by Brianna Crandall — October 25, 2017 — At the recent ASIS 2017 security event, key and asset control products and technologies provider Morse Watchmans launched a new asset control system for items stored in lockers, as well as enhancements to the company’s flagship KeyWatcher Touch key control and asset management solution.
RFID-based AssetWatcher system
In tune with market demands and trends, Morse Watchmans’ newly available RFID-based AssetWatcher secure physical storage system uses non-contact wireless radio links to recognize and track tagged assets placed in or removed from lockers. It is compatible with multiple types of radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags as well as different types of assets, and features an audible confirmation when a tag has been read.
RFID-based AssetWatcher secure physical storage system uses non-contact wireless radio links to recognize and track tagged assets such as electronics placed in or removed from lockers.
AssetWatcher can track multiple items within a locker and can track all types of tagged assets, including electronics and metal objects. Featuring the same reliable and easy-to-use interface as the company’s popular KeyWatcher Touch described below, AssetWatcher includes a bright 7” touchscreen and incorporates the state-of-the-art optical fingerprint reader to ensure only authorized users have access to specific assets.
Operating modes allow AssetWatcher to accommodate a wide variety of uses. In Standard Mode, users are assigned permissions for access to assets or groups of assets. In Standard Mode, managers can also specify that assets can be returned either to any open locker or assigned to a specific locker.
Leased Mode allows users to “lease” a locker temporarily and is ideal for occasional use or use by visitors. If a user has no assets in the system at the time of sign-in, AssetWatcher assigns them a locker to store their assets, whether or not they are RFID tagged. Once the user removes his or her assets, the locker is deemed to be “free,” and can be assigned to someone else. On-demand enrollment allows users to sign up for a locker using the optional fingerprint reader or access card — ideal for environments with high numbers of temporary users, points out the company.
In contrast, Owner Mode assigns each specific locker to one or more individuals to accommodate shared or specific assets that may be used by one person or a specific group of people.
At 2.25” high, 14” wide and 8.5” deep, each locker is sized for small laptops, tablets, phones and other objects; AssetWatcher is available in 10-, 22- or 34-locker configurations. Additional AssetWatcher systems can be easily added as needed to expand the solution to support even more lockers. Each assembled asset control system is designed to be either freestanding, wall-mounted, or floor-mounted for convenience and stability.
Version 2 of KeyWatcher Touch solution
Morse Watchmans also introduced Version 2 of its widely used KeyWatcher Touch key control and asset management solution at ASIS 2017. Hands-on demonstrations showcased the new features, including support for the new AssetWatcher system described above; additional enterprise application functionality; and a new easier and faster database design, among other upgrades.
KeyWatcher Touch key control and asset management solution updates include support for AssetWatcher, additional enterprise application functionality, and a new easier and faster database design.
Fernando Pires, VP of Sales and Marketing, Morse Watchmans, remarked:
By leveraging our industry experience and technology proficiency, we enhanced KeyWatcher Touch to optimize convenience, system intelligence and security. As a result, this next generation software is more than simply an evolution relative to user needs; it is charting a new direction in key control technology.
New and updated features include the following:
The system supports Morse Watchman’s new AssetWatcher asset control solution, described above.
Users can now utilize multiple KeyWatcher Touch Server instances with a single SQL database to more efficiently manage systems. With this, KeyWatcher Touch systems can be managed by a more local instance of the Server for faster syncing, which allows multiple systems to be synchronized at once. Each Server instance permits multiple simultaneous TrueTouch clients to be connected while giving the user access to all permitted data.
A new Desktop Fingerprint Reader has been added, allowing users to enroll fingerprints through TrueTouch software in addition to doing so at a local KeyWatcher Touch. Templates are automatically downloaded to all user-permitted cabinets.
A new database design supports the multiple functionalities of the KeyWatcher Touch Server Enterprise with a boost in speed and efficiency for storing and retrieving data from the database.
An updated version of the Card Format Builder allows for more complex card formats to be easily added to TrueTouch and various integration modules.
Gallagher’s Command Centre access control system integrated with KeyWatcher Touch
The company also announced the release of Gallagher’s Command Centre access control system integration module for its KeyWatcher Touch system, described above. The new module enables users to map Command Centre access groups with KeyWatcher Touch profiles, allowing new users to be added to the system from Gallagher’s Command Centre.
According to Pires:
KeyWatcher’s open architecture platform provides new business and security advantages based on enhanced functionality and centralized control. With our new module integrating Gallagher’s Command Centre and KeyWatcher Touch, time-consuming tasks are effectively and reliably automated across the enterprise.
Among other efficiency benefits provided by the integration is the ability for users in the Command Centre to be assigned to a specific KeyWatcher Touch access group. This automatically adds both the user and associated profile to sites for access to specified keys. In addition, alarms and events from the KeyWatcher Touch system can be configured and sent to the Command Centre for monitoring.
“This integrated solution eliminates duplication and provides the end user with a more secure environment,” added Rob Hughes, product manager at Gallagher Security.
For more information on all the new releases, visit the Morse Watchmans Web site or click on the specific product links above.
