All Volvo cars from the model-year 2021 will now come standard with a “Care Key”.

Designed for safe car sharing, the Care Key enables car owners to set limitations on the cars’ top speed when in use.

The Care Key will become especially useful when lending cars to family members, friends, or younger and inexperienced drivers, providing the owner with additional peace of mind.

“Many want to be able to share their car with friends and family but are unsure about how to make sure they are safe on the road. The Care Key provides one good solution and extra peace of mind.”

– Håkan Samuelsson, Chief Executive of Volvo Cars

Fords’ My Key provides identical features, allowing the owner to set limits on speed, radio volume, as well as issue seatbelt alerts.

Although the Care Key and My Key are excellent road safety solutions for the home environment, businesses may benefit from a more comprehensive fleet and asset tracking solution.

With live tracking and movement history, you can keep track of all your assets and vehicles in real-time.

Our fleet tracking devices and software log extensive driver safety and behaviour data through detecting accidents, harsh acceleration and cornering, location tracking and speed monitoring.

Providing quality and professional Security Solutions Australia-wide.

For more information about our services please call 1300 852 138 or contact us via our website.

The post Volvo Introduces Care Key for Car Sharing appeared first on Rechenberg.

As the fight against COVID-19 begins to ramp up again, everyone is experiencing a stronger push to implement safe and healthy habits to slow down the spread. The resilience and staying power of the virus have forced significant changes within Australia, for better or worse. In response, society and businesses are realizing that more needs to be done to reduce infection rates, and technology has responded to meet these demands.

Until a vaccine is available, the best and only way of fighting against COVID-19 is with the technologies at hand. Over the course of a single day, common touchpoints like door handles or railings can come into contact with thousands of individuals.

In confined spaces like small offices and busses, the risk for community transmission reaches a peak. As a direct result of these concerns, sectors like the biometrics industry are experiencing significant economic downturns. Current access control measures are being treated with great caution and scrutiny, for obvious reasons.

Touchless access control technology is the first in line to eliminate all of these concerns in a variety of unique ways. Instead of indirectly shaking hands with the last person to use the door, a touchless button can be used to activate it.

Rather than relying on a physical fingerprint scanner for identification, a secure iris scanner can put it out of a job. A simple timed motion sensor can do everything a light switch can, and much more. The growing list of small but meaningful access control replacements is extensive and only limited by how these technologies are used.

Such minor upgrades are inexpensive, highly practical, and reliable approaches to touchless access control. Moreover, material upgrades also help to fight the spread of germs and contaminants in less tangible ways. For businesses, visibly making the change to a touchless system can encourage more responsible and germ-conscious behaviour from employees.

Some common and inexpensive forms of touchless access control include antibacterial door holder covers, which effectively reduces cross-contamination between users, touchless exit buttons, and a foot-operated door opener, providing alternative ways to open doors – all of which are available for purchase at Rechenberg.

Passive forms of touchless access control like these are excellent for laying the groundwork in COVID-aware and germ-conscious environments. There’s a small handful of other tools that enable touchless controls to move from passively preventing the spread of germs to actively doing so; the most notable of which is facial recognition.

Facial detection/recognition is one of the key technologies in active access control. By properly utilizing facial recognition in access control systems, it becomes a powerful piece of tech that can be used in countless different ways. A prime example of this can be seen in Hikvision’s Facial Recognition terminal. This seamlessly combines the best of both facial recognition and touchless technologies.

With an accuracy of over 99% and less than 0.2-second recognition speed, it can entirely replace card-based systems (or be integrated with one), outdated sign-in systems, other biometric identifiers, and virtually any other form of access control. The Hikvision Facial Recognition terminals can also serve as a one-stop touchless and non-invasive fever screening checkpoint.

The terminals can be triggered to record the scene whenever an individual approaches an entrance equipped with a terminal, potentially making other forms of visual confirmation redundant. This means it can additionally be used as a quick, easy, and touchless automatic door opener with all the benefits of a secure access control system. All of this is possible thanks to advanced facial recognition.

