News

Failsafe features enable site security system to operate during power failure

Police warned thieves about putting the price of metal ahead of their safety when trying to steal metal from electrical or telephone cables. Officers in Kent have made eight arrests in a fortnight as police confirmed metal theft was becoming a serious issue in the county. Supt Adrian Futers reminded criminals that many cables were live. He said: “Due to the increasing price of metal in the world markets, we are aware that this is becoming a serious issue in Kent.” Beginning with the control of a single door, a Tensor Access Control system can expand upwards to create a large access control network covering a single building or multiple sites. Alternatively, Tensor’s system can remain small granting access to predefined secure areas of your premises. The security system includes real-time monitoring of doors left open, diagrammatically illustrated on an overlay plan of your actual site. In addition, it comes complete with advanced fail-safe features enabling your system to operate even during power failure or in an emergency situation.  
News

London Green500 Approval for Tensor

HeatingSave and its parent company Tensor plc have been appointed as approved suppliers to the London Green500 scheme that aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 1.5 million tonnes by 2010 – the equivalent to a saving of around £150 million in energy bills. The scheme provides London’s businesses with practical advice and support on how to reduce their carbon emissions. Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, launched the London Green500 scheme saying that the current economic crisis was the right time to implement the campaign as a lot of money could be saved if businesses became more energy efficient. “In lean economic times, there are real financial savings to be made for businesses by becoming more energy efficient, helping them to remain competitive. This can often be done in really simple and cheap ways, and it is our job in City Hall to rally, support and publicly recognise organisations that want to do so“, said Johnson. HeatingSave’s intelligent heating and boiler management system is well placed to make a dent in the £150 million spend, already making a good start, for example, by reducing the fuel consumption of the Sea Cadets head office in Lambeth Road by over 50%. The HeatingSave computerised controller does this by learning a buildings “heat loss profile” and then applies this to its internal heat loss algorithm to use the least amount of energy to heat or cool a building. Other advanced techniques such as boiler load optimisation, dry cycling prevention, automatic occupancy detection, intelligent frost protection, outside temperature compensation and variable temperature patterning are employed; all linked back to a PC software package that no only shows graphs and statistics of the savings made, but also calculates the kWh usage and CO2 emissions produced on a daily basis. Typical cash savings are between 25% to 30%+. “We are vey pleased with the Green500 approval” said Matt Ellwood of HeatingSave, “this was only given after a full technical review by the London Development Agency of the HeatingSave system and examination of our other business credentials and accreditations“. Matt Ellwood further added “HeatingSave is being used by both public and private organisations to reduce their energy bills and can make a significant reduction in London’s CO2 emissions“. HeatingSave is already Government approved to make savings by the Carbon Trust, DEFRA and the Energy Savings Trust. Green 500
News

NEW: The T3240BK

Housed in a stainless steel case, the rugged T3240BK can operate in a variety harsh of conditions, providing excellent reliability throughout rain, storms and heavy use. This makes it ideal for almost all outdoor environments, allowing you can rest assured that Tensor’s reliability and standards of manufacture will not let you down. The T3240BK combines all of the features of the T32xx, however, it is specifically designed for the tough life of outdoor time and attendance systems. So if you need a system that can cope with virtually anything you can throw at it, look no further than the "all new" T3240BK.
News

Tensor at the 2010 Home Office Scientific Development Branch Exhibition

The Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) series of events is the most significant police and security equipment exhibition in the UK. It has a well established international reputation. HOSDB 2010 is closed to the general public with all exhibitors and visitors approved to participate beforehand. Exhibitors are all vetted in advance of participating by the Home Office and visitors have a strict criteria applied to establish their eligibility to attend. HOSDB and their annual equipment exhibition have been developed to reflect the greater responsibilities of the organisation in a changing security climate. The strict criteria maintains a high quality of visitor to the event so that exhibitors can rest-easy in the knowledge that they can display products which may be considered sensitive if public visitors were permitted access. HOSDB 2010 is owned by the Home Office Scientific Development Branch and organised at FIVE, Farnborough on their behalf by A|D|S Group. International delegations to the event were organised and coordinated by UKTI DSO. The exhibition visitor’s include departmental representatives from police forces around the UK and Europe and all emergency services and government departments such as the Home Office, prison, customs and immigration services, government security and MoD departments. Ashley Smith, CEO of Tensor plc, was on hand to present the latest Tensor access control and security equipment as used by British Police and other Governmental departments. He told the Tensor reporter, “HOSDB 2010 has given us and our customers, from the UK and abroad, an opportunity to discuss customer requirements within a confidential environment”. International Delegations also attended the event to review the “best of breed”  from the British security manufacturing industry.
News

