Access Control Gets Smart (S1:E19)

In the latest episode, Katrina Leight, National Sales Manager at Identiv, and Nick Friesen, Product Manager for Freedom, Liberty, and Enterphone at Identiv, talk about the newest addition to our end-to-end physical security platform: the Freedom Smart Bridge. The new controller integrates seamlessly with existing IT infrastructure and the access control platform is accessible anytime, anywhere, and can monitor and grant access 24/7 via any web browser.

Full Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
You’re listening to Humans in Tech. Our podcast explores today’s most transformative technology and the trends of tomorrow, bringing together the brightest minds in and outside of our industry. We unpack what’s new in physical access, identity verification, cybersecurity, and IoT ecosystems. We reach beyond the physical world, discuss our digital transformation as a species, and dive into the emerging fidgital experience. Join us on our journey as we discover just how connected the future will be and how we will fit into that picture. Your host is Leigh Dow, VP of Global Marketing at Identiv.

Leigh Dow (00:43):
Thanks for tuning in. I’m joined by Katrina Leight, National Sales Manager at Identiv and Nick Friesen, Product Manager for Freedom/Liberty/Enterphone at Identiv. Appreciate you both taking the time today.

Nick Friesen (00:55):
No worries. Thank you for having us.

Leigh Dow (00:56):
Of course.

Katrina Leight (00:57):
Thank you for having us.

Leigh Dow (00:59):
Today we’re going to talk about the newest addition to Identiv’s end to end physical security platform, the Freedom Smart Bridge. Freedom Smart Bridge is a leading edge door controller that integrates seamlessly with existing IT infrastructure and management tools. It stores information locally from any server and remains fully functional in the event of a network outage, eliminates complex control panel configurations with technology communicating over encrypted IP network protocols, and meets audit compliance requirements while easily supporting on-premise hybrid and cloud deployments. The platform is accessible anytime, anywhere, and can monitor and grant access 24/7 via any web browser. Nick, this is a really new product for us. Can you give us a quick overview of the Freedom Access Control platform that this fits with?

Nick Friesen (01:46):
Sure, of course. The Freedom system, it’s basically a software driven access control system designed to be lightweight and intuitive for both the integrator for installation and the end user for daily administration. All of your configuration and daily tasks are accomplished via a webpage hosted by the Freedom server. And of course, being a webpage, this can be made accessible from anywhere at any time with the proper network configurations. As for the door controllers, our standard door controllers, they’re designed to be extremely small and lightweight, approximately the size of a credit card, and they can be powered via 12V DC or PoE. The controllers don’t store any data and can connect up to three different Freedom servers for authentication. Being software driven, we have quite a few integrations with a selection of NBR systems: Microsoft Active Directory, ASSA ABLOY wireless locks, as well as Kontakt.io GPS Beacon services. On top of all that the system is designed using a RESTful API architecture that allows for similarly designed third party systems, easy integration.

Leigh Dow (02:56):
That’s a lot. So how does the new Freedom Smart Bridge level the playing field in access control?

Nick Friesen (03:05):
The new Smart Bridge controller now has an offline mode, something our standard controllers don’t have. And what this allows for is uninterrupted operation in the event that it loses connection to the server. On top of this, the device can be powered via 24V DC or PoE+, and at the same time can power both the readers and strikes. So while the previous encryption bridges could only connect to a server by IP address, this Smart Bridge could connect via IP address or a fully qualified DNS name, such as identiv.com. Coupled with its small footprint, it’s only 8″x 4″x 2″, and its ability to connect to any server, be it on-premise, virtual or cloud based, this allows for both simplified installations and also offers a wide variety of distributed topologies.

Leigh Dow (03:58):
What is the big differentiators with Freedom Smart Bridge?

Nick Friesen (04:02):
Smart Bridge is currently one of the smallest IP based door controllers offered right now. On top of its small footprint design and its ability to power attached devices via a single PoE+ connection, coupled with the enterprise level software designed by the Freedom system, we currently offer a solution that meets or exceeds any customer’s requirements at a lower total cost of ownership than your traditional access control system.

Leigh Dow (04:28):
Compared to the competition, how is encryption?

Nick Friesen (04:31):
We secure the data via TLS 1.2 encryption and the device can always be secured behind the end user’s current IT network infrastructure.

Leigh Dow (04:39):
What about credential and log capacity?

Nick Friesen (04:42):
The Smart Bridge can store up to 500,000 user credentials and up to 50,000 log events in offline mode.

Leigh Dow (04:49):
Katrina, when you think about all of these capabilities that Freedom Smart Bridge brings to the table, who’s your target audience for the Freedom Smart Bridge?

Katrina Leight (04:59):
Well, our target audience’s for the Smart Bridge are integrators that are IT friendly with a strong understanding of network fundamentals and end users that are looking to leverage their existing IT infrastructure to support their access control needs. As technology gets more sophisticated and smarter, companies are finding that access control and IT are overlapping more and more. And the Smart Bridge is a natural progression to support this.

Leigh Dow (05:26):
Are these targets already cloud friendly or is it easy to make the switch to an IT-centric solution?

Katrina Leight (05:33):
Many companies that have an existing IT system are moving to cloud and virtualization more and more, as it represents a lower cost of ownership. And access control systems that’s for this transition are gaining more acceptance and traction. So cloud system providers such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google are making it easier for companies to implement cloud solutions. But it’s important to note that the only requirement to make a switch to an IT-centric system is a few network switches and a person that can manage them. For smaller companies that may not be able to afford a full-time network administrator, even the smaller IT system can be configured by the network administrator at the startup and then managed on part-time or as needed basis.

Leigh Dow (06:18):
Where do you predict the most growth then in cloud-based access control this year?

Katrina Leight (06:23):
We’re really currently focusing on K-12 universities, healthcare and tech companies. We’ve found these verticals not only have existing IT infrastructures, but they have been managing them for quite some time and are actively pursuing solutions that can integrate seamlessly and with little disruption as possible.

Leigh Dow (06:44):
Thanks again for taking the time you two. I really appreciated you calling in today and sharing all this information about this new product. I know that it’s been, I don’t want to say a long time, but I know you’ve been working on it for quite some time. And I think it’s probably very exciting for you to see it come to market.

Katrina Leight (07:02):
Absolutely.

Nick Friesen (07:03):
It is very exciting. I’m happy to bring it. Thank you very much for your time.

Leigh Dow (07:07):
Yeah, you too. Thanks guys.

Speaker 1 (07:09):
Control access anytime, anywhere and on any device 24/7. The Freedom Smart Bridge is a leading edge door controller that integrates seamlessly with existing IT infrastructure and management tools. It stores information locally from any server and remains fully functional in the event of a network outage. The Freedom Smart Bridge eliminates complex control panel configurations with technology communicating over encrypted IP network protocols. It meets audit compliance requirements and easily supports on-premises, hybrid and cloud deployments. Learn more at identiv.com. Physical security, identity verification, the IoT, the hyperconnectivity of our lives will only grow more pervasive. As technology becomes more automated and experiences more augmented, it’s up to us to preserve our humanity and use new tools and trends for good. The only question is, are we up for the challenge?