Introducing Plexidor Electronic Access Control for your Dog!

Access Control is evolving all the time.  Situations in which access control can evolve to are limited only by one's imagination. That said, did you know that there’s access control option for your pets?

Yes, gone are the days where one worries about the unwanted entry of stray dogs, neighborhood cats, racoons, or any such pesky varmint.  Pet owners can find relief knowing that RFID tags are available for pet collars giving access to enter or exit the house when the pet door is equipped with electronic access control.  You are able to control which pet(s) can go outside and which cannot.

Love your pet? Can you hold it for 9 hours? The next time you have to “go” in the middle of the night, think about your pet – and the Plexidor® Performance Pet Doors. Sure, pets are different from people. People have flush toilets, pets don’t. Pets just have to wait until morning.

But if you forget, or make your pet wait too long, you know what comes next: Yup, the clean-up.

So, for the last 22 years, Plexidor® has been crusading for pets’ rights to come and go as they please. It’s actually a 2-in-1 crusade because pet owners have rights too…such as the right NOT to be a 24-hour-a-day doorman, the right NOT to live with spotted carpeting, and the right NOT to have to refinish scratched doors, to name just a few.

Because of this crusade Plexidor® has been designing and manufacturing the Performance Pet Door line. The Plexidors® come in sizes ranging from cat to great dane. They work in any kind of door or wall. All Plexidors® have heavy durable aluminum frames that can be secured and locked. White and bronze frames are baked on for strength and durability. And the door panels are made of insulated high impact acrylic to help keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Call us or visit our website and join the crusade. Order a Plexidor® pet door today. You and your pet will be happier.

• High impact acrylic panels, also used in small aircraft windshields.
• These colors do not run. Plexidor® pet doors are not painted, they use a baked on finish.
• Dogs chew through plastic and bend thin aluminum frames. These are thick, heavy aluminum.
• Magnets are not effective “keys” and are not used with Plexidor® pet doors.
• The electronic door has 1000s of key codes.

Plexidor® Electronic Doors

Secure – Interior stainless steel locking bar, thousands of key codes. Opens only for your pets. Tough shatter resistant panel. Heavy, thick aluminum frames that won’t bend. Won’t interfere with home security system.

Energy Efficient – No gaps for air filtration, saves you money.

Pet/Child Safe – Panel won’t close when obstructed. Total control up and down. No pinched tails. No pinched fingers.

Dependable – Runs on household current. Collar key is waterproof and does not need batteries. Key fastens securely to collar and won’t fall off. Interior mounted motor won’t freeze up in cold.

Durable – Steel and hardened aluminum frame with thick acrylic closing panel. Wall units include aluminum tunnel pieces and stainless steel mounting hardware for years of service. No unsightly rust streaks on your home.

Easy to Use – One button programming to add or change collar codes quickly and simply. Collar key snaps on easily and stays on. Comes complete with pet door, exterior trim, stainless steel hardware, 2 collar keys, power supply and 15ft cord.

The key is a micro RFID chip weighing only 0.4 oz.

Plexidor® collar keys are:

• Waterproof
• Rugged
• Battery free
• Shock proof
• Won’t fall off
• Works with underground fencing
• Have 1000s of key codes

How it works: Plexidor® Electronic “reads” the key code and opens only for your pet. Panel unlocks and slides up like a mini garage door. The main frame has a low profile of just 1 5/8” in thickness. Door plugs into household outlet or can be hardwired.

Order a Plexidor® today and say goodbye to…

• Messy littler trays
• Scratched doors
• Wasted energy
• Awkward, noisy, chewed flaps
• Ruined carpets and drapes

Plexidor® Pet Doors Provide

• Peace and quiet
• Undisturbed sleep & TV
• Freedom from worry about letting your pet out

Plexidors® are

• A carpet saver
• A money saver
• An energy saver

ISONAS' Crystal Matrix at a glance.

Easily Support Seasonal Schedules with ISONAS Access Control System

source: ISONAS

Are some of your clients affected by seasonal changes to their facility's schedules?

