not the app it is the end-user(you); the mobile device you are using, or the network environment you are operating in.

So I suggest following the rules, be prudent, have virus-malware-adware software installed on all your devices, and have fun.

Altronix

Get the information you need in the palm of your hand when you’re on the move with Altronix’s new highly versatile mobile app. It lets security professionals find and access specific details on the company’s comprehensive product line-up, and provides useful tools to help choose the solutions they need while in the field.

Designed to provide extreme ease of operation and navigation, the Altronix app provides the ability to search products by model number, product category (access power controllers, batteries, enclosures, IP over coax adapters…), or market sector application (access control, security, surveillance…). Once products are located, users have easy access to datasheets, installation instructions and UL certificate files.

Altronix app calculators will accurately determine voltage drop, metric voltage drop, power requirements, battery back-up, and voltage drop for HubWay Series products (for UTP infrastructure). To facilitate fast and precise calculations, the Altronix app also provides converters for distance, power, temperature, time, weight and wire gauge. All tools are designed to help security professionals quickly and easily identify the best power and transmission solutions available to ensure the highest levels of efficiency.

The Altronix app is downloadable at www.altronix.com, and from app sites for Android or Apple smartphones and tablets.

Altronix’s new mobile app features a fast and intuitive product finder along with technical specification tools.  It provides security professionals with all the information they need to specify Altronix products while in the field.

The app is available at:

Apple: itms://itunes.com/apps/altronix

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.techxperts.altronix.home

Morse Watchmans

Morse Watchmans is a leading provider of key control, key security and key and asset management solutions to the security industry.  They may be networked and integrated with access control and other physical security systems or use them as standalone systems.

Morse Watchmans’ key management systems can be custom tailored to meet exact key and asset management needs — with the added comfort of knowing that the system can be expanded or reconfigured as needs change.

Modules for access card security and mechanical keys can be added or SmartKey Locker systems modules can be included for secure storage of small items such as cell phones, weapons or cash boxes.

Morse Watchmans’ new mobile app makes key control and management easier and more convenient than ever. Not only can users access a wealth of useful information, but management can also keep apprised of system status and maintain control while on the go. Real-time information is available for keys in use, overdue keys, alarms and system status. The system can automatically send notifications and events to authorized personnel. The app also offers administrative capabilities to maintain optimum control and management.

For more information visit www.morsewatchmans.com

Allegion

The SchlageR NDE Series wireless lock with ENGAGE™ technology is designed to be easy to install, connect, manage, and use.

Developed specifically for facilities that want to upgrade to electronic credentials for improved security and efficiency, it is ideal for interior office doors, common area doors, and sensitive storage spaces with a cylindrical door prep.

NDE Series wireless locks simplify installation by combining the lock, credential reader, door position sensor and request-to-exit switch all in one unit.

NDE Series wireless locks utilize the standard ND cylindrical door prep and can be installed in minutes with only a Phillips screwdriver; no need to install additional components, drill holes or run wires to each opening.

ENGAGE cloud-based web and mobile apps make it easy to configure lock settings, add users, and view audits and alerts from anywhere.

For advanced capabilities including user schedules, auto unlocks and holidays, NDE Series wireless locks can be managed with software from Allegion access control alliance partners.

NDE Series wireless locks can be updated manually at the lock with the ENGAGE mobile app, automatically daily over Wi-Fi 2 or in real-time when connected to an ENGAGE gateway.

NDE Series wireless locks with ENGAGE technology are compatible with most proximity and smart cards including aptiQ™ and aptiQmobile.™

The ENGAGE cloud-based mobile and web applications deliver simple and convenient site set-up, updates and basic access management for users and locks.

ENGAGE mobile app

  • Add and configure locks
  • Add new users and enroll credentials
  • View audits and alerts by door
  • Send updates to locks
  • Perform lock diagnostics

Requirements: iOS 7.1 or later (on iPhone 4S or newer); Andriod 4.4 (Kit Kat) or later

ENGAGE web app

  • Configure locks
  • Add new users and enroll credentials
  • View audits and alerts by door

Requirements:

-- Internet Explorer 11.0 or later

--Chrome 38.0 or later

-- Firefox 33.0 or later

--Safari for Mac OS X 10 +

eLINE

Looking to get into video surveillance and management from a mobile device, consider eLine’s SIP Series- 4ch IP Surveillance Kit, Model: ELI-SIP-NVRKIT-4D

Features include:

  • HD Preview and Playback • Resolution: 1080p/720p/D1
  • HD outputs HDMI or VGA
  • 4-channels 1080p 30fps
  • 4-channel PoE = Direct connect to cameras
  • Multiple Monitor Support
  • Remote monitoring from Web Browser
  • Remote Monitoring Apps for iPhone and Android
  • ONVIF Standard Compliant  

With the  SIP-NVR monitor app, Users can log into eLine proprietary NVR devices to watch live video and recorded events. The software can simultaneously view up to 9 SIP cameras and stream from multiple IP Devices. SIP-NVR app supports audio playback, PTZ control, and real-time recording.

Application Characteristics:

  • Live video and audio,
  • Video and audio playback, full-screen playback, fast forward and rewind controls.
  • Connects to multiple NVRs
  • PTZ control, preset, cruise, scan settings.
  • Real-time capture of live monitoring

For more information on the full range of video surveillance apps from eLine, visit www.elinetechnology.com

Honeywell Total Connect

Honeywell’s Total Connect™ Remote Services (Total Connect) app empowers homeowners to stay connected to their homes from virtually any location in the world. The app is capable of a wide range of end-to-end services and technologies; everything from sensors that detect if a door, liquor cabinet or jewelry box is opened, to remote thermostat and lighting controls that save energy, to GPS technology that allows users to track vehicles, to technology that remotely unlocks doors.

