The Connected Cloud -- February 2021

News Articles

February 4, 2021

The Connected Cloud -- February 2021 [Show All]

THE Connected CLOUD

News, Feature Updates, Webinars, Events & Resources

February 2021

Simplified & Secure Access Control with Intrusion & Aperio

A secure new way for access control applications

There are many advantages of providing an integrated security system, one which combines both intrusion and access control. However, some times the system becomes complex in handling both tasks.

Utilizing the Aperio wireless, specifically the Securitron R100 reader, the Connect ONE Access Expander, and a relay output on your preferred intrusion control panel, the simplification can begin. The access expander processes the access request from the Aperio readers along with the associated intrusion status as well as controlling the intrusion arm/disarm action as necessary. If access is granted it will activate the mapped intrusion panel relay to unlock the door. So far the process should feel very familiar if you are experienced with an integrated control panel.

The difference comes from the ease of permission control which is provided in the access expander and does not have to follow the typical control panel area scheme. With System Profiles in the access expander, on most of Connect ONE intrusion panel integrations, the permissions for access are separated from alarm areas and doors, so you no longer need to program additional areas just to specify permission by door.

Another big benefit of this approach with the Securitron R100 reader is the additional security it provides. Hardwire readers on the non-secure side of the door, i.e. outside of the intrusion protection, may be open to tampering. For instance, a wiegand based interface may be exposed to hacking attempts, a power short could defeat keypad bus circuits and/or overload the panel, and Ethernet based readers provide an easy method to patch into the network. The fully encrypted wireless technology readers remove every one of those vulnerabilities.

Lastly, the reader, being all wireless, provides the ultimate flexibility in mounting location which simplifies the installation and provides for a more accurate bid since labor costs are known.

Learn More

Securitron R100 with Aperio Wireless

Support Access Lockout

A new feature is available called the "Support Access Lockout" which is designed for when there are customer privacy concerns or a higher level of security is required by your customer. It is selectively enabled per customer and as such until enabled for the first time, your customer will not see any reference to this feature.

Once enabled, from the Dealer Site go to Customer then Customer Info, you will lose access to login to the customer site as well as control functions such as arming, door control, etc. However, you will still be able to send and receive information, assign areas, reset sensors, silence alarms, and other management level functions.

And your customer will now be able to toggle the lockout from Utilities in their application, available in both the web browser and iOS/Android Apps. The user will need View & Modify permission to Utilities to be able to toggle the lockout mode. Every enable/disable of the lockout is logged as an event which is reviewable in Reports and may also be setup in an Event Rule for notification.

Along with the lockout feature you may also optionally turn on the ability for the customer to see your activity which will also include the ability to be notified of dealer activity events. This is a customer level option, so you only need to enable it for customers which require it. Also, it will only show the name of your company who logged in or made the change, it will not show the individual employee name. On the Dealer Site you will continue to see who specifically made the change.

To enable, go to the Customer from the Dealer Site, click on Customer Options from the menu on the left and check the Show Dealer Events option and hit Save. Now the customer will see dealer events in the Activity log as well as an option under Users in the Report filters.

Armed Areas displayed alongside Doors & Outputs

For added convenience of not needing to switch back and forth between the Security page and the Doors & Outputs page, if the associated area of the door is armed it will appear alongside the doors. This way the intrusion area may be disarmed at the same time as unlocking the door.

Connect ONE App Supported on Apple Mac M1

The Connect ONE iOS App is fully supported on Apple Mac products utilizing the new Apple M1 processor. Now your customer can use the App or the browser version on their Mac.

Did You Know? Connect ONE includes COVID Screening

The Safe Passage Module provides a framework for a one-time/periodic self-approval process. If required and not completed, upon access by the individual, violation events are generated so a manager can ensure the user is safe to be at the site in regard to health and/or hazard concerns. Documentation is stored with the user account showing they have answered the proper questions and approved any company terms such as an NDA.

An administrator may create multiple safe passage templates. They may specify a name, description, re-approval interval, required checkpoint(s), protected area(s), custom messages, and custom terms which need to be answered properly to be approved. When a user is applied to the template, they may be applied to multiple templates via their profile, they will receive an email which contains a link for them to complete the terms of the template.

Learn More

Tip: Use SmartShow Virtual Accounts for Sales Demos

It's simple to use the industry's first tailored virtual demonstration, dealers can target specific markets - including Residential; Medical Facilities; Food Service Industries; Education; Commercial and Multi-Tenant; and Banking and Financial Facilities. Prospects will know you have the capabilities they need in an instant with SmartShow. We recommend you checkout the tutorial in the Dealer Manual and/or watch the video from the Home tab on the Dealer Site on how to create your free SmartShow virtual accounts, no hardware is required. Contact us to learn more.

Give Us the Challenge...

We love hearing from our Dealers with requests from their customers to help solve challenges.

Please contact us and give us the challenge, we may be able to design something for you, and together we can watch your company reach the potential you always knew was possible.

Click here to send us your feedback

Stay Up-to-Date

We will continue to include the enhancements in this newsletter.

We also post the enhancements to our "Company" page and "Group" page on LinkedIn, as well as to the "Feature Blog" tab on our website.
Please contact us for your invitation to join the "Group" in LinkedIn.

Also, be sure to review the Home tab on the Connect ONE Dealer Site as this will contain many helpful Sales Sheets and Technical Guides.

We encourage you visit these sites to stay up-to-date.

Working hard to Simplify all your System Integrations,
The Staff at Connected Technologies.

