FingerTec News  05/06/2017
TimeTec Innovations
Progressing through Technologies
 
“Innovation has nothing to do with how many R&D dollars you have. When Apple came up with the Mac, IBM was spending at least 100 times more on R&D. It's not about money. It's about the people you have, how you're led, and how much you get it” - Steve Jobs.

TimeTec progresses leaps and bounds by tapping on the readily available technologies to build better systems, to create better products and to provide better convenience to our staff and customers alike. Over the period of close to two decades, the Group has came up with various advantageous innovations, and we continuously strive to offer more innovations to elevate the way we perceive and manage the world we live in.

 
Internet Ecology, Breaking Boundaries
TimeTec started building the Company’s Internet ecology around 12 years ago since 2005. It begun with a question, why do we use conventional method if we can do it through the Internet? It eventually brought our operational activities such as, sales and marketing, 24/7/365 technical support, warranty, training, and etc. to more than 150 countries; without having any physical sales and service offices abroad. It is built with the integration of our backend system and the front end websites; from Accounting System, Inventory Control, Administration module, HR system, Salesforce CRM, and other subsystems; we produce an abundance of useful and accessible online contents and resources for the benefits of our resellers and end users worldwide. This Internet Ecology is indeed our leaping platform to start on a new business venture offering Cloud solutions for workforce management and security industries based on the Software as a Service (SaaS) business model.
 
Cloud Ecology, Holistic Automation
On top of focusing on cloud application developments, TimeTec also channels the resources to build our Cloud Ecology as the supporting back end system. It is an extension initiative from our Internet Ecology with deployment of Big Data and artificial intelligence technology, and with an apparent objective to better support our subscription-based Cloud businesses at the global level. Our Cloud Ecology further integrates and enhances our system to achieve better automation and security; such as the inclusion of new modules of auto-payment and billing, reseller management, auto-mailer, data-mapping, cross-platform single sign-on for multiple cloud applications and many more. The initiative will guide customers to an easier adoption of TimeTec Cloud solutions, and smoothen the business transactions between the Company and the resellers.
 
TimeTec Cloud Solutions
 
 
Cloudtrack, Tracking Device Record
 
In 2012, TimeTec launched CloudTrack, a cloud platform that contains every sold FingerTec device’s ‘medical record’. It all started with this simple idea; that everybody has a medical record for doctors to issue the right prescription in time of need. If the same practice is applied to the machines, the troubleshooting process could be made simpler. CloudTrack houses all the records starting from the date of production i.e model, serial number, firmware version, core board and MCU version, and etc. is uploaded for easy reference. Resellers who bought FingerTec devices are given the rights to access the records, they are encouraged to continue the trail by filling up where and to whom the device had finally gone to, and enrich the data whenever they provide technical support to a particular device. As a result, the Company managed to extend FingerTec products’ warranty period to three years.
 
FingerTec Cloud Centre, Power Up IoT Capability
 
 
FCC is a web platform that stores all FingerTec terminals' information and data securely on a cloud server. It was introduced in 2016 as part of our efforts to promote the adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology in the Biometrics industry. FingerTec terminals had been embedded with IoT capability Push Technology since 2013, but the concept has not been widely accepted by the customers because the ‘plug and play’ cloud server and application to receive, store and send the raw data to be processed in different software generated from the terminals was not available. The FCC was intuitively designed to centralize all data from different terminals, helping organizations with multiple branches and outlets to have basics real-time update of their employees’ time and attendance or door access information, improving workforce management. The FCC also works as a conduit for customers to migrate their system and embrace our interactive and collaborative subscription-based TimeTec cloud system.
 
BYOD Clocking Options on Smartphones
Since 2000, FingerTec has been used as a clocking device to eradicate the buddy-punching problem faced by various sectors in workforce management, and other door access problems faced by the security industry. In 2016, we took on the Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) concept to turn the ubiquitous smartphones to a clocking device for time and attendance by deploying the NFC and Bluetooth communication technology with NFC tags and Beacons. In addition, we also make use of the built-in GPS technology in smartphones for mobile clocking for the mobile workforce. The innovative clocking method was also adopted in our latest debut; the cloud-based TimeTec Patrol, a guard tour management solution for the security industry.
 