Seasonal variations are common for organizations such as:

• Schools and Libraries
• Park Districts
• Amusement Parks
• Sports Facilities
• Churches
• Recreation or Tourism Business

Many of these organizations will wnat to pre-plan and pre-program the upcoming schedules into their access control system, so that the schedule's transition times are seamless and worry-free. The Crystal Matrix application supports these types of requirements with the Permission Groups feature.

Crystal matrix Permission Groups for Schools

A high school might use the Permissions Group feature of Crystal matrix to schedule the full summer activity sessions before the end of the school year. Prepare the system for band camp, 2-a-days football practice, teacher development workshops, and adult education seminars. All pre-planed and pre-programmed before the school's staff begins its summer break. As the summer calendar progresses, the access control system automatically adjusts the system's business rules to allow the proper people into the school, at the proper times.

Click here for more details on this solution

Understanding how to use Crystal Matrix Permissions

To effectively use the Crystal matrix Permission Groups feature, you shoul dhave a solid understanding of how Permissions are defined within the system. Below are links to short training videos that explain the process of setting up Permissions within the ISONAS system.

Basic Crystal Matrix Configuration

Advanced Crystal Matrix Configuration 

The Clash of the Titans; Physical Security and IT Security

IT departments are no strangers to turf wars, but is the one shaping up between those overseeing computer networks and those in charge of physical security about to get really ugly?

Unlike past tussles between say, voice and data communications teams, the contest between IT security and those involved in everything from fire alarms to video surveillance to door-lock access controls tends to involve people who might never have had any reason to cross each other's paths.

Converging physical and logical security: A good idea or not?

"It typically takes a C-level executive to force these organizations to work together," says Tom Flynn, director of marketing in North America for smart-card maker Gemalto. "The fact is there are different entities in a corporation for physical and logical security… We see turf wars happening."

Merging physical and logical security is seen by advocates as a cost-saving step and a natural evolution for facilities maintenance and guard operations, where door-access equipment and video cameras are increasingly IP-enabled, and a smart card-based badge could be used by employees to access both buildings and computers. But resistance to convergence runs deep among traditional physical security managers, who are wary of IT departments taking control. And even IT security experts voice concerns that it's risky, with some strongly opposed to the idea of physical security operations, such as video surveillance streams, riding on the same IP corporate network as the rest of the business.

"Physical security has been about closed systems, but with the move to IP-based systems and connecting campuses there's the need to have the IT and security department involved," says Steve Russo, director of security and privacy technology at IBM's global technology services group. He says there can be advantages in integrating physical security with logical and transactional systems to give management a better picture of what's occurring, especially in retailing. And although network capacity is a concern, it's possible to share an IP network for logical and physical security, he suggests.

"Is there a risk associated with combining it? Absolutely," Russo acknowledges. But he adds: "The logical-security people are looking at threats to the environment. And where we see the interesting spark is that they can take information about physical events and turn it into operational use."

But there's often a cultural rift existing between the physical security department for facilities management, with their isolated closed networks, and the IT department with its systems administrators and security specialists trying to keep scores of Internet-accessing computers and applications running safely.

"With IP-based access control, the 'turf wars' tend to be marginalized once the IT folks realize that a system like ISONAS' PowerNet reader is actually a network appliance," says Steve Rice, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Colorado based ISONAS Security Systems. "It demands little in the way of network capacity, resources to install and can be supported like any other IP device. The benefits of integrated video, access control and/or other building control systems include a combination of additional detailed information available from a set of closely integrated functionalities (ex. have a picture of personnel involved in an entry event plus network confirmation of the credential information timed exactly to the video feed) as well as the simplicity of dividing what functionality to integrate on a customer by customer basis. This is due to the relative ease of integration with a true network software-based system. So the physical security requirements are met with a minimum of IT resource."

These differences in viewpoint are often heard in the physical-logical security convergence debates. But one of the most ardent advocates for convergence might be Ray O'Hara, executive vice president of international operations, consulting and investigations at Andrews International, which is in the traditional physical security business of "guns, gates and guards," as he puts it.