For more information regarding Connected Technologies™ or Connect ONE®, please visit www.SimplifywithConnectONE.com or call (866) 976-3520.

Connected Technologies, llc., Monument, CO 80132-1266

See What Others Are Saying...

"Flexibility is all part of the beauty of using a cloud-based management platform. My customers can manage it themselves from their smartphone app if they like. They can set their own schedules and we configure the Connect ONE GUI. If there’s an emergency or other response required, the superintendent or management can use their smart device for access. It’s all part of the Connect ONE app, which we use for many office and multitenant buildings."
--Gary Davis
Principal and Owner of Alarm Specialists

"We want to make sure our suite is secure and the staff is safe. We are looking at upgrades in the future and with Connect ONE you can scale the solution up and tailor it to meet your needs."
--Frank McDonough
Director of Information Systems for Security Industry Association (SIA)

"Because we serve national accounts across the country, when they acquire other locations or add facilities we can bring them online quickly without having to completely replace the infrastructure or conduct extensive programming."
--Matt Harrison
Vice President of Operations at Federal Protection

"We had an incident after the system was installed that validated the importance of having this safeguard. With the system we were able to make sure a former employee could not get back into the suite, which was simple to do with ScanPass Mobile Credential."
--Kris Kehler
CEO at Deby Pay Pro

"Connect ONE was paramount in allowing Phoenix to offer a service that is truly connected across platforms. The company is unique in the respect that they operate with software that can be edited and modified—without having to wait years to get it."
--Eric Burroughs
Vice President at Phoenix Security Systems Inc.

"Our company is in a rural area, we have been frustrated with long drives and expensive service calls to support legacy computer software and systems. Now with a simple to use dealer web portal, Connect ONE allows us to eliminate expensive service calls by supporting our customers remotely with just a simple login and a phone call that takes only a few minutes. Connect ONE is our biggest added value - profitable RMR for my company. My customers only need to learn one easy to use interface for their business and home."
--Jeff Kesterson
President of NightWatch Security

"Connect ONE is very user friendly, it saves me time administrating building security. Managing our employees is quick and easy since only a single entry is required to grant both security and access privileges."
--Julie Cerqua
Administrator of Wauconda Library

"Our biggest challenge today is disparate systems that don’t work well together. Connect ONE gets them all to communicate."
--Ken Kocher
President of Force Security Solutions

"We have been deploying and migrating customers from site-based client servers to the cloud with very positive feedback. One of our customers, a senior housing facility, likes to have one platform to manage both access control and integrated alarm detection. We can administer different levels of access permissions through the cloud for the customer or they can do it on their own. Having an integrated system--access control, security, CCTV and temperature monitoring and control is important."
--Toby Stevens
Sales Manager for Ace American Alarm Company

"Thank you for listening and making the feature available so quickly! I really enjoy working with Connected Technologies."
--Dan Osborne
Project Manager at Schmidt Security Pro

"Connect ONE provides exciting enhancements to the ELK M1 with expanded user support, schedules, and event history. This enhanced capability adds value and convenience, giving installers an edge and opening new possibilities in a variety of commercial markets."
--Amy Strickland
Marketing Design Manager at ELK Products

"Initially, we toyed with the idea of developing our own cloud-based system, but we sent a technician to look ‘behind the curtains’ at the Connected Technologies solution and I was excited about the possibilities for my customers, especially the many school districts we serve."
--Michael Martin
President of Martin Systems

"We rely on Connected Technologies for technical and customer support. We have requested software and feature upgrades for our customers and if it’s possible it happens within 24 hours. We use Connect ONE in our own business and the reporting features are outstanding."
--James Lee
President and partner at Alarmguard Security

"Connect ONE offers a simple, scalable solution that complements the Aperio offering perfectly. This integration will offer dealers and end-users a highly flexible solution for comprehensive access management."
--Mark Duato
Executive Vice President, Aftermarket at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions Americas

"Connect ONE’s ability to simplify integration with a wide variety of technology really presents an opportunity for DW Dealers to provide complete solutions."
--Patrick Kelly
Director of IP Video Solutions at Digital Watchdog

"Whether it’s a commercial office, retail, storage, or multifamily development, the incredibly versatile Connect ONE has allowed me to gain the flexibility needed to confidently meet the demands of those development markets."
--Ryan Christen
Sales & Systems Engineer at Vialarm Security

"Having the ability to see when employees are coming in for work really adds value. But the best feature by far is the ability to lock down all the doors from my computer or phone in the event of a lockdown drill."
--Matt VanEffen
Principal of Holy Cross Catholic School

"Our customers benefit from strategic partnerships like we have with Connected Technologies and all the possibilities it brings for loT connectivity."
--Rick Cadiz
Vice President of Sales and Marketing, IPVideo Corp.

"We’re excited to be working with Connected Technologies to offer this service to our dealers, whose feedback has been extremely positive as they continue to add customers."
--Tom Mechler
Regional Marketing Manager for Bosch

"We want to make sure our suite is secure and the staff is safe. We are looking at upgrades in the future and with Connect ONE you can scale the solution up and tailor it to meet your needs."
--Frank McDonough
Director of Information Systems for Security Industry Association (SIA)

Want to become a dealer?

For more information complete the short form to the right. Stop installing software, we'll show you how. Ask about becoming an authorized Connect ONE dealer.

Dealers get a free lifetime testing account for your security business so you can experience the simplicity and better understand how Connect ONE can help your company!