Berkshire manufacturer Coca Cola controversy over sick days label

It claimed employee absence was costing the UK’s economy almost £12bn-a-year in lost working days, so when the wording on a Coca-Cola branded drinks said "If you’ve had to use sick days because you’ve actually been sick, then you’re seriously missing out." It was bound to cause some controversy. The Glaceau Vitamin Water advert, which angered the Forum of Private Business, continued: "The trick is to stay perky and use sick days to just, not go in."   Coca-Cola, – which has head and regional offices based in Uxbridge and Slough – said the advert was in no way meant as a serious recommendation. Timely arrival of employees for work is important for most employers, so if clocking in and out is important to you as an employer in the capital, and you need to keep on top of the matter of workers’ unauthorised sick days, the recent furore over Coca-Cola’s advertising campaign might make you think its about time you had a more user friendly method of registering employees hours.  The good news if that a  time and attendance and monitoring system from Tensor using its famous smart cards is available at a very low price, starting from only £1,495 plus VAT. This system can manage all your attendance (and absence) reporting. The smart cards allow employees take to using the system very quickly, good when using new technology. It includes a simple PC software package for monitoring working patterns, overtime, and job costing.
News

Better public toilets and how to finance them

The British Toilet Association (BTA) campaigns for better public toilets for all. The BTA says: "Our mission is to represent the interest and aspirations of ‘away from home’ toilet providers, suppliers and users of all types and to act as the catalyst for change in the pursuit of standards of excellence in all areas of public toilet provision and management.” The BTA ‘mission statement’ says that:  Britain’s public toilets were once the envy of the world In recent years, significant number of public toilets have been closed down We need more and better toilets Let’s stop the rot Some providers of public toilets such as the W12 shopping complex in west London have installed toilet turnstiles to help defray the costs of providing public conveniences to those using their shops. The advantage of coin operated system supplied and installed by Tensor plc is that it is not only an income stream but also a better method of providing security at the same time. The BTA have produced a video about the thousands of hidden dangers in Britain’s washrooms. Log onto the web address www.britloos.co.uk to see it for yourself.
News

Tensor Club Personnel scores by computerising your sports club’s records

Are the manual personnel records for your sports club making your clubhouse or changing room bulge at the seams? As a former football and cricket official myself, I know how difficult it is to keep tabs of the squad. Who’s available, are they injured, what is their contact number, have they paid their weekly subs? Then Tensor Club Personnel scores a hat-trick – a simple-to-use and inexpensive way to computerise the existing manual personnel records for your sports club. With its comprehensive reporting on all personnel data, especially injuries, treatments and medicals, it handles a lot more than just storing personnel records. Tensor Club Personnel includes a user-friendly screen designer, enabling you to add additional tabs of data to existing screens so that you can create your own new screen layouts and data structures. This enables you to log vital information about player injuries, treatments and medicals as well as other criteria for complete personnel record monitoring. Club Personnel can handle all sizes of clubs and associations depending on the number of personnel records required to be held. To start with, you can install the "Small Business" version, which is designed for teams and organisations wanting to store up to 50 personnel records. It operates on a single PC and with a price tag of just £160, it is excellent value for money.
News

How Tensor’s Time and Attendance helps beat pupil truancy

Tensor is helping pupils gain better attendance records at schools and beat truancy through its Time and Attendance technology. It is vital that children do not miss school, plus it is the legal duty as parents or guardians to ensure the regular and punctual attendance of their children at school. But partnering Tensor has made life easier for parents, teachers and pupils. Tensor’s Time and Attendance systems, incorporating Smart Cards, Key Fobs, or Fingerprint Biometrics, are suitable for any organisations, including schools. A product like WinTA handles all your Time & Attendance and security and software needs in one integrated security management System. It is so important to monitor pupils’ attendance. The time you have to prepare your child for his or her future is very important. Each year, there are just 190 statutory school days. If your child were to miss one day a week for their whole time at school, they would miss the equivalent of two years’ school! That would be like not starting school until you were 7 or leaving at 14. Tensor, whose equipment provides the fastest and safest method of recording attendance, have already installed systems in schools. For example, Holywell Middle School, based near Cranfield in Bedfordshire, educates pupils aged from 9 to 13 years old and needed to be able to account for staff as accurately as for the pupils. Schools are impressed by Tensor because elements like its Fire Roll Call can be integrated into the Attendance Monitoring system.
News