"The traditional security person and the cyber-security side are both hands-on and doing things for the betterment of the organization," says O'Hara, who recently became president of the board of directors of ASIS International, an organization for security professionals.

But today the physical-security technologies are evolving to the point where "the traditional people need help from the IT people," O'Hara says. There is often discord and mistrust between the physical and logical security divisions. But that needs to be overcome by possibly combining reporting structures so they can more easily collaborate or by setting up a "risk council" to have regular discussions with business managers, he suggests.

IBM's Russo says protocol issues point to the need for standardized compression techniques and transport in physical-security equipment, as well as standard XML-based definitions so that important meta-data can be shared. "Physical security is transitional right now," Russo says, pointing to both the Physical Security Interoperability Alliance and OASIS as organizations trying to further interoperability standards that would add convergence and make it worthwhile.

But to date, Flynn says he is only aware of a handful of large enterprises in the oil-and-gas industry, such as Chevron and Exxon, and pharmaceutical giants such as Pfizer, that have adopted converged smart cards for physical and logical security.

Financial Security Solutions with Simons-Voss

Whether it is the system, an organization, or people, your world revolves around integrity and verified trust.

It used to be that a brass key was a powerful symbol of trust and protection, bu tin today's world most brass keys are easily duplicated and the locks that depend on them are easily fooled or bypassed. On top of that, managing these keys is expesnsive and the functionality of the keys is very low. Depending on mechanical keys to protect your responsibilities in today's world is like telling your customers that their mattress is a good place to keep their money.

Fortunately SimonsVoss has locks that are as sophisticated as today's financial instruments.

With a wide range of products for various applications you never need to modify the door or frame and yet you end up with a sophisticated electronic lock that can control access by time and day while tracking all usage. Even better, the credentials use an encrypted challenge-response wireless signal that cannot be duplicated or successfully recorded and replayed.

Important Concerns

• High cost of frequent re-keying.
• Keys are easily copied or duplicated.
• No record of which key was used or when it was used.
• No control of when keys may be used.
• Aesthetics are important to provide a warm inviting atmosphere to customers
• Leased facilities, temporary needs for security.
• ATM kiosks and small remote offices.

SimonsVoss Benefits

• Re-keying accomplished with the click of a mouse.
• Transponders are very hard to duplicate and very secure.
• SimonsVoss loicks provide an audit trail so you can see who used the lock and when that access was granted.
• All SimonsVoss locks and credentials can be limited to specific times and/or days at your discretion.
• SimonsVoss locks look like standard locks. No need to advertise your security precautions with big, ugly industrial-looking locks.
• Remove the mechanical lock, apply the SimonsVoss solution. When the need is over replace the mechanical lock and use the SimonsVoss lock for the next need.
• Standalone or networked, the SimonsVoss wireless solutions makes it easy to implement solutions for these applications.

The best news of all is that these locks can be deployed one at a time as standalone solutions or combined under a centrally controlled network so you are not limited by applications that are too small or large to benefit from this solution.

Digital Mortise Cylinder

• The Digital Mortise Cylinder puts electronic access control into the mortise cylinder. Now you can remove the mechanical mortise cylinder and replace it with a digital cylinder.

Digital RIM Cylinder Exit Bar Outside Trim

• The Digital RIM Cylinder puts electronic access control into the RIM cylinder. Now you can apply a digital lock cylinder in many applications where a RIM cylinder is required.

Digital Mortise Cylinder Aluminum Frame Door Lock

• This gives you control over who has access, when they have access, and can track that use for later reference. You can even remove access for a user without their credential being present.

Smart Relay Mag Locks/Cabinets

• Barriers, gates, rolling gates, automatic systems, revolving doors, elevators and alarm systems don't need to exist as separate entities.

SV1C Cylindrical Lock Office Doors

 

• The SimonsVoss SV1C Digital Cylindrical Lock can be applied anywhere a standard commercial cylindrical lock is used without additional holes or wires. 

 

Mind-reading systems could change air security

source: msnbc

Technological developments can blur the line between security and civil liberties.

A would-be terrorist tries to board a plane, bent on mass murder. As he walks through a security checkpoint, fidgeting and glancing around, a network of high-tech machines analyzes his body  language and reads his mind.

