Interview with Dr. Andreas Anton Bloom

The latest generation of products from Interflex is called eVayo. Main products, among others, are the IF-800 online ­access control terminal, the IF-5735 time ­recorder as well as eVAYO Office, an electronic lock system for offline access control. The company places great importance on the interaction ­between staff assignment, security and attendance recording. GIT SECURITY spoke about these with Dr. Andreas Anton Bloom, Senior Product Manager at Interflex.

GIT SECURITY.com: Mr Bloom, Interflex belongs to the Allegion concern since the end of 2013 and no longer to Ingersoll Rand. What effect has this had on the Interflex product strategy and on product development?

Dr. Andreas Anton Bloom: The former Security Solutions division of Ingersoll Rand has been spun off to an independent company called Allegion. Interflex is embedded in a large concern and part of the Allegion family, just as before, and can benefit from its developments and connections worldwide. Allegion places great importance on strong brands and regional expertise so that we have the chance to specifically address the needs of our markets, but also to achieve our ambitious growth targets through our global presence. This applies not only to product developments but also to sales activities.

Among the most recent product introductions of your company is the eVayo range of terminals. You describe them as a ‚symbiotic' system - what does that mean exactly and what are the benefits of that?

Dr. Andreas Anton Bloom: The eVayo range of products has been conceived from the beginning as a family consisting of hardware and software applications that are optimally matched to one another aesthetically and functionally. Whether using access control hardware or a time control application, the user will always encounter the same graphical user interface. We will be expanding the family further in 2015 and provide additional solutions with software modules, such as eVayo Mobile or eVayo Time, for example. This universal concept of matching components is what differentiates the solution from others.

What new aspects does the new product range bring generally and how does it differ from competitive systems?

Dr. Andreas Anton Bloom: For example, we have introduced integrated data transmission via WLAN into the hardware of the new eVayo series. This provides our customers with increased flexibility, in particular within existing buildings when substantial building works are either to be avoided or are not possible. This also makes temporary attendance recording possible, for example at an employees meeting in a rented hall, without further work. In addition, we have further differentiated our products and with our terminals we can now more closely meet the needs and wishes of our customers.

The range includes the IF-800 online access control terminal. What is new about it and what are its particular advantages?

Dr. Andreas Anton Bloom: The IF-800 online access control terminal was the first product in the new eVayo family and, as well as providing the usual functionality, it provides intuitive operation above all with its new lighting concept and the character-defining ring. Apart from that, we have equipped the terminal with new functions, such as a power-saving mode and also security functions (secure mode).

The eVayo system also includes time recording, and the Interflex App eVayo Mobile ­belongs to this. Could you tell us about it?

Dr. Andreas Anton Bloom: We have already provided our customers and their employees the opportunity to operate their time recording system via a web interface in the past, independently of the installed hardware. We have consistently pursued this line of thought and provide the same ease of operation as with apps on a smart phone. Apart from just simple arriving / leaving recording, this also involves more complex time management matters such as displaying time accounts or correcting them. The app has been created with responsive design and automatically adapts to the terminal currently being used, regardless of whether this is a smart phone, a tablet or a fixed PC with a large screen.

You clock in then with your own smart phone - on the lines of ‚bring your own device'. How do you view the much discussed security risks involved with this and the subject of potentially making IT infrastructure more complicated?

Dr. Andreas Anton Bloom: Of course, such an application has to fit in with the general security policy of a company. We at Interflex are not going our own way here but are instead blending in with the common mobile device management of the organization. As the number of applications for smart phones that are relevant to companies is on the increase, it wouldn't make any sense here to work out a separate security strategy for each application.

You have been using integrated cameras in your time and attendance recording system for some time with the aim of preventing fraud through cards being passed on etc. How has that been accepted in the market?

Dr. Andreas Anton Bloom: We will be able to make the device available to our customers during Summer. The initial feedback that we could gather at the Security trade fair was very positive. In particular our international customers have expressed great interest. Instead of applying elaborate biometric systems with their own enrollment and complicated transactions - together with the associated costs - the camera provides the simple and flexible option to follow up on suspected cases of so-called Buddy Punching.

How does that work in your system exactly?

Dr. Andreas Anton Bloom: A camera is built into the time recording terminal that takes a photo of the user each time a time recording transaction is made and transmits it to our software. The image is stored there together with the transaction. If there is suspicion of fraud by an employee, the recorded events and the images can be viewed, under compliance with data protection rules and possibly applicable labor agreements.

What other new things are coming from ­Interflex in the mid term?

Dr. Andreas Anton Bloom: We will be continuing to extend our software. Aside from integration, one main point will be simplifying the use of the systems. With eVayo Works we will be making user-specific user interfaces available during the year. These will then show only the functions that the employee actually needs, depending on his role within the company. This will prevent incorrect operation and reduce the amount of training for employees to an absolute minimum. And these new interfaces will of course also be available as apps. And there is something big going on in the engine room too. The new generation of software will allow us to continue to provide modern and reliable solutions for access control, time management and personnel allocation. We can make functions available in a modular way, according to the needs of the users. Interflex is working continuously on the development of intelligent, complete solutions that allow our customers to concentrate on their core business.