The intercom product company Commend UK has upgraded its visualisation software, ComWIN. It provides the front end to security and communications systems, allowing operators to remain informed and in charge of events, so they can react to an emergency. Commend UK will demonstrate the new ComWIN at IFSEC in May, on stand F53 in Hall 4.
Rory Martin, ComWIN Development Specialist for Commend UK, says: “It is imperative that operators feel in control, particularly in an emergency situation when the speed and timeliness of a response is critical. As such, the ComWIN front end is custom designed and supports all aspects of the security and communications controls they are responsible for.”
Rory says that the new version ComWIN has largely come about in response to customers: “As each installation of the software is bespoke we often get a good understanding of how people want to use it and the controls that are most beneficial. This is why we have developed further features such as integrated video and greater animation to give them exactly what they want.”
An intuitive user interface can be custom designed to integrate the customer’s specific plans including area, overview, construction and elevation plans to replicate the site and provide an overview of the area protected. Individually definable icons are used for marking and identification of situations and incidents, and these icons can be freely positioned on the plan and moved as needed. Incidents can be colour coded for priority, and they can even be programmed to flash or generate noise to focus the operator’s attention.
Control desk functions on the intercom server are displayed on one or more monitors with windows showing operators details of events on-screen as they happen, as an overview of the ComWIN system.
The software interfaces with all outputs including gates, doors, lighting and heating, as well as supporting the integration of cameras to give the operator a picture of events on site. The software also enables automation of various functions usually undertaken by the operator like the locking/unlocking of gates, a lift check, and the activation/deactivation of alarms. They can be pre-scheduled to reduce the workload of the operator and allow them to concentrate on other tasks and deal with emergencies more effectively.
ComWIN’s report function has been developed to help managers, adds Rory: “We’ve streamlined the reporting and in doing so made it more meaningful, detailing what happened, when and where the event happened and what action was taken by the operator. All activities are logged to provide a full audit for reference after the incident,” he says.
