HID Smart Card

The next time you go to Vidhana Soudha you might not be able to enter without a smart card.

The Karnataka Legislative Assembly is upgrading its entrance security using the contactless smart card access control.

To enter you need to have an access card, permitting the gates to open. Similarly, smart cards can be used for automotive vehicle indentification, recording time and attendance, identification, network log-on security, cashless vending, event management and biometric verification.

In this space HID manufactures the 13.56 MHz read/write contactless smart card providing interoperatibility on an open architecture.

Their latest technology is EDGE - an IP solution that meets the demands of open architecture, IP-centric environments.

The EDGE IP Access Solutions runs everything at the door, reducing the need for additional hardware.

As the system uses ethernet connectivity, directly connected to the main system, companies can do away with separate power supplies and multi-door controllers. All the functions can be managed via a single system making things easier. 

Considering the case of IT companies - employees have separate bus passes, photo IDs, laptop tags, network and application passwords, food coupons, library cards and maybe token cards.

Using the smart card technology all of these can be combined into a single smart card, reducing the complexity and costs.

“Our cards have a memory of 4 Kb, capable of having 32 applications in-built and faster data transfer,” informs Harish Vellat, Managing Director, South Asia, HID Global.

Perot Systems, Unisys etc have extended the smart card technology for use in their vehicles, to keep track of routes and employees. Companies are also looking to connect the access points to the lights and AC connections.

The added advantage is that the installation cost is not way above the roof. “For a low end smart card set up it will cost around Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 while for a high-end full system it can be upto Rs one lakh plus,” Mr Vellat informs. 

Shivani Modi

Hitachi AMS1000 Storage System

Hitachi Data Systems Corporation, subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd has announced that it has established a new dimension for midrange storage performance and scalability with the Hitachi Adaptable Modular Storage, model AMS1000, in Microsoft Exchange Server Environments. 

Through the Microsoft Exchange Solution Reviewed Program (ESRP), Hitachi Data Systems demonstrated that the AMS1000 supports more than 25,000 concurrent Exchange 2007 users.

The Hitachi AMS1000, enables IT organisations to optimise the performance of and provide secure data access to vital business applications, such as e-mail, ERP, CRM, and databases.

The Hitachi AMS1000 also delivers non-disruptive “on-the-fly” data movement across multiple tiers of storage, enterprise-class RAID-6 data protection, and sophisticated multi-protocol support for iSCSI, NAS, and Fibre Channel SAN, embedded in a single system.

StorageCare™ Vision

Quantum Corp, specialist in backup, recovery and archive, has announced StorageCare™ Vision, extending its line of intelligent data management solutions.

StorageCare Vision works together with Quantum’s iLayer™ tape automation system management and StorageCare™ Guardian backup system remote monitoring application to automate the management of a customer’s entire data protection environment, including disk and tape systems, through a single user interface.

Key benefits include: Centralised, end-to-end management of Quantum disk systems and tape libraries. It also includes immediate report on the success of backups, delivery of valuable performance metrics via hundreds of packaged reports or customised ones that help administrators increase utilisation, as well as  identification of bottlenecks and balance resources.

Beetel FM landline phone

Beetel, the country’s leading telephone brand, has launched the first landline phone in the country to be equipped with an FM radio with in-built speakers.

The Beetel DB5900 FM phone can store up to 10 FM channels in the phone memory, besides showcasing the channel frequency on the display panel.

The phone comes equipped with an FM on LED indication and also enables tuning in to FM channels in the 88 MHz to 108 MHz frequencies both ways.

The corded phone also comes equipped with an anti-line tapping facility that prevents misuse of the phone by parallel phone users and a keyboard mechanical lock to prevent unwanted usage.

The other key features of the phone include a talking CLI and a do not disturb function to stop unnecessary interruptions along with a pre-dialing voice announce facility.

With a large backlit display with 5 levels, it offers a 12-digit LCD display with calendar and real clock display. All phones from Bharti Teletech are backed by Beetel’s one year of warranty against any manufacturing defects.
The Beetel range of phones is available with over 15000 dealers across the country .