Screeners pull him aside.

Tragedy is averted.

As far-fetched as that sounds, systems that aim to get inside an evildoer's head are among the proposals floated by security experts thinking beyound the X-ray machines and metal detectors used on millions of passengers and bags each year.

On Thursday, in the wake of the Christmas Day bombing attempt over Detroit, President Barack Obama called on Homeland Security and the Energy Department to develop better screening technology, warning: "In the never-ending race to protect our country, we have to stay one step ahead of a nimble adversary."

The ideas that have been offered by security experts for staying one step ahead include highly sophisticated sensors, more intensive interrogations of tevelers by screeners trained in human behavior, and a lifting of the U.S. prohibitions against profiling.

Some of the more unusual idea are already being tested. Some aren't being given any serious  consideration. Many raise troubling questions about civil liberties. All are costly.

"Regulators need to accept that the current approach is outdates," said Philip Baum, editor of the London-based magazine Aviation Security International. "It may have responded to the threats of the 1960s, but it doesn't respond to the threats of the 21st century."

Here's a look at some of the ideas that could shape the future of airline security:

Mind readers

The aim of one company that blends high technology and behavioral psychology is hinted at in its name WeCU - as in "We See you."

The system that Israeli-based WeCY Technologies has devised and it testing in Israel projects images onto airport screens, such as symbols associated with certain terrorist group of some other image only a would-be terrorist would recognize, said company CEO Ehud Givon.

The logic is that people can't help reacting, even if only subtly, to familiar images that suddenly appear in unfamiliar places. If you strolled through an airpost and saw a picture of your mother, Givon explained, you couldn't help but repsond.

The reaction could be a darting of the eyes, an increased heartbeat, a nervous twitch or faster breathing, he said.

The WeCU system would use humans to do some of the observing but would rely mostly on hidden cameras or sensors that can detect a slight rise in body temperature and heart rate. Far more sensitive devices under development that can take such measurements from a distance would be incorporated later.

If the sensors picked up a suspicious reactions, the traveler could be pulled out of line for further screening.

"One by one, you can screen out from the flow of people those with specific malicious intent," Givon said.

Some critics have expressed horror at the approach, calling it Orwellian and akin to "brain fingerprinting."

For civil libertarians, attempting to read a person's thoughts comes uncomfortably close the the future world depicted in the movie "Minority Report," where a policeman played by Tom Cruise targets people for "pre-crimes," or merely thinking about breaking the law.

Lie Detectors

One system being studied by Homeland Security is called the Future Attribute Screening Technology, or FAST, and works like a souped-up polygraph.

It would subject people pulled aside for additional screening to a battery of tests, including scans of facial movements and pupil dilation, for signs of deception. Small platforms similar to the balancing boards used [with] the Nintendo Wii would help detect fidgeting.

At a public demonstration of the system in Boston last year, project manager Robert Burns explained that people who harbor ill will display involuntary physiological reactions that others - such as those who are stressed out for ordinary reasons, such as being late for a plane - don't.

The system could be made to work passively, scanning people as they walk through a security line, according to Burns.

Field testing of the system, which will cost around $20 million to develop, could begin in 2011, The Boston Glove said in a story about the demonstration. Addressing one concern of civil libertarians, Burns said the technology would delete data after each screening.

The Israeli Model

Some say the U.S. should take a page from Israel's book on security.

At Israeli airports, widely considered the most secure in the world, travelers are subjected to probing personal questions as screeners look them straight in the eye for signs of deception. Searches are meticulous, with screeners often scrutinizing every item in a bag, unfolding socks, squeezing toothpaste and flipping through books.

"All must look to Israel and learn from them. This is not a post-911 thing for them. THey've been doing this since 1956," said Michael Goldberg, president of New York-based IDO Security Inc., which developed a device that can scan shoes while they are still on people's feet.

Israel also employs profiling: At Ben-Gurion Airport, Jewish Israelis typically pass through smoothly, while others may be taken aside for closer interrogation or even strip searches. Another digtinguishing feature of Israeli airports is that they rely on concentric security rings that start miles from terminal buildings.

