NAPCO Enterprise Access Control Software Makes for Holistic Solution

The CA4K enterprise access control software can tie together locking hardware from Napco’s other three divisions.

DALLAS — Napco Security Technologies (NASDAQ: NSSC) is a leading manufacturer of a broad range of security products, including intrusion, fire/life-safety, video surveillance, wireless, access control, door locking systems and the connected home. Along with Napco branded wares, the company operates three divisions: Alarm Lock Systems, Continental Access and Marks USA. SSI spoke with NAPCO/Continental Access Vice President of Sales Scott Schramme to see what the company has planned for ASIS 2017 and beyond.

What is the top product or offering you are showing off at ASIS 2017, and what makes it unique or special from both security integrator and user perspectives?

On the Continental side it would be our new CA4K Enterprise Security Software, which integrates access control, locking, alarms, video and remote hosted services. That is our new enterprise-based software solution for the Continental value-added reseller [VAR]. It is a full enterprise-based solution. It is a complete rewrite of our old software. It gives us the capability of much more flexible integration partners, multiple badges per cardholder, and features a new, fresher look. It gives us a pathway into what we consider the next step for Continental Access.

On the Napco side, the newest product we are showing now is the new Starlink, fully supervised, wireless digital two-way subscriber units. That is our two-way radio for all burglary and fire panels. That is real important on the Napco side.

What other products or offerings would you like to highlight, and what are some of qualities that differentiate them in the marketplace?

On the Continental side, the biggest thing we are highlighting at ASIS this year is our new uniVerse [CICP2100], a one-door PoE, edge-style controller. It gives us the capability of running a Cat 5/6 to a door coming off of the switch. It gives us the capability of now putting everything out on the edge. It supports two readers and/or one low current strike via PoE. And it fits in any standard double gang electrical box.

What else is new or noteworthy about the company as the end of 2017 draws near?

Probably the biggest thing that we are doing is now across all four divisions — through the enterprise Continental software — we are the only company out there to tie together our locks to become like a one-door panel. So it is a truly, fully incorporated lock. Once we hit it with our firmware it becomes a fully distributing, processing one-door panel. Nobody else does that. The entire database — clock, calendar — loaded into that lock.

Then we can take the Napco intrusion alarm, full integrate that into the Continental. So now we have the locks for the wireless door capability and then have the security alarm all tied into one platform with no yearly fees. There are no yearly upgrade fees or SSAs that a lot of other manufacturers charge.  As a whole that is one platform under the full Napco umbrella.

Looking ahead at 2018, what do you see as some of the top opportunities in the marketplace?

A big thing, of course, is schools. That has been huge for us. There are still a lot of schools looking to upgrade or put in lockdown and all of that capability.

We are also seeing, because baby boomers are getting older, a lot of assisted living homes are now looking at becoming a lot more secure. The little apartments within these facilities, instead of doing a door and key, we are doing electronic locks wirelessly tied back into the enterprise solution. We are doing access control on the exteriors, doing the wireless locks on the interiors, so that it’s all tied into one platform. There are a lot of these facilities being built out there right now. Of course, there are also a lot of multitenant, new buildings going into downtown areas where you have the high-rise tenants where they are also looking to tie it into one platform with the enterprise solution. Those are probably the two biggest opportunities.

What about challenges?

I don’t know that I would call it a challenge but you are starting to see an interesting dynamic. Forever we’ve had the locksmith world, the standalone locks, and the the integrator world, the VAR.  Now all of a sudden with people coming out with the wireless locks, which are tied into an enterprise solution, you are starting to see a little friction between the two groups. That line that used to separate those two groups is no longer there — it’s a total overlap. With electronic locks being tied into the access control system, this is causing some issues from time to time.

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