Wherever touch-based forms of access control like FOBs, fingerprint readers, or pin pads are used, facial recognition can entirely replace such systems in the vast majority of cases. It’s also the key technology that allows touchless and non-invasive forms of fever screening in devices like Hikvision’s terminal and other fever screening thermal cameras. In regards to the pandemic, the inherent advantage of this technology is that users can stand back from a scanner rather than potentially exposing themselves to contaminated surfaces.

Providing quality and professional Security Solutions Australia-wide.

For more information about our services please call 1300 852 138 or contact us via our website.

The post The Touchless Future of Access Control appeared first on Rechenberg.

On the 12th of March 2020, the Prime Minister unveiled a number of incentives for businesses across Australia to assist in the present economic climate resulting from the COVID-19 crisis. Amongst these incentives is the instant asset write-off threshold which will lift from $30,000 to $150,000.

This means that businesses with an aggregated annual turnover of less than $500 million dollars will be able to immediately write off assets by 100% up until the 30th of June.

This would allow businesses to review their current security risks and look to:

– Install new CCTV or security alarm systems to their premises

-Replace old analogue systems to new digital IP systems

-Install temperature sensing cameras to safeguard staff and customers

-Install or update access control systems, managing and monitoring the flow of staff and customers into and out of buildings

-Installing GPS tracking systems to their fleet for driver safety and the monitoring and tracking of company assets

Equipment purchased and installed prior to the 30th of June 2020 will allow the total amount to be depreciated this financial year. Seek advice from your accountant to confirm you are eligible and for tax implications.

If you are interested, please call our team on 1300 852 138 to discuss your options.

The post Asset Purchase Write-Off Opportunity to 30th June 2020 appeared first on Rechenberg.

Whether your business is currently trading or unable to due to coronavirus restrictions, it is vital to ensure your premise is tightly secured at all times due to the drastic changes in crime rates COVID-19 has caused.

In the first month that COVID-19 restrictions were put in place in South Australia, there was a massive 41% increase of commercial break-ins, which is devastating for the impacted businesses.

Not only this, but South Australia has experienced a drastic shift in the types of crimes occurring.

For example, serious assault, theft and break-ins of shops, schools and churches have increased.

Meanwhile, residential break-ins, fraud, common assault and aggravated robbery have all declined.

Providing quality and professional Locksmith and Security Solutions Australia-wide.

For more information about our services please call 1300 852 138 or contact us via our website.

The post Drastic Changes in Crime Rates Due to COVID-19 appeared first on Rechenberg.

Since the nation-wide quarantine began in early March, strict regulations have been put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Initially, the government banned outside gatherings of over 500 people. Less than a week ago, these restrictions became more strict, having no outside gatherings of more than 2 people. As well as these restrictions, the government has been encouraging social isolation and social distancing, and have implemented a hefty fine for any rule breakers.

As well as Australia, major cities all over the world have seen identical regulations and a momentous drop in crime as a result. In Chicago, there has been a sudden drop of 20% of all crimes. Some areas of the UK and both Los Angeles and New York City have seen a similar drop. In fact, from the 16th to 22nd of March 2020, NYC has seen an 85% drop in murders compared to the same period last year, and an overall drop of 5.8% of all crime.

Australia has not been excluded from these crime drops. Brisbane has seen a massive crime plummet during the first week of almost total isolation. On March 1st, 435 offences were reported to the police in the Brisbane region. Nearly four weeks later, a mere 168 offences were reported, making March 28th the lowest number of offences for a single day in the past month. The primary incidents over this period were thefts, excluding unlawful entry. The Wide Bay has seen similar changes, with offences against other people dropping, and offences against properties rising.

However, this worldwide drop in crimes may just be the calm before the storm. As a result of COVID-19, many businesses have closed or reduced their operating hours. When businesses shut, either permanently or temporarily, the number of offences involving shops and businesses will inevitably decrease.

