The internet has been around for ages it seems, and after almost 20 years the security industry is starting to catch up… I hope. I witness more and more web based applications in the driving seat for security administration and configuration. This has me calling out to the hevans like a healing, evangelistic midget trying to get rid of a young teenager’s acne. After years of agony and torture imposed by having to deal with 300 baud dialup for “advanced communication”, manufacturers are finally hearing our pleas.
The Benefits of Web Based E.A.P. Applications
One of the main benefits that jump to mind is that there would be no need to install bulky software. It seems as though if there is a robust solution it has to have an equally robust software installation. For instance an Access Control platform may require a separate “Server”, (I put server in parentheses because most ESS. server applications run on Windows XP and 2000) because the MSDE, a scaled down and free version of Microsoft’s SQL database program, doesn’t play well with others. Once you actually have the services installed and running, getting the software to talk to the hardware can be a nightmare. Those of you who deal with Linux or BSD Desktops should be able to relate. The beauty of web based applications is that the hardware comes preinstalled with the software so all you have to do is type the IP address in a web browser and have your way with it.
Once you get the images of naughty French maids out of your head, the second benefit would be cross OS platform compatibility. That is of course the manufacturer designed it to have cross browser compatibility, but for the sake of argument the manufacture pays attention to details (another dream and another post) and builds a standards compliant application that can run on all the major web browsers. I believe that one of the main reasons for development of web based apps is that Microsoft no longer dominates the majority of the main demographic, and development of two or three different applications to do the same thing can get costly. With cross OS platform compatibility, it would not matter if you run Windows, OS X, Linux, or BSD, it would simply work.
Sounds Great, but Were can We Get One?
One first manufacturer that comes to mind is IEI, International Electronics, Inc., which is a small to medium sized access control company based out of Canton, Massachusetts. Their eMerge product is exactly what I mentioned above, a hardware solution that has the OS and software build in. They start with Red Hat, a Linux based operating system, and install Apache Web Server software along with MySQL and all the other necessary stuff you need to run web based Access Control. They programmed it to comply to web standards and paid attention to the minor quirks that goes with Internet Explorer. The only thing that I don’t know is how well it works with IE7. Microsoft broke a lot of security web services with this release (another post); however, all the other web browsers work as expected.
The second company to follow suit is Bosch, a complete security manufacturer. They canned their relationship with whoever manufactured the Ready Key product (surprise…they did not manufacture Ready Key. They just packaged, sold, and supported the red headed result) and are now distributing their own solution with Easy Key. They did not want to rock the boat with a completely different name, but the hardware and software is completely different. I am not sure what guts are behind Easy key, but I can assume that they followed IEI’s lead and utilized Linux and other open software solutions. Just like eMerge, Ready Key requires a web browser to do everything and does not require the installer to install any software. Bosch did take it up a notch and build in integration with its BIS software solution. BIS stands for Building Integration System, a software package aimed at combining a building’s Burglar, Access, Fire, and Surveillance system into one web based interface. Since it is a software only solution, you have to have a PC to run it. That’s right I said PC. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a Microsoft hater; I actually use PC’s for my desktops; mostly because I like my life to be easy and not have to worry about device compatibility; however I do disagree with their decision to ignore the increasing number of users that utilize non-windows computers in the business place. It seems that every day I read how another Architecture firm, Web Development Firm, Hospital, or Interior Design Firm switches from Windows to either MAC or Linux. Did you notice that 75% of my list comprised firms that are artistic in nature. I wonder if it also ties into their political beliefs. Anyhow, there are companies that need a solution and Bosch is one of the first scratched off the list because they have decided to only support Windows.
Final Thoughts
More and more companies are charging their I.T. or I.S. Department with maintaining their security system. This is due partially to the fact of the complicated software involved. Manufacturers go out of their way to make it as easy as possible, but if it isn’t a part of MS Office, certain people don’t want to work wit it. The catch is that the last thing that I.T. professionals want is to install this complicated software on one of their servers. They would love to access it through their favorite browser and forget about it. Security Manufactures need to take this into account. The change is already in place for Access Control and Surveillance (I did not mention any Surveillance companies because technically you have to provide a PC for video storage and this fact takes these companies out of the “no software to install” category). If they would wake up and provide the same convenience for burglar and fire alarms…well they would be ready for the 21st century.
