Message From Lenel’s VP of Engineering

OnGuard 2008 Is Ready to take the Industry by Storm!

Lenel will soon commercially release OnGuard 2008 (version 6.0), the next generation of our integrated security management platform, Allow me to take this opportunity to describe just a few of the functionality developments that you can expect to find in the new release.

OnGuard Enterprise, our patented, multi-server solution for geographically-dispersed enterprises, gets a major boost in flexibility in OnGuard 2008. Previous versions of OnGuard Enterprise were based on a two-tiered architecture, with one or more regional servers each managing an autonomous subsystem, and a master server responsible for centralized administration and reporting. OnGuard 2008 expands that architecture to support multi-level enterprise applications, providing the ability to monitor alarms and hardware devices from multiple levels of regions simultaneously, and streamlining data synchronization between locations. OnGuard 2008 supports cross-regional capabilities such as alarm monitoring, video viewing and single sign-on from anywhere in the system.

OnGuard 2008 also marks the introduction of a hybrid video recorder solution that bridges the gap between the traditional CCTV approach and a true end-to-end digital solution offered by IP video implementations. Historically, an organization had to choose whether to implement an analog or an IP video solution for its entire site. Because the hybrid video recorder can support both IP and analog cameras on a single device, an organization can now implement a solution that addresses the site’s unique requirements while maximizing the efficiency and effectiveness of the security installation. If the organization has an existing analog installation, it can preserve its technology investment and subsequently add IP sources as needed, thereby future-proofing the site.

Other new video management enhancements include pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) video control using a joystick or keypad, the ability to perform event-triggered actions on  Barco large-format video walls, two-way audio support for IP cameras, and streaming video buffering.

An industry-unique image auto-cropping feature has been integrated into OnGuard ID CredentialCenter, our cardholder ID and information management application. It utilizes our video analytics technology to analyze the contents of the image capture frame, locate the subject’s face and automatically crop the photo to a customized specification, without the need for redundant user interaction. The user can select the ANSI standard image aspect ratio for a passport, mug shot or badge photo, but custom aspect ratios and manual image cropping are also supported. In OnGuard 2008, auto-cropping is provided with the ID CredentialCenter application at no additional charge, delivering cutting-edge added value without extra cost.

In conjunction with the OnGuard 2008 release, we have introduced Identity Print Services, a bulk print service offering targeting organizations such as universities and government agencies that have large, recurring print requirements, and organizations whose card technology upgrades necessitate a mass rebadging effort. Lenel Identity Print Services use the highest quality direct card and reverse transfer printers available today for badge personalization. By outsourcing the printing task, organizations can reduce deployment time, provide guaranteed production quality, and achieve recognizable return on investment when compared to labor and supply costs of doing the job in-house.

In the area of access control, new developments include the Open Encoding Standard for MIFARE, which enables a standard MIFARE smart card to be used across a variety of reader types from different manufacturers. The previously-announced Open Supervised Device Protocol (OSDP) standard for bidirectional reader communication has been adopted by leading manufacturers, and OnGuard 2008 supports OSDP-compatible readers from HID and XceedID. For the Lenel Command Keypad and OSDP readers with LCD displays, integrated intrusion functionality has been expanded to include arm stay/arm away modes, entry and exit indicators, manual point bypassing and auto-return points.

Flexibility, automation and interoperability characterize this latest generation of the OnGuard platform, which is targeted for commercial release in fourth quarter 2007, and will be sold through our network of authorized OnGuard value-added resellers.

For more information on this topic, please contact: productmanagement@lenel.com