Ian Leavers, the Queensland Police Union President, believes this is the case.

The reality is that if anything, this is the calm before the storm and simply a shift in crime into different categories.

This spark of new crime trends has already begun. In NYC, the number of car thefts has increased by over 50%, rising from 68 in March last year to 103 this month.

As shutdowns begin affecting people’s ability to earn money, no doubt many people may consider committing desperate acts just to get by.

There has also been a rise in people trying to take advantage of Coronavirus and benefit from the pandemic through fraudulent methods. Malware and phishing scams have been abundant, exploiting the fear of innocent Australians. For example, groups of people have been selling counterfeit medical equipment, including substandard hand sanitiser and ineffective protective masks. These groups have also been promoting coronavirus treatment, even though the World Health Organisation states that any vaccine or treatment will not be available for another 12-18 months.

There’s no way of telling what new crime trends will emerge if Australia enforces further measures, or what will happen after COVID-19. Either way, it’s important to stay up to date with the latest reliable information from the World Health Organisation and Australian Government and be aware of the latest phishing scams.

Providing quality and professional Locksmith and Security Solutions Australia-wide.

For more information about our services please call 1300 852 138 or contact us via our website.

The post COVID-19 Leads To Crime Drop. Is This The Calm Before The Storm? appeared first on Rechenberg.

Hikvision is one of the most renowned and trusted CCTV manufacturers worldwide, creating innovative security solutions to form a safer and more secure world. Our fully-qualified security technicians are experts at installing the latest CCTV equipment, ensuring your system is providing the best protection for your premises.

Hikvision offers a diverse range of security cameras, with a wide variety of benefits.

Smart and Cost-Effective Solution

Hikvision security cameras include an array of intelligent features, enabling the equipment to get more done in a smarter and more efficient way. The latest range of security cameras includes AcuSense and ColorVu, each featuring advanced technologies.

The AcuSense series provides an increased accuracy rate of alarms via precise video content analytics (VCA) and simplifies the process of searching through video clips. With an F1.0 advanced lens, supplemental lighting and high-performance sensors, ColorVu security cameras produce vivid and colourful images 24/7, even in the middle of the night.

Almost every Hikvision camera offers built-in analytics, producing precise smart features. Through 120dB true wide dynamic range (WDR), almost every security camera from Hikvision can produce extremely clear and crisp images in conditions with extreme backlight, and even at night!

Don’t have one of the ColorVu security cameras, but still want to see what’s going on at night? That’s not a problem with IR security cameras, that include built-in infrared technology, enabling visibility at night.

With these all of these features and an affordable price tag, Hikvision security cameras are not to be missed.

User-Friendly

Hikvision security cameras are extremely easy to use and operate – and if you have trouble, one of our expert technicians would gladly help you out! When you purchase a Hikvision product, an extremely thorough datasheet and product guide are included, with all the information you will ever need.

Wide Range of Choices

Hikvision cameras provide a wide range of options for all scenarios. From turrets and domes to bullets and thermal cameras, Hikvision has every style of CCTV camera you need!

Want crisp and clear footage with very little noise? Hikvision’s got your back with their high-resolution security cameras. Need a super-wide angle camera? Hikvision has you covered. Suitable for indoor and outdoor applications, this line has a field of view of 180˚, providing you with the next level of situational awareness.

Want to know more, or get some Hikvision equipment installed in your premises? Contact Rechenberg today.

Providing quality and professional Locksmith and Security Solutions Australia-wide.

For more information about our services please call 1300 852 138 or contact us via our website.

The post The Benefits of Hikvision Security Cameras appeared first on Rechenberg.

In 1995, the automotive locksmith industry changed forever when the first transponder key was brought to the market. Compared to the mechanical keys locksmiths were used to, transponder keys were a gamechanger, and introduced a new technology that is still used in modern cars today.

