Outlocks: Independent, invisible solutions put you in control of cell site security

Remote outdoor facilities are often the hardest to secure. But for many businesses – especially those in the communications and utilities industries – the most valuable and critical assets are located outside. Outlocks draw on a strong heritage of security expertise and innovation to design and deliver specialist security solutions for outdoor and remote sites globally. Outlocks’ locking units employ unique technology to transfer encrypted data by mechanical pulses to unlock any site using the same key, but only allowing access within a controlled timeframe – enabling exceptional access management. With their locking systems entirely concealed within the locked structure, their products are highly resistant to crime and environmental conditions.

TowerXchange: Please introduce our readers to Outlocks.

We are an Israeli company with over 100 years’ heritage in security. In 1914, my grandfather established the largest safe company in Israel – first of its kind – leading the manufacture of high security safes. That is the environment in which I was raised.

I registered my first lock patent when I was 18. Subsequently I invented over 60 patents, selling them for royalties. But I wanted to do more than invent for other manufacturers – I wanted to be responsible for bringing my solutions to the market.

In 2007, I brought together a team of security specialists – each an expert in the field – all of whom share a passion for innovation and growth. Together, we established a company focussed on providing solutions specifically designed to overcome the unique challenges of securing and managing outdoor assets.

Today, we are a team of 50 – half of whom are design engineers and product development specialists. Our headquarters are in Israel and we also have an office in Hong Kong.

TowerXchange: The first thing our readers will want to know is ‘how proven are your solutions in the field?’ Please tell us about some of your telecom clients.

Wired and wireless communications is one of our leading market segments because of our specialism in protecting high risk outdoor assets. Over 100,000 telecom cell sites worldwide are secured by Outlocks, a third of which are with Verizon in the US. Our other telecom clients include Globe, PLDT / Smart, Entel Chile, Entel Peru, Telecom Argentina, Partner (Orange) Israel and more.

Customer satisfaction is excellent, as demonstrated in our organic growth and the strength of customer recommendations. For example, success with Entel Chile led to Entel Peru.

We also specialise in security solutions for utilities, goods in transit, cash in transit, ATMs and bank vaults. For example, we lock many of the ATMs in Israel. Our technology trimmed two hours of key management from their drivers’ working days.

We are currently working in countries including the Philippines, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, U.S., and India, where we have helped to virtually eradicate theft from wind turbines in the Rajastan desert.

Our solutions are used by government and military facilities. The Israeli, German and U.S. governments all acknowledge our locking systems as among the most secure in the market today.

TowerXchange: A significant proportion of remote cell sites are still secured by padlock and key. Why is an electronic locking system worth the extra investment?

Control, cost, efficiency and risk mitigation. Many of our customers recoup the cost of installation on operational cost savings alone in less than a year.

An electronic system drives accountability and performance. A mechanical key can’t tell you who accessed your site, so you have no knowledge of who did what and when they did it. We give you full control and sight of all access to your site on an individual, timed basis.

An electronic system enables you to give access to the right people at the right time. Typically the number of mechanical keys is limited. Access is dependent on fetching and returning those keys. Valuable time is wasted, and time is money. With Outlocks you can transmit access permission to anyone in your workforce immediately, whatever the time, wherever they are.

An electronic system provides a sophisticated deterrent to increasingly sophisticated threats – theft, cyber attacks, even terror attacks. Mechanical locks and keys are an acute vulnerability – especially in remote locations. You are blind to who is entering your site. The cost of replacement is high. With our system there is nothing to pick and nothing to copy. And with unique permissions granted on a per person basis, access can be tightly controlled. Lost and stolen keys represent no threat. You know who was last responsible for it. They can be easily removed from your authorised list and without a code they are useless.

‘Inside jobs’ are a particularly significant risk for MNOs and towercos. We recently completed a project across 1,000s of sites. Six years ago our client suffered 1,000 unauthorised entries every year. By introducing our system that number dropped to less than four. A decrease of over 99%. Every entry – and every request for entry – is now logged and may trigger notifications and other actions. The opportunity for theft is eliminated and would-be thieves know it. Higher security, zero adverse impact on operational efficiency. In fact, out systems can have a transformationally positive impact on operational efficiency.

