Impro Technologies recently held a launch event in which it introduced a series of new products, from new readers through to its updated Primo access management software. Included in the launch was news about the company’s new lift (elevator) control functionality, as well as integration with Entra ID and Milestone.
Impro’s new readers are IP65-rated and support the full range of credentials that the company’s older readers do, in both Access Portal and Primo. That includes older 125 kHz cards up to the latest biometrics. A selection of modalities is supported within different readers, including tags, cards, and PIN, depending on user requirements.
The readers also support mobile credentials (each reader comes with five free mobile credentials), with HID and STid supported out of the box. The readers will support any existing licences, and new credentials can be purchased through Impro. Critically for customers that do not use mobile devices for access, the readers are ‘mobile-ready’ upon delivery, but mobile functionality is not enabled. This reduces costs for those who do not use mobile devices for access, and they can purchase a licence to enable the functionality as needed.
Despite meeting the latest access control trends, Impro has also ensured it retains its existing customers and licensing options. For end users with perpetual licences, installers can still sell and support them with major version updates. Moving to a subscription model does have benefits, allowing SIs and installers to deliver value to their customers.
Annual subscriptions for on-premises installations remain supported, with updates released as they become available. This keeps installers engaged with customers rather than offering a ‘set and forget’ service. However, Impro is keen to support the move to hosted versions, whether hosted by the SI, Impro, or the end user, provided they have the equipment and skills.
Primo access control software
Primo is Impro Technologies’ latest access control software solution. It integrates with Impro’s full access control portfolio and third-party hardware. Primo can be self-hosted, as mentioned above, but Primo Live is the Impro-hosted solution for SIs that want to manage as much of their customer support as possible, remotely.
Impro takes care of hosting, including hardware requirements and software updates, as well as infrastructure security, including end-to-end encryption. However, managing customer installations is left to the SI, which can manage multiple clients remotely, each with its own customised setup.
Impro says the economies of scale of Primo Live make it a worthwhile option for SIs as they focus on delivering customer value, while Impro handles the service delivery, including database maintenance. The fee includes the hosting fee and a per-controller fee. The more controllers, the lower the cost. For small companies with only a few doors, the cost can be calculated per door.
Operator views are customisable, and reporting has been improved. When online, Primo’s system controllers transfer relevant information to door controllers to ensure that, should connectivity be lost, operations continue uninterrupted.
Primo also supports fingerprint and facial biometrics from Idemia, Control iD, and Hikvision. Furthermore, an API is available for custom integration. Naturally, custom access features tailored to health and safety or training requirements, as well as T&A, are still included.
Onwards and upwards
While Impro’s traditional Access Portal software includes a lift (elevator) control module, Primo offers new, improved lift control functionality with wizard-driven setup and automatic creation of the necessary configuration rules for elevators. It also includes offline functionality in case the network is disconnected.
On the security front, Impro now also offers its users single sign-on (SSO) with Entra ID, allowing users to log in with the same credentials they use for their business account (if they use Microsoft systems). Entra ID is a cloud-based directory and identity management service that offers authentication and authorisation for various Microsoft and third-party services (which now includes Primo). In other words, users log in to Primo using their Entra ID username and password, rather than a separate Primo login.
Smaller updates announced at the launch include integration with Milestone’s XProtect management platform and the ability to enforce password changes when logging into a controller. Read more about Primo at https://tinyurl.com/48mxr9wt.
For more information contact Impro Technologies,
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