For a growing number of businesses and organisations, the efficiencies and benefits of multi-site control and management are obvious. At a time when many end users are seeking added value from their technology-based investments, combining multiple systems into a unified solution not only creates a more effective management structure, but also saves costs and enhances the RoI.
Recent challenges for the commercial sector have resulted in many companies adopting a more focused mindset in terms of how their systems and solutions interoperate and deliver benefits. Where once businesses had numerous disparate systems, today’s end users are seeking a converged approach. With data key to the delivery of many services, it makes sense to unify information which can be used to better manage a campus or location.
At their heart, security systems are advanced data collection systems. The data can then be used to increase security and safety, automate actions, manage services, switch appliances, change site status and create real-time reports to make business management more efficient.
By bringing together a number of disciplines – access control, video surveillance, alarm management, etc. – modern solutions can maximise the benefits realised from data, creating increasingly efficient solutions.
In the past, many integrators and installers found the promise of integrated solutions didn’t always translate into real-world success. At times, bringing different technologies together presented a number of challenges, and as a result compromises often had to be made to achieve the required functionality.
Thankfully, new developments allow integrators to create and install innovative and flexible integrated solutions which combine access control, video and alarm management, through the use of the Paxton10 platform.
Paxton10 is an award-winning video management and access control platform, which can deliver advanced solutions with integrated services. Paxton10 can also support elements of alarm management, delivering an advanced solution which can be installed, scaled and operated with ease.
Multi-site enhancements
Paxton10 is constantly upgraded and expanded to deliver higher levels of functionality, thus meeting demand from integrators and installers, and their customers. The latest update allows system administrators to manage multiple sites, regardless of their location. This adds benefits for a wide range of applications such as educational facilities, NHS Trusts, infrastructure and utilities, retail establishments, hospitality and leisure, etc..
Multi-site management is achieved by utilising Paxton10 Cloud Services. Connecting across the secure cloud infrastructure, it is possible for up to 100 sites to be managed by a single Paxton10 server. Connecting new sites is carried out via user-friendly web-based software. The process has been streamlined to allow error-free implementation, requiring just an activation code to identify the Paxton10 controller at the recipient end of the link. The system then creates the links and establishes communication.
Because of the streamlined configuration process, the Multi-site feature in Paxton10 can be set up quickly, even by operators with limited technical knowledge. As the feature uses secure connectivity, there is no need to configure a VPN, and additional infrastructure is not required. Additionally, there is no need for physical connections between the various sites; only an internet connection is required.
Additionally, as site needs grow and systems expand, there is no need for additional servers or expensive IT support packages. All the heavy lifting is done within the cloud, in a secure and reliable environment with failover support.
The introduction of Multi-site functionality does not impact on the capacity of Paxton10. A single system supports up to 1,000 doors and 1,000 cameras, with up to 50,000 users without any additional license fees.
‘The most impressive thing about Multi-site is its pure simplicity,’ states Thomas Faith, Senior Product Manager for Paxton10. ‘Straightforward maintenance and set-up have been our goal throughout its development. Networking and achieving connectivity between sites can be notoriously complicated as there is a myriad of technologies to navigate. With Multi-site, this all occurs in the background. What the installer or user sees is completely hassle-free as we really have made the usability intuitive and seamless.’