 
i-Neighbour, Using QR Code for Visitor Management
In many residences, visitors have to wait in long queue to register and sign the visitor book manually at the reception. Although this kind of visitor enrolment method is perceived as easy, it does not secure visitor information and anyone who is using the logbook can access the visitor data easily. In today’s security conscious environments, it is important for residence management to manage and track their visitors without sacrificing the security of visitor information. In early 2017, TimeTec introduced the revolutionary i-Neighbour cloud-based residential & visitor management system by just simple scanning of QR codes. It provides a more professional and user-friendly interface for visitor to pre-register, protect visitors’ information, and ease the process of collecting and auditing visitor data. i-Neighbour also helps the management to keep watching on every visitors who enter and exit their premises and manage visitor traffic in their buildings. i-Neighbour caters for different role functions such as administrators, residents, visitors and security officers, with the respective web interface in both PC and Mobile App, for Android and iOS devices. I-Neighbour is loaded with many features to facilitate the management of gated and guarded properties. i-Neighbour can easily replace the conventional intercom system, and it has the tendency to save multimillion dollars for new housing development projects in the near future.
 

    
 
TimeTec Patrol, Mobile Patrolling for Better Security
Guard patrol system positions guards on specific patrol routes to surveil companies and organizations' assets and environment within the given time intervals, ensuring the security of the surrounding at all times. The most common guard patrol system uses handheld devices or better known as tour wand to perform tour rounds and the reports of the patrol rounds retrieval post-tour only. TimeTec Patrol incorporates iOT devices, smartphone and cloud technology to offer the industry with a more effective guard patrol system to date. Using TimeTec Patrol, security firms and their clients can monitor the activities of the patrol guards in real time, leaving little room for disobedience or straying from the actual duty. Each guard will be given a tool i.e a smartphone installed with a patrol App and he has to perform his round by tapping on the NFC tags scattered along his assigned route. During a guard's patrol duty, he can receive additional tasks from the control room; send notes and photos to report any incidences he observes in real time. And, the mobile App is equipped with SOS feature to be used during emergencies. By using a cloud guard patrol system, security companies will be updated with the goings-on at all times with live feed, incident reports and detailed view of guards' activities from a reliable centralized system.
 
    
 
IoT for Smart Community, Connect Securely Effortlessly
Various existing IoT (Internet of Things) developments are centered around smart home security devices. IoT for home innovation and security allows people to control their locks, lights, radios, heaters, camera security and many more from their smartphone, enabling users to monitor the safety of their house from just about anywhere in the world. At TimeTec, in addition to smart security at the home level, we are moving many steps ahead to create smart security for the community level. TimeTec cloud solutions namely i-Neighbour for visitor and residential management and TimeTec VMS for visitor management for Office Tower can be integrated with IoT devices to achieve a smart and secure community. TimeTec offers advanced IoT hardware including TimeTec BLE-16 Lift Control Panel deploying Bluetooth technology for lift access management, Smart SK-911 Siren Kit for residents to use smartphone to trigger alarm system installed at the guardhouse during emergency, FingerTec H2b reader and ML-10B integrated with i-Neighbour allowing facility bookings and access for community’s facilities, and TimeTec Smart Alarm for individual smart home alarm system and be integrated with Siren Kit at the guardhouse and many more.
 

SMART LIFT

SMART SIREN KIT

SMART READER H2B

SMART LOCK
 
Panic Button, Save Life and Secure Property
When you were in an emergency, who would you call? It very much depends on a situation. When you are at home, you might want to alert the guards, your neighbours, or your family members all at once. But when you are outside your home, colleagues and friends might be on your priority list. This Panic button feature is built across multiple TimeTec Apps with some dissimilarities between the Apps based on the App's' nature. We built our first Panic Button feature on TimeTec Patrol App in 2016. It is designed for security guards on patrol duty to trigger and alert their peers and supervisor for immediate help when under duress. It was later modified and transferred to i-Neighbour App in 2017, allowing users to add their emergency contact list on top of the default guardhouse contact in a gated and guarded community. It was then modified and moved again to TimeTec consolidated IoT security devices’ App, TimeTec Security App for TimeTec Alarm and TimeTec EpiCamera to integrate with the physical wireless home alarm, IP camera and the security alarm at the guardhouse. The feature is very much welcomed by the users and proven to be a useful mobile digital SOS push button on a smartphone, to save life and secure property during emergencies.
 
 
TimeTec will continue to do innovations to keep up with the fast moving technologies and serve our company and customers with the best possible solutions and strategies.
 
Overview of TimeTec