Lenel Access Control Company Profile

Author: Brian Rhodes, Published on Feb 23, 2016

In our 10th access company profile, we examine Lenel OnGuard access control platform:

  • Comparing Lenel to their competition
  • Examining their management and client software
  • Reviewing their product and support costs
  • Covering their hardware and wireless support
  • Explaining their video integration
  • Detailing competitive weaknesses

Lenel OnGuard Tested

For more granular detail and a full test of OnGuard, see our Lenel OnGuard Test report. Inside that report, we include screencasts and commentary on more than a dozen key OnGuard features.

Profile

OnGuard is Lenel's flagship access product, sold and supported by a global dealer channel. OnGuard's advanced features and substantial integrations are typically sold to larger, high security customers who want to integrate access with other systems, especially in manned security operations.

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Management ********

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Clients *****

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Comments (9)

Undisclosed Integrator #1

02/23/16 09:33pm
Very limited dealer openings in the UK. We looked at this and got a polite email basically telling us not to bother as they had all their dealers! Needless to say I haven't got much time for them..
Thumbnail marty2016

Marty Calhoun

IPVMU Certified | 02/23/16 11:59pm

Don't waste your time on it. Too many excellent manufacturers out there that use the same media credentials, muster the same history reports, and offer 'reasonable priced' software or even free and warranty products even longer.

98% of customers never ask for all the bells and whistles LENEL touts as 'being top of the line'.

Ask your next access control customer what do they expect and you will agree.

Sorry LENEL but your product and 'high fluting attitude' is simply OLD HAT in 2016.

Undisclosed End User #2

02/24/16 01:57pm

Main reason they do well in the higher end market is they are about the only one, if not the only one, that makes moving from Picture Perfect relatively easy. Don't need to run new wire to each door to run the REX and to monitor held open/forced open. Something about the number of wires used in Picture Perfect being less than what the normal system would need at the door if I recall.

So OnGuard basically can do everything Picture Perfect can do with the same amount of wires. That was huge for us. After looking at pretty much everything that is out there and having them almost all say "Oh yeah, we can do that migration from Picture Perfect no problem!" It turns out that was not true for anyone except Lenel and (I think) one other. Well unless, "no problem" means running additional wire to every door. That is not what "no problem" meant to me.....

We had so many brands pitch us and then when it got down to the nitty gritty it ended up being we would either need to run more wire or have additional power supplies by the door. Our access control guy knows much more about this than I do though so I will have him comment here and may end up deleting all of this!

Undisclosed Integrator #3

In reply to Undisclosed End User #2 | 02/24/16 02:41pm

This would be consistent with anybody that codes to the Mercury M5 bridge or similar product (Lenel being far from the only one).

http://www.mercury-security.com/controllers.html#m5

http://www.mercury-security.com/partners.html#platinumelite

We carry more than one line and perform "screwdriverless" conversions from Casi/GE/Picture Perfect all of the time.

Thumbnail pp 5

Brian Rhodes

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #3 | 02/24/16 02:53pm

Is the 'extra wire' on account of Casi's F/2F protocol reader wiring in lieu of using Wiegand?

F/2F: 3 wires; GND, TR-, TR+

Wiegand: 4 wires; GND, PWR+, Data0, Data1

Undisclosed End User #2

In reply to Brian Rhodes | 02/24/16 04:01pm

Correct, but seems like there was more to it too. I will have our access control guy jump on and provide more detail. Again I recall numerous folks saying they could o it, but it always ended up with more wire on top of any of the Mercury panels.

Undisclosed Integrator #3

02/24/16 03:24pm

The big difference is that F2F carries contact, REX, and reader data. Weigand is just reader data. That said, Mercury has had the ability to communicate over F2F long before they came out with the M5 bridge.

Vasiles Kiosses

02/26/16 12:54pm

So do these comments come from how many boxes I can sell to as many small users as possible, or does it also consider how well the product works for small, medium and large scale companies. Its not just the end point bells and whistles that make the grade. Scale and type of deployment have a say as well.

Undisclosed Integrator #4

02/26/16 02:20pm

I just spoke with an end user that switched from Lenel OnGuard to Honeywell Pro-Watch within 2 years and he said that he preferred the OnGuard platform. He is someone that works works with the Access Control system on a daily basis, but I don't think has any budgetary control. He felt that "just adding in a door is way easier" in OnGuard.

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