Total Connect keeps the user informed of what’s happening inside and outside the home. The service provides real-time alerts, video viewing and mobile remote control to bring peace of mind to users.

Total Connect is compatible with any web-enabled or mobile device, including tablets, laptops and smartphones. Using Total Connect, homeowners can remotely arm, disarm or check the status of their security system.

Total Connect also lets users log in to their systems and view live video on up to six cameras at one time. This can be used by the homeowner in conjunction with Total Connect’s other features to verify the identity of visitors before disarming the security system for them. In addition, it can be particularly useful for parents to keep an eye on children, elderly relative, pets and property.

The program provides real-time e-mail messages and video alerts for both security-related events, such as a motion sensor being triggered, and non-security events, such as a water pipe bursting or a sudden change in indoor temperature. Total Connect provides the tools for homeowners to make energy and cost-reducing choices, giving them full control of their systems even when away from home.

HID Mobile Access

HID Mobile Access merges security with convenience by enabling a smartphone and other mobile devices to securely open a door or gate.

This unique solution enables new iCLASS SE® or multiCLASS SE® readers to activate with a close range “tap” of a smartphone, or from a distance with HID Global’s patented “Twist and Go” mode. Active feedback including vibration and sound enhances the user experience when opening doors.

It leverages standard communications technologies to support both Android™ and iOS® operating systems for a mobile solution that is easy to deploy and manage and increases operational efficiencies with the ability to manage Mobile IDs through the robust online HID Secure Identity Services portal wherein administrators easily invite, provision or revoke Mobile IDs over the air. Secure identities are managed wirelessly through the phone. HID Mobile Access is powered by HID Global’s award-winning Seos® technology to provide superior identity management and deliver the most dynamic mobile solution available today.

HID Mobile Access is sold only as a complete solution that requires the following components:

  • New, mobile-enabled readers (iCLASS SE or multiCLASS SE with factory-installed components)
  • HID Mobile Access Service Bundle
  • Mobile IDs
  • HID Secure Identity Services portal (a hosted service)
  • HID Mobile Access App for supported mobile phones*

The HID Mobile Access® App merges security with convenience by enabling a smartphone and other mobile devices to securely open a door or gate. This unique solution enables new iCLASS SE® or multiCLASS SE® readers to activate with a close range “tap” of a smartphone, or from a distance with HID Global’s patented “Twist and Go” mode. Active feedback including vibration and sound enhances the user experience when opening doors.

Windy City Wire

Windy City Wire® has been providing low-voltage wire since 1994. They are dedicated to developing solutions that generate results for their customers.

Besides cable, they also provide comprehensive cable management solutions that save integrators time and reduce materials waste on their projects.

Their eCommerce site provides real-time, up-to-the minute access to product information, driven by their state-of-the-art bar code inventory management system that’s available to users 24-7 and is Smartphone friendly.

Windy City also has their patented Smartwire System Design Tool® software, giving integrators the ability to design custom job plans and ultimately work more efficiently.
SmartWire Mobile App allows users to easily view quotes, track shipments and place orders.

Features:

  • FREE for all eCommerce Accounts
  • View Price Sheets
  • View Quotes & Track Orders
  • View Order History
  • Convert Quotes to Orders
  • Access Instant Ordering
  • View Training Videos
  • Contact your Sales Person

ADI Mobile App

ADI is a leading global wholesale distributor of security and low voltage products, with over 200 branch locations in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Europe, Australia and India. ADI solutions include intrusion, fire, video surveillance, IP solutions, access, power, A/V, networking, telephony, central vacuum, tools & hardware, and wire & cable.

I used to shop there when they had just one store, in Syosset, N.Y. I’m still a customer. ADI’s brick and mortar locations have lots of products in stock and on display, and many of them have classrooms available for factory and other training.

For a few years I was involved in Locksmith Certification Training which I presented at ADI’s Richmond, VA and Washington DC locations. You’ll come for the coffee & donuts; you’ll stay for the products and training.

ADI has released a new mobile app to provide dealers with instant access to ADI conveniently from their Apple iOS and Google Android smartphones. Locksmiths can use it to check product pricing and availability fast, and place orders for pick up or delivery.

The ADI app offers advanced features to make it easy to access more than 100,000 products from 1,000 top brands, and its superior functionality enables customers to find products faster than ever before.

Using advanced bar code scanning functionality, customers can scan items and instantly get pricing and inventory. Predictive search technology enables ADI to deliver relevant information from the app, also helping users search and find products faster.

The mobile app also offers a branch locator to help users find their local ADI location, and a click-to-call feature allows them to call their local ADI branch from the app.

The new app complements ADI’s existing  web and mobile websites, and helps ADI to deliver an exceptional online customer experience to dealers who can pass along the same experience to the customers.

Designed for smartphones, the app has a user-friendly interface and feature simple navigation and provides access to ADI’s complete product line as well as its Sales Center, Clearance Zone and Online Specials.

ADI will continue to add new features and functionality to the app.

The ADI app is available free of charge and can be downloaded from the App Store on iTunesTM or Google PlayTM. For more information, visit www.adiglobal.com/APP.