Rafi Ron, the former security director at israel's famously tight Ben Gurion International Airport who now is a consultant for Boston's Logan International Airport, says U.S. airports also need to be careful not to overcommit to securing passenger entry points at airports forgetting about the rest of the field.

"Don't invest all your efforts on the front door and leave the back door open," said Ron.

While many experts agree the United Stated could adopt some Israeli methods, few believe the overall model would work here, in part because of the sheer number of U.S. airports - more than 400, versus half a dozen in Israel.

Also, the painstaking searches and interrogations would create delays that could bring U.S. air traffic to a standstill. And many Americans would find the often intrusive and intimidating Israeli approach repugnant.

Profiling

Some argue that policies against profiling undermine security.

Baum, who is also managing director of Green Light Limited, a London-based aviation security company, agrees profiling based on race and religion is counterproductive and should be avoided. But he argues that a reluctance to distinguish travelers on other grounds - such as their general appearance or their mannerisms - is not only foolhardy but dangerous.

"When you see a typical family - dressed like a family, acts like a family, interacts with each other like a family ... when their passport details match - then let's get them through," he said. "Stop wasting time that would be much better spent screening the people that we've got more concerns about."

U.S. authorities prohibit profiling of passengers based on ethnicity, religion or national origin. Current procedures call for travelers to be randomly pulled out of line for further screening.

Scrutinizing 80-year-old grandmothers or students because they might be carrying school scissors can defy common sense, Baum said.

"We need to use the human brain - which is the best technology of them all," he said.

But any move to relax prohibitions against profiling in the U.S. would surely trigger fierce resistance including legal challenges by privacy advocates.

Privatization

What if security were left to somebody other than the federal government?

Jim Harper, director of information policy studies at the Washington-based Cato Institute, a free-market-oriented think tank, says airlines should be allowed to take charge of security at airports.

Especially since 9/11, the trend has been toward standardizing security procedures to ensure all airports follow the best practices. But Harper argues that decentralizing the responsibility would result in a mix of approaches - thereby making it harder for terrorists to use a single template in planning attacks.

"Passengers, too, prefer a uniform experience," he said. "But that's not necessarily the best security. It's better if sometimes we take your laptop out, sometimes we'll pat you down. Those are things that will really drive a terrorist batty - as if they're not batty already."

Harper concedes that privatizing airport security is probably wishful thinking, and the idea has not gotten any traction. He acknowledges it would be difficult to allay fears of gaping security holes if it were left to each airline or airport owner to decide its own approach.

Access Control - Then and Now

Access control systems have changed and grown exponentially since they were first introduced. In 2009, amazingly, the majority of access control systems on the market continue to utilize the same basic technologies that were introduced in the late ‘60s: a combination of simplistic card readers lacking electronic intelligence, linked by multiple wires to a centralized power supply and a central control panel. This setup makes the “allow entry” decisions for the card or other credential presented at the door. These systems are energy hogs, they’re difficult to install and –more simply put- they’re a relic of past technology.

Then – A look back in access control history

The original access control system was a simple lock and key. Still in use today, keyed locks are easy to install and affordable, yet easy to break into. The first generation of automated door access systems used what would today be referred to as primitive readers with no intelligence which passed credential information -from a magnetic or RFID-enabled card- to a central control panel, which made the “allow entry” decision. The next generation of readers made slight improvements so that the reader could be connected to the control panel with an RS-485 bus and had enough intelligence to open the lock. These second-generation “semi-intelligent” readers however still passed the credential codes to the control panel so there was no improvement in either installation cost or energy consumption cost.

Although the advent of “intelligent” readers improved memory to allow access decisions to be made at the reader, independent of the control panel, the panel was still necessary since updates to the system and event histories were uploaded to it. Though some current panels have added the ability to connect to a network, they still offer no new advances in installation time, costs or energy consumption.

