When an alert shows fuel levels have dropped unexpectedly at a cell site, would it be useful to have instant access to live CCTV footage from the site and employee access records? Would it be even more useful if that access control data were stored in the same system as video, sensor monitoring and control data?
AKCP products are unique in their ability to integrate remote monitoring and access control. Decades of experience have taught us how to build a distributed, intelligent system. Remote control systems record events and make local decisions when communications are unreliable. Advanced central control systems make management of a large distributed system easy and reliable.
InteliTower benefits from this experience by focusing on telecoms. The needs of telecoms are special. High volume, low cost, high reliability systems are crucial. Telcos need easy management of large distributed nodes with unreliable communications. AKCP’s decades of experience with successful implementation of large distributed systems gives you the edge to profitably manage your network.
TowerXchange: Where do AKCP fit in the telecoms infrastructure ecosystem?
Nick Barrowclough, VP Manufacturing, AKCP:
AKCP uniquely combines access control, video security, sensor management and control. This enables operators of multiple remote sites to integrate video, sensor data and control within our centralised management software, AKCess Pro Server.
AKCP launched our InteliTower division specifically tailored to provide an integrated solution for remote sites, wireless communications infrastructure and DAS. AKCP has 30 years of experience - we’re the world’s oldest and largest supplier of SNMP based sensor and security monitoring solutions with over 100,000 installations worldwide. Our origins are in computer rooms and data centers. We developed the first SNMP based temperature sensors, adding power monitoring and video security capabilities. We provide complete cabinet monitoring integrating video surveillance, EMS, environmental and security monitoring.
TowerXchange: How would you differentiate AKCP from other access control or remote monitoring systems?
Nick Barrowclough, VP Manufacturing, AKCP:
There are companies that specialise in EMS and companies that provide access control and companies that supply video security, but AKCP is unique in providing an all-in-one hardware and software integrated solution. We design and manufacture our own hardware and software and we’re excited to launch InteliTower to apply our unique experience and capabilities to the telecom tower industry.
Our solutions are developed in-house. We don’t resell repackaged third party solutions. We are able to reduce costs and maintain higher quality. We’re an established business with a large staff of senior engineers. Our products are manufactured in our own factories. This means we can be agile and flexible to react to market need and deliver customised engineering, such as designing a new sensor, adding a software feature or integrating with an existing CCTV system. We integrate with most third part CCTV systems. Remote telecom sites seldom have IP cameras due to bandwidth limitations, so our control unit has analogue camera inputs meaning we can support analogue cameras too.
Unifying monitoring control data in a single piece of software enables users to review alerts with access to synchronised sensor, video and security events
TowerXchange: What are the benefits of consolidating access control, fuel and environmental data?
Nick Barrowclough, VP Manufacturing, AKCP:
One supplier means one PO and one point of contact to design and deliver hardware and software. Using AKCP’s InteliTower solutions means you don’t have to deal with a chain of suppliers and resellers - we can solve any problems ourselves. Your site engineers need be familiar with only one product, one base unit to setup and power, and everything runs through one IP address.
Unifying monitoring control data in a single piece of software enables users to review alerts with access to synchronised sensor, video and security events. With our integrated mapping interface, if there’s an access or sensor event we can flash up the location, and the user can mouse-over for a video feed.
TowerXchange: How do you ensure ongoing access and data continuity in the event of a network interruption?
Nick Barrowclough, VP Manufacturing, AKCP:
AKCess Pro Server uses buffered file transfers. Anytime the access control database is updated a copy of the database is distributed and stored locally at each site on the base unit, so if an interruption to network communications occurs access will function as normal. We also continue to log sensor data, system information and capture video images on the remote node. All of this information is then automatically sent to AKCess Pro when full network connectivity has been restored.
Similarly, thanks to our centralised management software, if the site is damaged, or if someone steals the DVR, the video is backed up in a central location.
TowerXchange: How can users adapt InteliTower to meet their changing requirements?
Nick Barrowclough, VP Manufacturing, AKCP:
If we have any firmware updates to the base units, you can update remotely through our software. Configuring sites is similar - once you’ve optimised configuration of monitoring and control systems for one site, you can send that configuration to all similar sites, and you can backup that configuration so it can be changed then restored seasonally.
Our software is customisable for each installation, so the engineer can see only sites he is managing, and you can restrict what he is allowed to do. We have a hierarchical database for access to information.
InteliTower is a modular system. So you can decide what capabilities you want on which date and still have only one system to monitor, adding components as you need them; access control, power, fuel, security and environmental and video monitoring. We have an expansion module for additional sensors, and can integrate third party sensors.
TowerXchange: Appreciating a lot of value is in the software, could you tell us a little about the hardware you deploy at cell sites.
Nick Barrowclough, VP Manufacturing, AKCP:
Our systems typically include a door control unit (DCU) at the main entrance gate or on the shelter, through which engineers scan in and out. The DCU connects with a biometric device or RFID reader - just about any device that uses the Wiegand protocol for access control.
We can use a variety of different 12v door locking mechanisms - we provide an electromagnetic lock, but you can put on a shoot-bolt lock.
Our DCU includes sensor ports for EMS sensors, or motion detectors, such as perimeter beam sensors. Dry contact sensors can monitor Genset equipment, voltage sensors for batteries and ultrasonic fuel level sensors in diesel tanks. The DCU connects back to our central server (AKCess Pro Server) through Ethernet or GSM, enabling us to manage the database and track which users accessed at which time. For example, you can set an expiry time for access or check that the engineer showed up and how long he was there, and with InteliTower you can synch video with these events.
It’s a scalable solution - we can connect up to 50 cabinet controllers to one of our base DCU’s, so that provides plenty of capacity to manage, control and monitor, for multiple tenants’ equipment through a single IP address.
TowerXchange: I appreciate it varies according to the needs of each site, but what is the approximate cost of implementing AKCP’s Intelitower solutions on a per site basis?
Nick Barrowclough, VP Manufacturing, AKCP:
It depends on what capabilities you need. We can provide our access control capabilities for under $1,000 per site. If you add power, fuel, security and environmental monitoring, it’s closer to $2,000 per site. Of course there’s always room for negotiation if we’re talking about a large portfolio of towers.
TowerXchange: Tell us about installation of your systems.
Nick Barrowclough, VP Manufacturing, AKCP:
Compared to traditional access control systems, InteliTower is quicker and easier to install. Our solution is rack mountable; you basically screw the base unit into place, attach standard 12v power supply and configure remotely - no specialised electricians are needed. The most time consuming part is running the cables to the locks and sensors.
Our local dealers will often provide installation services. Our sensors, door control units and RFID readers just need an RJ45 cable (like an Ethernet cable) - they need no complicated wiring - as long as you have a pre-existing rack you could be set up in 90 minutes.
TowerXchange: What have been AKCP’s experiences in telecoms and media, particularly emerging markets? I understand you have a project live in Argentina - what can you tell me about that?
Nick Barrowclough, VP Manufacturing, AKCP:
Our Argentinian distributor Raien has installed the AKCP solution into remote broadcast towers for INVAP. This is in use as a standard remote monitoring solution for the shelters at 500 sites.
We were able to swiftly adapt our solution to the specific requirements of the customer - during the implementation of the project AKCP released an improved base unit, which was upgraded the already installed sites free of charge so all sites were on the latest hardware.
