Opinions on alarms systems configured/monitored over IP network

[Aegis]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned (knows about) the Summit eNT product
from Edwards Security (http://www.edwards.ca).

In your original post, you indicated you already knew about that product and
asked for other product opinions.

Of course, the website doesn't offer any useful information about the
Summit eNT product, I just discovered.

This is an enterprise product, providing ONLY alarm
configuration/monitoring/reports and access control.

As you indicated, most other companies really haven't focused on the
security side of things.

Very close to 100% of those companies would disagree with you.

Just about every access system provides what you have decribed earlier:
- receive active alarms
- configure alarm inputs/relays/zones
- administer cardholders

AMAG, Hirsch, Casi-Rusco, Kantech, and even Northern have all of these
abilities.

 

[J. Sloud]

Very close to 100% of those companies would disagree with you.

Just about every access system provides what you have decribed earlier:
- receive active alarms
- configure alarm inputs/relays/zones
- administer cardholders

AMAG, Hirsch, Casi-Rusco, Kantech, and even Northern have all of these
abilities.

Agreed. Every access control system I've ever seen has an event
monitor that is designed to be used as a real time security monitoring
application. Not a Northen fan are you? Is it the 10+ year old panel
architecture, the lack of support since the Honeywell acquisition,
reliability issues, or something else? For some reason many within my
company has insisted on using Winpak for years, even though Casi and
others have always been available for the same cost. Now Kantech and
SH are on board with better pricing and a better product. I hope this
changes things. What's your opinion of the NexWatch/ Winpak Pro
systems? They seem to be based on a better platform.

 

[Pat Coghlan]

Do you know if the systems you mentioned (plus Lenel) have the following
capabilities:

- 4-state alarms (active, inactive, short, cut)
- ability to search database objects (alarm points, cardholders etc.)
for matching strings
- canned and customizable reports
- configurable user permissions (monitor only, configure objects)
- warm or hot standby server

-Pat

 

[Aegis]

Do you know if the systems you mentioned (plus Lenel) have the following
capabilities:

- 4-state alarms (active, inactive, short, cut)
- ability to search database objects (alarm points, cardholders etc.) for
matching strings
- canned and customizable reports
- configurable user permissions (monitor only, configure objects)
- warm or hot standby server

I know AMAG and Hirsch does... I'm not familiar with Lenel... Can't remember
if Northern supports 4-state, but it has the rest...

The only thing special is the warm/hot standby server, but just about any
system can do that... It's an IT thing, not necessarily a system thing. I
can do that with two Windows boxes running Half-Life 2 (game) if I wanted
to. It's a matter of syncing the drives between two networked boxes (pretty
much emulating a RAID configuration, but with two boxes instead of one). I
would have to rig something for the automatic COM port (panel communications
route) switching, but that wouldn't be too hard. If using networked panels,
this would be even easier. Some systems may have this feature built-in,
especially Enterprise class systems, but since it can be built fairly easily
I wouldn't classify it as a major selling point.

 

[Pat Coghlan]

Dual-ported drives gives you hot-standby capability, but you still need
one server to take over as the active. Summit eNT supports both
hot-standby and warm-standby. In the case of the latter, the backup
server takes over with a view of the system going back to the last
checkpoint - typically some point in the early a.m.

The AMAG website didn't really impress me, but Hirsch and Lenel
definitely seem to be contenders. I guess I'll request some brochures.

 

[Aegis]

Agreed. Every access control system I've ever seen has an event
monitor that is designed to be used as a real time security monitoring
application. Not a Northen fan are you? Is it the 10+ year old panel
architecture, the lack of support since the Honeywell acquisition,
reliability issues, or something else? For some reason many within my

It's the 10+ year old panel architecture. I can't stand waiting for 64
timezones (mostly zero's) to be sent to the panels when I only have 2 or 3
defined. I don't have any major problems with Winpak Rel 2.

company has insisted on using Winpak for years, even though Casi and
others have always been available for the same cost. Now Kantech and

I'm wondering if we work for the same company. Big national co? Like the
biggest in the US? We've recently brought Kantech and DMP on board.

SH are on board with better pricing and a better product. I hope this
changes things. What's your opinion of the NexWatch/ Winpak Pro
systems? They seem to be based on a better platform.

IMO, Winpak Pro is basically the same as Winpak, except for the panel
definitions. Like Winpak, I don't have any major problems with it. NexWatch
is a bit tougher to configure since nothing comes predefined (door inputs
and outputs automatically mapped to readers by default; change them if you
want to) like with other systems. I like defaults since I usually will use
them. Then again, I haven't configured a ProWatch system in the last 3 or 4
years, so... Hopefully they have changed a few things. Based on my past
experiences with it, it's an OK Enterprise class solution, but not the best.

 

[J. Sloud]

Dual-ported drives gives you hot-standby capability, but you still need
one server to take over as the active. Summit eNT supports both
hot-standby and warm-standby. In the case of the latter, the backup
server takes over with a view of the system going back to the last
checkpoint - typically some point in the early a.m.

The AMAG website didn't really impress me, but Hirsch and Lenel
definitely seem to be contenders. I guess I'll request some brochures.

Also, compare the capabilities of the above to Picture Perfect, which
is what I consider the becnhmark for access control apps:

http://www.geindustrial.com/ge-interlogix/products/access/picture_perfect.html

 

[Aegis]

Also, compare the capabilities of the above to Picture Perfect, which
is what I consider the becnhmark for access control apps:

http://www.geindustrial.com/ge-interlogix/products/access/picture_perfect.html

We've got alot of those out there. Dunno if I'd say benchmark. I'm not that
impressed with PP. (and I hate Linux!)

 

[Jackcsg]

Good for you man! Good luck with your project.
Keep us all posted....

Jack