As shown below, the installation of even the most modern panel-based system remains a labor and cost intensive exercise. The panel also has the disadvantage of limitations to the number of doors supported per panel – typically 4, 8 or 16 doors depending on the brand and model. This means that adding just one more door to a full panel system necessitates the addition of another panel, thus increasing the cost on both a total system and a per-door basis. The ongoing operational costs of any panel-based system are also higher than the state-of-the-art ISONAS alternative for two reasons;

Panel-based systems must be maintained by specially trained  personnel since they do not employ widely available computer standards of operations.

 They consume significantly more energy

Now – Intelligent IP reader-controllers

Alternatives exist today that take advantage of modern computing and networking technologies to provide a number of significant improvements over panel-based systems by improving the basic functionality of access control systems, improving the overall security parameters of these systems, lowering the cost of installation, lowering energy usage associated with the system’s operation and easy integration with other security and building management systems.

The ISONAS Powernet Access Control System utilizes a customer’s existing Ethernet-based Internet Protocol (IP) network to link intelligent reader-controllers via a CAT5 or CAT6 cable -the same cables that provide power to the ISONAS reader allow data communications to any inexpensive standard Windows computer running the system’s access control software – the ISONAS Crystal Matrix Software System.

“Allow entry” decisions are made at the door by the intelligent PowerNet IP reader-controller with historical event data passed, on a periodic basis, to the host software. The PowerNet reader contains a list of individuals that are allowed entry to the door (cabinet, gate, etc.) along with the times or shifts that they are allowed entry. Management of the system is easily accomplished via web-based pages from any computer with access to the internet. Individual reader-controllers can be set to stay open for specified periods or to remain locked until an authorized user’s credential is presented. Requirements such as anti-pass back, holidays and other special actions are easily accomplished through the Windows-based management software. Should the network go down, the PowerNet reader-controller continues to function in “standalone mode” and automatically updates the Crystal Matrix software when the network comes back online.

With Power over Ethernet (PoE) made possible by using the customer’s existing Ethernet network and industry standard CAT5 or CAT6 cabling, the additional power sources and wires needed for a standard panel-based system are simply unnecessary. The PowerNet reader-controller, the magnetic lock or strike and all the typical accessories, such as request to exit (REX) devices and door sensors, are powered by low voltage PoE through the PowerNet reader-controller. The on-going power usage of the system as a whole is therefore significantly more efficient than with any panel system, and installation is accomplished much faster -and is more cost effective- than is possible with a panel-based system.

The PowerNet is designed for both indoor and outdoor use and since it is not encumbered by a control panel, it can be installed in virtually any location with no limitation on the number of doors or access points. Adding new doors is as simple as adding a single CAT5 cable to the existing network facilities, attaching the PowerNet, the appropriate lock and accessories to the entry point and programming the reader-controller via the reader’s web-based pages from any computer with access to the internet.

Since the PowerNet system is managed by a software system (the ISONAS Crystal Matrix Access Control Software System) that runs on a standard Windows-based server, and is accessible through the normal IP network, integrating the PowerNet reader-controller with a web-based video system, building management system or other electronic security system is quite easily accomplished. The combination of access control and IP video into a single platform not only optimizes security and efficiency during operations but it also minimizes the costs of hardware, maintenance, and training of security personnel.

With this platform in place, it can easily be expanded to create a complete IP-based security and process monitoring system. Perimeter security devices, motion detectors, and/or additional cameras for monitoring key operations can be quickly added to the infrastructure. As illustrated below, the installation of a combination of IP-based access control and video surveillance is more efficient and cost effective than the installation of panel-based system.

Summary

Utilizing the capabilities of PoE allows access control devices to break free from the limitations of a control panel. Today one of the major advantages brought by PoE to the security marketplace is the freedom to install reader-controllers virtually anywhere. In a traditional panel-based system if the control panel fails the functionality of all the doors in the system is lost, severely impacting facility security. With an ISONAS system if the reader-controller fails it is isolated to one door.

