Security Application Integration
Did you invest in Unified Communications because of the promise of future integration and interoperability? Is your organization really leveraging the power of your IP data network to converge many technologies onto a single network? NIC Partners is realizing this power for many customers by allowing interoperability between security systems and Unified Communications. We’ve developed unique strategies of convergence that can allow users and administrators full realization of their UC investment.
EdgeFrontier by Augusta Systems
At the heart of many of our customized interoperability solutions is EdgeFrontier by Augusta Systems. EdgeFrontier is remotely configurable middleware that resides on routers, servers, and other computing systems, providing a complete platform for intelligent convergence solutions. EdgeFrontier is the right choice for a drop-in software solution to support convergence of devices, systems, and networks where robust network infrastructure exists.
EdgeFrontier supports integration and normalization of data, events, and control functions from diverse sources, regardless of manufacturer or communications protocol, including devices and systems utilized in safety and security, energy and utilities, asset tracking, and other applications. In addition, EdgeFrontier provides structures for event processing and configuration of event or policy-based actions through a policy engine.
Specifically, EdgeFrontier can:
• Enable connectivity between diverse devices, systems, and networks through communication methods (including TCP/IP, UDP, serial, HTTP, SNMP, WMI, message queue, and web services); support the reading and writing of files and databases; and enable connectivity to systems via third-party and custom application programming interfaces (APIs)
• Serve as a mediator between diverse systems, devices, and networks, including support for protocol/format encoding/decoding and data transformation
• Provide real-time, edge-of-network event processing, including data filtering, correlation, anomaly detection, and notification/alert generation
• Provide a policy engine for configuration of event or policy-based actions
• Enable distributed processing and event or policy-based actions to be automated throughout the network infrastructure
• Provide an extensible application server for core and edge-of-network computing systems, including routers, servers, gateways, and other computing platforms
• Provide sophisticated network and system management capabilities
• Distribute data as network data, data files (e.g., text, Excel, XML, binary, etc.) and for databases (e.g., Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, etc.) for use with enterprise systems and interface platforms
• Extend the IP network and IT infrastructure to remote devices, systems, and networks
Video Surveillance – Access Control – Unified Communications Convergence
NIC Partners can create interoperability between these three technologies to provide hundreds of user and administrative features to solve many common security problems.
Access notification to an IP Phone: NIC Partners can leverage your existing Cisco IP Telephony solution to provide notification of a security incident directly to a Cisco Unified IP Phone. It’s late. An employee is working alone and far from the main entrance to your facility. An individual approaches the front door and swipes a proximity card to gain access. NIC Partners can have an instant video surveillance photo and a text message sent directly to the employee’s IP Phone. The employee can then know that there is an entry request and can visually see who the individual is directly on their Cisco IP Phone. Unauthorized access attempts can also be signaled in the same fashion.
Authorized or Unauthorized Access attempt notifies ANY device: NIC Partners can notify dozens of different devices that access is being attempted for any door (or group of doors) in your facility using Access Control, Video Surveillance and EdgeFrontier. We can send notification alerts and video images to PDA’s, Smartphones, laptops, tablet PC’s, ruggedized Pocket PCs, iPhones, Blackberrys, instant message clients and PC’s. Notification can be setup and managed in an unlimited fashion based on your organizational needs.
Lock or Unlock a Door from ANY device: NIC Partners can setup your Unified Communications solution to allow users to lock or unlock any Access Control door remotely from a Cisco IP Phone or any of the devices listed in the paragraph above based on user-rights and hierarchical permissions. This can provide a campus-wide lock-down or lock-out based on any series of alerts or activation by any user (based on permissions).
Activate & Monitor ANY Camera from ANY device: With the appropriate user permissions, anyone can select a specific camera (or have analytics push specific video streams) directly to almost any integrated device. Security personnel, administrators and even remote-users can now understand the video situation occurring in live-time over the IP network.
Situational Management & Emergency Response Planning
By using the power of network technologies and analytics, NIC Partners can assist your organization with developing proactive processes and procedures to be prepared for any incident or emergency situation. Does your organization know what to do in an emergency? How long has it been since a formalized process has been reviewed (and practiced) for emergency situations?
NIC Partners can develop the technologies, processes and procedures that can greatly improve the outcome of an emergency, especially in the first 20 minutes after an incident. We can setup automatic events which range from notifying law enforcement, notifying your internal administrative/security teams, automatically activate lock-outs/lock-downs, send video feeds to authorized personnel and law enforcement and send digital signage throughout your organization of what steps to take and when. Contact us today to start the conversation!