Offline standard: needs are awakened

When electronic access control systems are expanded and updated, the same problem almost always comes to light: products from different manufacturers cannot be combined with each other and new products are not compatible with existing "old" products. Access control software is fundamentally proprietary, i.e. it is based on manufacturer-specific standards and allocation of access rights. The connection of online components is also proprietary, as is the integration of mechanical locking systems in some cases. Thus, it is not possible for an end user to make a real tender for extensions and additions to access systems. Once you have tied yourself to a manufacturer, you inevitably create a "single source dependency" and make yourself dependent. But why should only "greenfield" planned, completely newly built electronic access systems be eligible for tender in real terms? Why can't solutions from different providers be combined? The solution is called standardization. With the introduction of standards in the field of access systems, products from different manufacturers can be combined. In addition, product-neutral tenders for expansions are possible.

This is where the OSS Standard Offline (OSS-SO) comes in and provides an initial solution. The approach is to close the gap between online readers and the mechanical components with a standard for RFID-based offline badge readers. Initial experience even shows that the number of mechanical cylinders can be reduced. This is made possible because the offline components have an excellent price/performance ratio. The components are also powered by batteries and access the locking technology (the mortise lock) directly. This circumstance eliminates the need for complex and expensive wiring and expensive electrified locking technology. Experience also shows that battery lifetimes of up to two years are not uncommon.

The mode of operation

The offline standard according to OSS basically works in such a way that the medium transmits to the lock whether it is authorized or not ("access on card"). The storage capacity and programmability of today's RFID media are used for this purpose. With the help of an online update reader (often called an "updater"), the offline access rights for a site (a building, an area or a region) are written to the medium. When the RFID medium is now presented to the correct offline reader, the medium tells the reader that access is granted.

In addition, blacklist entries can be distributed to the offline readers via media. In return, parts of the access log and the reader's battery status can be delivered back to the updater from the offline reader via the users' media. If the access rights are now issued for a limited period of time (validation), it is ensured that the media regularly reaches the updater. This guarantees that all relevant information and data in the access system is kept up to date. In this way, security and convenience can be raised to almost the same level as with an online system, but at significantly lower cost. Further information on how this works can be found on the homepage of the OSS association (see under the web address www.oss-association.com).

Advantages of the offline standard

The offline standard has various advantages over online or proprietary offline systems:

1. The access rights are stored on the medium. This eliminates the need for time-consuming programming of the components on site.
2. The flexible standard opens up access management possibilities for the end user that can compete with most proprietary systems.
3. The medium is able to transport certain information from the offline reader to the networked updater. This eliminates the need to read out the components on site or expensive cabling of the components.
4. The products that support the offline standard are comparatively inexpensive. Procurement costs are reduced through standardization.
5. Manufacturers are provided with a blueprint on how it works, encryption and the data structure. This means that manufacturers have less work to do in software development. This and the competition in the bidding process also make the products more favorable for customers.
6. The offline standard is a real alternative to proprietary solutions, as products from different manufacturers can be combined. This enables easier implementation of migration projects with all their manifestations.

First experiences in practice

Initial experience with the offline standard according to OSS has basically been positive. Airbus has already installed around 2000 digital cylinders at the Hamburg site. Customer acceptance is very high, although the regular visit of the updater meant a culture change. In addition, users had to be trained in the use of the digital cylinders. It was not intuitively clear to everyone that after reading the RFID card on the cylinder's reader, a manual turning movement is still required to open or close the door. However, the advantages of the simple allocation of access rights, the low maintenance costs and the innovative approach itself are so highly appreciated by users that a rollout throughout Europe is currently being considered.

The Swiss Federal Railways are currently in the pilot phase and are working with hardware readers instead of digital cylinders. It is apparent here that the initial outlay for individual manufacturers is very high and that the functions of the management applications required for this are still proprietary. On the other hand, there is no need to instruct the users, as they already know how the hardware readers work. Here, too, the low maintenance costs and the simple distribution of changed access rights are convincing. Currently, the more than 60,000 active RFID media are equipped with the OSS segment. From 2020, the phased rollout of around 3500 offline readers is planned.

Various companies in the German-speaking region are testing, tendering, piloting or currently starting to roll out components. The people responsible in each case exchange information, benefit from each other's experience and support each other.

Conclusion

In general, the currently available version 1.1 of the offline standard according to OSS can be described as marketable. Of course, the manufacturers are still rather anxious to position their proprietary standard with the customer. The prioritization is currently noticeable in relatively long update cycles. The resellers are hardly familiar with OSS-SO. Accordingly, it is sometimes difficult to obtain support if there is no direct line to the manufacturer. In very few cases, promises made by the manufacturer were not kept.

The foundation stone for another vendor-neutral standard has been laid. Now it is up to the end users to give OSS-SO-capable products more weight in the manufacturers' portfolios. The more projects that are tendered with the OSS-SO standard, the more firmly it will be anchored. With each installed reader, resellers will have to become more familiar with it. Every demand for updates and further developments illustrates the need of the end users. The willingness to cooperate constructively creates new incentives and also gives the standard economic weight.

Initial successes have already been achieved with the development from version 1.0 to 1.1 within just one year. Projects, such as those of Airbus and SBB, provide practical experience from which both sides benefit. The standard is therefore well on the way to becoming truly established.

For more information on the subject of access control, interested parties can refer to the recently published special issue "Access Control".