Commercial software products are built to solve specific problems. Long ago, almost all of them were highly proprietary and would connect or work only with products from the same vendor. When IT departments looked at solutions, they would standardize around a single vendor in a given area to avoid an assortment of solutions that didn't play well together, if at all. 

Access control solutions tended to be this way; they would only work with other security software from the same vendor. Open Options Access Technology, based just up the road from Waco in Addison, Texas, set out to change that with a philosophy of developing an open access control system platform that integrates easily with other solutions such as video surveillance and many more.

Read on to learn more about DNA Fusion and their open approach to security management systems.

Schools, businesses and offices are reopening in Houston, TX, even as the coronavirus continues to spread across the country. This creates a dilemma for business owners and managers: how can they open their doors for business as usual, but keep everyone on the premises safe?

Unfortunately, dispatching employees to the ground floor to monitor customers and enforce mask-wearing and social distancing is not the right answer. For one, it increases the risk that employees in close contact with customers will catch the virus. For another, it’s just not effective. If multiple people are moving around your location, employees can’t possibly monitor everyone.

That’s where video analytics comes in. Cloud-based video analytics is a low-contact solution that enables businesses to monitor and detect customers who are violating safety measures. Keep reading to learn more.

Access control has always been a key component of premises security in organizations and businesses large and small. The most common methods include magnetic key cards and fobs that are easily programmed and managed by a central system software solution. Many systems also still rely on numeric keypads for entering codes, to allow for temporary codes and backup access.

While these systems may not have changed drastically in the past decade, new technology from other sectors is beginning to show up in access control solutions. What are some that you may want to consider to secure your building or campus in the Texas Rio Grande Valley? Keep reading to learn about three of the latest trends.

The COVID-19 pandemic is unfortunately still with us.  Everyone understands that it is a serious issue to deal with until two things happen: an effective vaccine is developed and drugs that mitigate the deadliest effects of the virus are validated and widely available. As we are not yet at that point, mitigation strategies are needed to curb the spread of disease.

While wearing face masks has become a political issue in some quarters, the science is straightforward. Wearing face masks protects people from transmitting the virus to others. In July, Governor Greg Abbott mandated the use of face masks in public spaces in counties with more than 20 coronavirus cases. And regardless of the state order, major retailers and supermarket chains like Costco, Wal-Mart, Starbucks, and HEB have mandated the use of masks for all customers inside their stores.

The issue now becomes: how do you effectively enforce the use of face masks for public safety? One solution, from Texas-based Avigilon, uses state-of-the-art video analytics to detect if someone is wearing a mask. Read on to learn more about how you can use this innovative solution to protect customers and staff in your Houston, TX, organization.

Coronavirus is top of mind for educators and school administrators as we work to determine how and when schools can reopen safely. And while controlling the spread of a dangerous virus is rightfully the primary concern, it’s not the only threat that students will be facing when they return to school.

Unfortunately, violence, bullying, break-ins and school shootings can occur at any time and under any circumstances. When schools reopen in Memorial, TX, make sure your students return to a safe and secure environment on all fronts.

When classroom doors reopen, you’ll have your hands full with fever screenings, mask checks, social distancing and other safety measures for preventing the spread of the coronavirus. That’s why right now is the best time to upgrade your campuses with security tools like gunshot detection, access control and security cameras. With top-of-the-line security technology in place, you can focus solely on keeping students healthy and well without worrying about other crises. Keep reading to learn more.

The Houston area, and Texas in general, have seen tremendous economic growth in the past decade. There is always new construction going on everywhere, and many options for businesses and reorganizations to relocate.

What are the reasons tenants move offices or retail locations? Sometimes it's about the old real estate adage of location, location, location, but often it's about amenities and features of properties. Commercial properties that don't keep up to date with the latest trends and amenities often get left behind. One way to keep your tenants from going elsewhere in River Oaks is with strategic investments in commercial building automation. Keep reading for ways to keep tenants happy – and in your buildings– with these automation technologies.