TowerXchange: How easy are your locking units to deploy?

It takes just a few minutes and anyone can do it, whether an entirely new installation or the replacement of an outdated, insecure system. We design different devices for different applications and enable integration into any access point. The system is battery operated and performs access verification offline, within the locking unit, eliminating the need for network communications. Connectivity to external power supplies or data is unnecessary. There is also no need to tackle exterior installation.

Our locking systems are powered by batteries which last between 3-12 years, depending on the application.

TowerXchange: How are your locking units protected against vandalism and weather corrosion?

Weather is not an issue. Our products are tested for endurance, dust and temperature, we have IP68 certified products, tested for full operation underwater for at least one hour – which has unfortunately been demonstrated when cell sites were flooded in The Philippines.

Our locking systems are designed to operate from -40 to +70 degrees. Once installed, of course, our locks are not exposed to the outside at all – no holes, no antennae, nothing. That means no exposure to the external environment and any associated risks. Including vandalism.

TowerXchange: Access control is not just about securing the compound or cabinet, it’s about time attendance and performance monitoring – how does your system integrate with workforce management systems to enhance operational efficiency?

Our management software provides a powerful interface for daily operations such as adding and removing users and keys, generating single use codes, scheduling access and more. It also performs detailed event logging, generated and stored by the locking unit, providing real time data monitoring and analytics.

Third party systems integration is a critical capability. Many customers require some kind of integration – with USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) systems, for example. We have a team of integration specialists and a comprehensive API library. We can deliver the integration or equip customers to do it themselves.

Integration with alarm and CCTV systems can increase efficiency in NOCs (network operating centres). Automated arming and disarming of alarms and the alignment of access schedules with camera-manning help to streamline manpower requirements.

We can also integrate with SAP and other workforce management systems. You can define and manage rules which function automatically once integrated, giving you full control without the need to manually manage every process.

TowerXchange: How would you differentiate Outlocks from other electromechanical locking solutions? What is unique about your technology?

Independent, invisible and in control – these are the qualities that differentiate our products from other solutions. Each lock is a standalone unit – an independent system which does not need costly infrastructure implementation and maintenance. The entire unit is concealed within the structure it serves to secure, shielded from the elements and from criminal intent. They are weather and vandal proof to an unprecedented level. All access management is via the software, completely configurable to customer requirements.

Our competitors’ offerings are based on cylinder locks, which might require clients to install brackets to accept the cylinder. Cylinder locks are also developed for indoor use cases; when they are exposed to the outside they cannot be 100% weather and tamper-proof.

Our product diversity enables straightforward and flexible installation. We have a solution for any kind of access requirement. And because they all use the same technology, our customers can operate one system across a variety of access points. A single key can unlock multiple locking units and lock types across multiple sites.

Our products are specifically designed to operate in extreme outdoor conditions. They are not adaptations of indoor solutions. Because of this, their vulnerability is virtually non-existent. Globally there are hundreds of thousands of our locks that have been in operation outdoors for years with almost zero failures. They are robust and reliable – a strong and sustainable solution providing competitive value for money.

TowerXchange: Where is remote facility access control headed? What’s next for Outlocks?

We are always listening to our customers, working with them to deliver innovations that directly address their needs – new products, features and capabilities that increase security and efficiency without compromising either.

In May, at CommunicAsia 2017, we will introduce our new keyless solution. Key management is a significant limitation for our customers – a physical dependency compromising operational efficiency. For example, if you have growing numbers of subcontractors accessing a shared cell site, key management becomes extremely complex and difficult to manage, even with electronic keys.

By removing the need for keys you remove that disadvantage and greatly enhance efficiency.

It uses the same system, but you’ll be able to open our locks by smart phone. The need for any form of key is completely eliminated, although the smart phone based system can work in parallel with our existing key system.