The reason for the reduced installation costs of the ISONAS system is simple: Since the IT infrastructure already has PoE built in, no additional power infrastructure needs to be added to support the access control system. The number of wiring terminations required for an ISONAS system versus a panel based system is significantly reduced since an electrician installing a panel-based system terminates the wire at a junction box near the door and runs proprietary wiring back to the control panel where it has to be terminated again. With the CAT5 wire installation of the ISONAS system, “termination” is a single wire per reader-controller, pulled by less expensive installation personnel (no electrician required since CAT5 is low voltage) and uses the same simple plug familiar to anyone who has ever plugged a laptop into a network.

The installation labor of an ISONAS system is typically at least 30% less than a comparably sized panel-based system.

With a lower manufacturing carbon footprint and the lower voltage required from the PoE ISONAS devices, access control can now legitimately claim to have gone “green” since the power usage of an ISONAS system is significantly lower over its lifetime than with any panel system.

And since the actual hardware cost of a panel system with all its pieces and parts is more expensive than the simpler but more powerful ISONAS IP-at-the-door reader-controller, the whole system is more cost effective than any alternative available. Better security combined with more cost effectiveness – the difference between THEN and NOW.

Creating a Keyless World with Simons-Voss

SimonsVoss has taken it upon themselves to make living and working with their system more secure, easier, more convenient and more efficient. In doing so, they've revolutionized classical mechanical locking media by applying digital technology and access control features. Their idea of a digital transponder instead of keys has been globally accepted. They've successfully and consistently turned their vision into reality with a radio-controlled, wireless locking and access control system.

SimonsVoss is the undisputed technology leader in the rapidly growing marked for digital, battery-operated locking and access control systems. More than 56,000 systems have been installed all overt the world proving that their vision has already become a reality. Below, you'll find a list of some of the most frequently asked questions about their innovative access control system.

Do I need both an RF lock and a SmartRelay for a Door?
No, the two components work independently of one another and have different tasks in the system. The RF Lock operates a mechanical latch. The SmartRelay operates a solid-state relay. As a result, you need only one of these components at a time.

Can the transmission of data over the radio link be tapped and reproduced?
The radio transmission is based on a method tested by the military. It is a constantly changing code sequence (crypto codes), which is not reproducible. Even renowned test institutes such as VdS and BSI, for example, couldn’t crack the code.

How is the system protected from attack?
The components are designed to resist mechanical, electrical and magnetic attacks.

Can I add a wireless network at a later date?
Yes, the system is designed to add a wired, wireless or virtual network at any time.

Can the lock system be expanded at a later date?
Yes the modular hardware components and the flexible lock plan software allow a modification or expansion of existing systems at a time.

Which components must be programmed?
All components, transponders and locks, must be programmed.

How can the digital locking cylinder’s battery be checked?
The status  of the battery can be displayed form the host computer through the SmartCD or wireless network.

Can the lock read HID cards?
Not yet. That technology is passive and does not transmit well through metal. However, a reader interface is being developed and other technology breakthroughs are being considered.

What happens when the battery dies?
There is a three-stage process of battery management that ensures authorized access. In all the years of operation access has never been denied due to battery failure.

Is there a mechanical override?
The deadbolt on the mortise lock can function as a mechanical override for mortise locks. The SV1C cylindrical lock does not have a mechanical override.

What certifications does the lock have?
These products are certified by the FCC not to interfere with other RF-based products. The US RF Locks have all been tested to ANSI Grade 1 standards. The locks are also approved by UL to meet the 10-C standard for fire doors under positive pressure.


Do you have a lock for a glass storefront door?
Yes. The Digital Mortise Cylinder (DMC4) can be used with the most popular aluminum storefront door locks.

How many transponders are supported by each RF lock?
Each RF Lock can support up to 8.000 transponders currently and will be upgradeable to 64,000 sometime in 2010.

What is the anticipated life of the batteries?
The batteries in the locks are certified for 150,000 cycles. The batteries in the standard transponders are certified for 1,000,000 clicks.

When using the wireless network, what is the range between the Central Node (computer) and the door?
The distance between each radio span (Central Node to Router or Lock Node or between routers) is a maximum of 150 feet. The distance is based on the RF environment and can be reduced by the surrounding materials.

What is the radio range for the signal between the Lock Node and the RF Lock?
The Lock Node must be located with 12” of the RF Lock. There is an optional external antenna for the Lock Node to extend this range up to 16 feet.