If you have purchased a car since 1995, there is a high chance that your car key is a transponder key, which you may not even realise! Since their introduction, transponder keys have greatly increased the security of cars, motorbikes and trucks all over the world, reducing motor vehicle thefts by a whopping 40% every single year (1).

Not to be confused with the buttons on your car key that unlocks and locks your car, or the key blade that goes in the ignition, a transponder key has a microchip embedded in the plastic head of the key, which allows the car to be turned on.

But, how does the microchip start a car?

Nowadays, most cars have an engine immobiliser, which prevents the engine from running, unless deactivated. Each transponder key has a built-in microchip that is programmed with its own unique serial number. When the transponder is near or inserted into the ignition, the Engine Control Unit (ECU) sends low-strength radio signals to the transponder. As transponders do not have a battery, this signal from the ECU powers the transponder.

If the transponder’s digital serial number is an exact match to the one programmed in the car, the engine immobiliser is deactivated, and once the key in the ignition is turned, the car will start. This eliminates a thieves ability to hot-wire a car or break the ignition lock – so the only way to start the car is by having the correct transponder key, with the accurate mechanical key cuts and unique code.

Due to the complexity of first cutting the key accurately and then programming the transponder, these keys are difficult for untrained people to duplicate. In a mechanical key, there are thousands of different ways the key can be cut. However, transponder keys have a mechanical key section as well as a microchip that needs an exact serial number to operate a car, meaning there are millions of possible combinations between the two, greatly reducing the chance that someone else can copy your transponder key.

If you have lost all your keys for your vehicle, this is even more complex again, as even more training and specialised equipment are required to be able to make a key that suits your car. Luckily, it’s no problem for our fully-qualified team of automotive locksmiths at Rechenberg.

If you’re looking to get a transponder key, replace an old mechanical key, or you have lost all your keys for your vehicle and need new keys to be made, get in contact with a trusted locksmith. At Rechenberg, we have an expert team of Bundaberg locksmiths with over 60 years of combined experience in the automotive locksmith industry. With our state-of-the-art transponder key programming technology and the latest electronic key cutting machines, we ensure your key is cut to factory specifications every time.

Whether you’re in Bundaberg, Bargara or Moore Park, Rechenberg can cut and program the latest transponder keys. We make transponder keys for most car makes and models, ranging from the most common cars seen in Australia including Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Holden, Subaru, Ford, to European models, such as BMW, Mercedes, VW and Audi.

Providing quality and professional Locksmith and Security Solutions Australia-wide.

For more information about our services please call 1300 852 138 or contact us via our website.

1. https://academic.oup.com/ej/article/126/593/1264/5078111

The post How Transponder Keys Reduce Motor Vehicle Theft by 40% appeared first on Rechenberg.

Fleet tracking, also known as vehicle and asset tracking, is a management system that tracks the activity of assets no matter the shape or size, ranging from cars and trucks to generators, and even cranes. Anything you need to track, we can provide a tracking solution.

Fleet tracking completes this feat by using award-winning GPS tracking devices, software, and telematics technology. The data retrieved from the fleet of assets is collected in real-time, meaning you get notified of your assets whereabouts as they move.

User-Friendly Information

You may think that you will get flooded with information, but with Rechenberg, that’s not the case, even if you have hundreds of assets that need tracking. The fleet tracking software is extremely intelligent and can interpret and decipher extremely large amounts of data. Then, the software converts this data to accessible, user-friendly, and most importantly, useful information.

With dashboards, exception alerts, detailed live maps and excel-based reporting, you can focus on the information that matters most to you. Not only can this information be accessed on a desktop, but also remotely via mobile.

Make Strategic Decisions

With fleet tracking, you can make executive and strategic fleet management decisions about jobs and operations. Want to know which vehicle should be dispatched for the next job based on which vehicle is closer? Or what time you’re employee knocked off work?

Maybe you’re curious about how many trailers are left in the warehouse, or if your lone worker has finished at the job site? These are the type of questions that fleet tracking has answers for.

