Earlier this year, Vanderbilt presented their latest product offering to the European market. The cloud-based solution ACT365 and the product offering from Vanderbilt that blends access control with video management drew a lot of interested people to the Vanderbilt booth at this year's exhibitions.
We, Dr. Heiko Baumgartner and Lisa Schneiderheinze of GIT SECURITY Magazine, talked with Kim Loy, Vanderbilt’s Director of Marketing about the newest developments.

GIT SECURITY: After the acquisition with ACT you have merged your engineering activities in the new Dublin office. Can we assume that a lot of the new products were developed here?
Kim Loy: Yes, we have combined our engineering forces in Dublin and the product pipeline is filling up with enhancements to existing products and new products like the cloud-based ACT 365 access control and video management solution or SPC Connect that has been nominated for a GIT SECURITY AWARD.

Accessing the Cloud has reshaped intrusion solutions for installers and clients. Can you explain why?
Kim Loy: The modern tools allow installers to monitor, manage, and maintain SPC panels remotely from any location. They just log in via username and password, access the full programming function of any SPC panels or perform operations and status checks across groups of systems, instantly and remotely. Talk about transformation! This has simply cancelled the need in many cases to physically visit a site. It delivers control to the installer, thus saving time that would otherwise be spent traveling to and from site. The pay-as-you-go nature of SPC Connect means that businesses only pay for what they need. Therefore, this can significantly reduce the costs associated with purchase and installation of traditional software solutions, as well as the ongoing costs associated with maintenance and upgrades.

How does SPC Connect reduce effort for ­end-users?
Kim Loy: It is very user-friendly. All SPC Connect requires is a device (PC, tablet, smartphone) connected to the internet for installers to take advantage of remotely monitoring and maintaining SPC systems. In addition, end-users can download the SPC Connect app free of charge from the Apple App Store or Google Play. This provides them with an interface that contributes clearer arming and status information. All of the user’s interactions through SPC Connect are secured with financial grade SSL security, giving peace of mind alongside powerful control.

What about the installers? What if the original settings are no longer suitable?
Kim Loy: As an installer’s business may grow and they need to add more users, rather than investing in additional in-house server capacity and software licenses, they can adjust their monthly SPC Connect subscription as required. Once again, this focus on instant access and remote management highlights SPC Connect’s ability to save time and money for the installer and ultimately benefit their business long term.

Vanderbilt’s systems have a great reputation in the market for enterprise solutions. It looks as if the new ACT365 is targeting the market for smaller facilities and office buildings?
Kim Loy: Yes, ACT365 targets these markets. It is a simple and clever cloud-based solution. All you need is a browser and an internet connection. ACT365 is an integrated access control and video management solution. Ease of use and convenience are key ingredients to emphasize the strength of the product and depth in the field. ACT365 simplifies the installers’ job for simple and quick installations and performing maintenance tasks remotely. The result is delivering ultimate control while saving time and money. With access to all sites from one online interface, installers can get more done, more easily, and in less time. As the hardware of the system is connected directly to the IP network, and no software needs to be installed as the hosting is effectively outsourced, it ensures that the IT headaches of creating backups, VPN’s, and port forwarding are things of the past. End-users can manage their systems remotely including viewing live cameras. This remote monitoring capability makes it well-suited to multiple sectors.

Can you give us an example?
Kim Loy: For example, dealing with early morning deliveries at a retail store is an ideal example of ACT365 in its prime. From the ACT365 app on their smartphone, the store manager can identify the courier through a live video feed and then remotely open the doors of the loading bay to allow the delivery to be made. The manager can monitor all of this remotely and once the delivery is finished, they can close the loading bay door and it will automatically re-set. Another instance of ACT365’s prowess can be seen at gyms or other types of membership clubs. If gym members are passing their access fobs to friends who are not members, ACT365 enables the gym manager to quickly match up access control events with relevant camera footage and email the clips to those members who are allowing their fobs to be misused. This is an effective way of ensuring that the practice does not continue.

How do you integrate video surveillance and access control for the high-end Vanderbilt products?
Kim Loy: We believe the blend of access control and video surveillance will make the day-to-day management of security systems more efficient as it minimises the use of different systems for different tasks by combining operations in a single interface. For ACTEnterprise we have blended access control with video management via the integration with the Eventys EX Network Video Recorders. Simple to set up and operate, Eventys NVRs offer powerful, yet inexpensive video recording of up to 16 IP cameras. ACTEnterprise allows cameras connected to an Eventys EX NVR to be associated with access control doors. Any events recorded in the access control log such as “access denied” or “door forced” can be linked with the associated footage stored on the NVR. Events on a door with a camera associated will display a camera icon which allows clicking on the camera icon to replay the footage.

Thank you for answering all our questions.