What are the environmental ratings of your locks?
The operating temperature of the SimonsVoss RF Lock is rated for -4 - +140 degrees Fahrenheit at non-condensing humidity of less than 90%.

Can the lock detect the position of the door?
SimonsVoss Technologies RF locks do not include a traditional door status switch. This capability is not significant to a standalone door with no real-time communications. When the 915 MHz wireless network is used, the Lock Node can monitor up to three input points.

What is the range between the SimonsVoss Technologies transponders and locks?
The maximum measured range is 20”. This distance is based on environmental elements such as the material of the door, the walls, and other radio products in the area.

Is it possible to use the SimonsVoss Technologies locks with an existing third-party access control system?
Yes, you can do this by using a Switching Transponder (TRA.SCHALT) which has wires that are connected in parallel to the button of the transponder. These wires are then connected to the relay terminals of the third-party access control panel. When the relay closed it activated the transponder just as if the button was pushed, opening the SimonsVoss Technologies RF lock.

Can I use third-party access control cards with SimonsVoss Technologies locks?
SimonsVoss has a reader that can read Mifare cards and use that information to send the proper user ID to the lock for the access decision. Extending this reader to other card technologies is currently in development.

Simons-Voss Technologies. Creating a Keyless World.

SimonsVoss Technologies.  Creating a Keyless World.

SimonsVoss Technologies design access control for facilities that is as easy to install as mechanical locks, while providing the features and flexibility of electronic access control.

They’ve taken classical mechanical locking media and applied digital technology and access control features creating more efficient, convenient and secure systems that are very easy to use.

The idea of a digital transponder instead of keys has been globally accepted, and SimonsVoss has successfully turned their vision of a “Keyless World” into reality with a radio-controlled, wireless locking and access control system.

As a leader in the rapidly growing market for digital, battery-operated locking and access control systems, SimonsVoss has developed and installed more than 5,000 systems all over the world.  Clients utilizing these systems include; TCF Bank, The Drake Hotel in Chicago, the University of Texas-Dallas, St. Catherine’s School of Racine (Wisconsin), and Volkswagen.

Almost a million SimonsVoss transponders are already activated worldwide:  quietly, energetically, carefully, and quickly.  The digital locking system guarantees reliable security and cost-effective access and building management everywhere.

SYSTEM 3060.  No Keys, No wires. No Limits.

Mechanical locking systems quickly reach their limits and become a costly security risk if keys are lost or copied. SimonsVoss Digital Locking and Access Control System, or simply System 3060 offers a secure and efficient alternative.  It is comprised of locks, credentials, software and an optional communication network which are controlled solely by radio frequency, without cables.  Just press a button and the door is unlocked. Every access is logged for later examination.  Benefits of System 3060 include quick wireless installation, easy adaptability, seamless security, central control, and it’s highly economical.

Formed in 1995, SimonsVoss Technologies, a German-based company, set out to develop user-friendly locking system applications.  Their main focus was on the development of extremely low-energy electronic boards for use in system components (without external cabling as far as possible), innovative mechanical functions and active transponder technology as the core for operating all system components.  In 1998, SimonsVoss reached a breakthrough with the world’s first digital locking cylinder without external cabling.  By 2005, the company expanded with regional sales offices in Singapore, the United Kingdom, Austria, Dubai, the Netherlands, and France.  Currently the company employs a staff of 225 at the headquarters in Munich, Germany, and maintains a manufacturing facility in Petersberg, Germany along with several international sales offices.

ISONAS Reader-controllers and Proximity Credentials from HID

ISONAS reader-controllers can be optionally enabled to read HID’s Proximity credentials. HID’s Proximity credentials have many formats available. Each format specifies the amount and contents of the information recorded on the credential.

Basic Guidelines for ISONAS’s HID-Enabled reader-controllers:

• All formats of HID Proximity Cards (125KZ) can be read.
• Indala cards and the ProxPass cards are not supported.

The data on the card is converted into an ISONAS equivalent credential number.

ISONAS Reader-controllers and Proximity Credentials from HID
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