Enhanced Security

By utilising real-time GPS tracking, you are ensuring that you know where your assets are 24/7, protecting your assets from theft. In the event that your asset is stolen, it can be quickly located via the GPS mapping, and authorities can be dispatched to its exact location. Further security can be provided to employees as features, such as accident and roll-over of vehicles, can be monitored, providing WHS benefit as well.

Increased Efficiency and Productivity

By viewing the live map of a team member on the run, you can manage and improve the efficiency of their route by sending them near-real-time notifications. Additionally, you can monitor the movement, idling status, and time spent at particular locations of each asset individually and view immediate snapshots of daily movements.

Another exceptional aspect of fleet tracking is being able to monitor fuel consumption and knowing that your vehicles and assets are being maintained thoroughly and routinely.

Improved Driving Behaviour

By accessing an assets trip history, you receive information about the vehicle operators driving behaviour, displayed directly on a map for easy viewing.

This information includes vehicle movement history, inactivity and temperature, accidents and speed violations, driver behaviour (such as harsh acceleration), and other important events

By having this information, the vehicle operators can learn and improve their driving habits, which is particularly vital if driving in a vehicle with sign-writing.

Providing quality Fleet Tracking and Security Solutions Australia-wide.

For more information about our services please call 1300 852 138 or contact us via our website.

The post What is GPS Fleet Tracking? appeared first on Rechenberg.

With the rising demand for Video Verification, this innovative technology is bound to become the future of the security industry. Because of this, it’s important to know what Video Verification is, and how it works. 

There are a variety of locations Video Verification can be used alongside commercial and residential premises. This includes car yards for perimeter protection (along fence lines or boundary fences). There are a wide variety of reasons to use Video Verification, the priority of which may differ depending on the specific premises. The uses range from the high level of security and peace of mind it provides, and the increased priority from emergency services. 

Higher Level of Security and Higher Priority Response from Emergency Services

Although our clients use Video Verification for many different reasons, the main purpose of installing Video Verification is for the high level of security it provides. 

When an alarm is triggered, an alert is immediately sent to the Control Room, while a security camera on the premises simultaneously begins recording the area where the alarm was triggered. When the Control Room receives this video footage, an operator views and verifies the authenticity of the alarm.

From our experience of monitoring alarms since 1993, we have found that when the Control Room contacts the police service with a verified alarm, the response is generally given a higher priority as the Control Room has already verified that there is an intruder on site. 

Particularly where sites have a high dollar value on their premises, quicker response time is crucial to, at the very least minimise the losses from theft, or in the best case, potentially catch the criminal in the act. Without Video Verification, the police may prioritise the alarm response based on their other workload, which may be treated as a higher priority over your alarm. 

This is particularly important for duress buttons in retail situations, as when the Control Room contacts the police, we are contacting them with a verified alarm. This will mean the alarm may get higher priority than a traditional alarm from an alarm panel that is not visually verified.

Respond to Events More Appropriately

Via video verification, the Control Room is provided with more information about what type of threat triggered the alarm. Users generally think that the only use of Video Verification is for when a security alarm is triggered, however, Video Verification can also be used for Fire Detection. With this information, you can respond to the threat more appropriately, and contact the most suitable Emergency Service personnel. 

Reduce False Alarm Rate

The beauty of video verification is that an intrusion does get verified as real, so you know for certain that it is not a false alarm. However, without the Video Verification process, there is a chance that it is just a false alarm, meaning security patrol or emergency services may have been unnecessarily contacted.

By installing Video Verification technology to work in conjunction with your alarm system, the Control Room will be able to verify that the event is real before contacting emergency services, saving their and your own valuable time.

Providing quality Security Solutions Australia-wide.

For more information about our services please call 1300 852 138 or send us a message on our website.

https://www.rechenberg.com.au/contact-us/

The post What are the Benefits of using Video Verification? appeared first on Rechenberg.