CCTV is the answer to police budget cuts

The 2010 general election followed by the likely period of hard decision making for the next government means tough decisions on spending cuts in order to tackle the massive national debt caused by excessive government spending and the bank bale-outs. All parties say they will not reduce police numbers but many police forces are already taking measures for the cuts to come. Like other public sector services the of members of the constabulary and their business managers are looking at ways of still providing public protection whilst cutting costs. West Midlands Police for example have streamlined and reorganised their back office systems to be more efficient and cut costs. Part of this includes installing a new Time & Attendance and Access Control system so that they know where officers and other resources are and where they can be deployed. Unlike almost all public sector IT systems, this one appears to have gone in on time and on budget! Business also need to form a greater partnership with the police and take their own proven measures to prevent themselves from being victims of crime. An integrated security system that combines the functions of CCTV, Access Control and Attendance Monitoring is a good start. Here, video clips digital CCTV cameras are tagged against attendance and access control time & date stamped transactions to provide an instant integrated security system that enables businesses to simply manage the 1st level of security themselves. Tensor plc designs, manufactures, installs and an perennially maintains CCTV and integrated security systems for industrial, commercial, and public sector sites across the UK. Our systems produce cost effective evidence quality CCTV and activity monitoring that is tailor-made to meet your requirements. Where we do not manufacture particular pieces of equipment, we used products manufactured by Panasonic, Samsung, Genie, Pelco, Dedicated Micros, Wavestore and many more. The BSIA (British Security Industry Association) has investigated the use of CCTV and access control systems within the public sector and says that the spending on CCTV and other security measures is worthwhile. They noted that CCTV images are frequently called upon in the criminal justice system to help secure prosecutions. Tensor PLC is a member of the BSIA so you can trust the reliability of our products and services. Security and surveillance CCTV and integrated security systems are available for indoor and outdoor environments – day and night.
News

Biometric fingerprint technology improves security at your business

Biometric systems prevent a clocking-in procedure being abused by employees or unauthorised people trying to gain access – remember, crime costs businesses £19billion annually according to the British Chambers of Commerce. Biometrics is the technique of studying the unique physical characteristics of a person such as your fingerprint, hand geometry, eye structure or voice pattern, as a way to provide irrefutable proof of identity. Tensor time and attendance or access control systems provide an effective "two-factor" security authorisation of an individual when fingerprint recognition is used in conjunction with a smart card. Because Tensor Biometric units read under the skin (sub-dermal) and not just under the surface of the finger, this form of I.D. is very difficult to defraud. The Tensor T32xx Biometric Clocking Unit is simply the best of its kind there is, being an all-in-one, affordable, IP enabled, Smart Card/Biometric Time & Attendance recording and security Access Control workstation; incorporating Job Booking, Job Costing, Labour Hours Analysis and Security Management including quality CCTV playback. Equipped with biometric fingerprint technology, GPS auto location, speech output, video and mobile phone support you can eliminate fraudulent clocking, and improve security at your business. The user friendly, multilingual GUI (Graphical User Interface) makes using the T32xx simple and effortless for all employees likely to use – a smart card can be read in under ¼ second even if it is covered in oil and grease – as well as keep out those not permitted to enter.  
News

CCTV leads to suspected burglar being caught

An inept gang who left sooty fingerprints in a house were caught on CCTV. A suspected teenage burglar had to be rescued by firemen from the roof of the house he had targeted, after two men believed to be his accomplices had jumped and escaped. The teenager was found clinging to the ridge of the home in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. A 14-year-old boy has been charged with burglary and will appear before magistrates next month. The property’s owner, Damiano Rea (who watched proceedings after catching the gang on CCTV), said that sooty handprints left on his walls after they tried to wrench out lead fittings should help lead to more arrests. Rea said: "I heard this strange noise. It was like there was something running across the roof – and it was no pigeon." There are many ways to deter or prevent intruders gaining access to your building. Smart card and biometric Time and Attendance, Visitor Monitoring and Access Control technologies from Tensor provide unrivalled site security for your residence or business. CCTV surveillance camera and recording systems are available, enabling you to further enhance security, from the No.1 UK installer and maintenance service provider of digital CCTV camera and recording surveillance systems, CCTV Surveillance Ltd. Being a member of the Tensor PLC group of security companies gives you piece of mind when you know you are dealing with an accredited, trustworthy and reliable company.  
News

Queen CCTV leak holds no fears for quality Tensor security products

A draft of the Queen's speech, which outlines what will happen in a new session of parliament, was leaked to newspapers, including plans to review the use of CCTV, among other reforms. The package is contained within a great repeals bill, also known as the freedom bill, to be introduced to Parliament before the summer recess. This bill, which will be steered by deputy prime minister and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, would also shut down children’s database ContactPoint, reduce the extent of the National DNA Database in England and Wales, and restrict the storage of internet records. The new session at Westminster is thought to last about 18 months, until late autumn 2011. Customers having doubts over the use of CCTV can be rest assured that Tensor is a company you can totally trust as it is accredited and committed to excellence. Not only are we the top supplier and installation contractor of digital CCTV systems in the UK, we are also unsurpassed in our commitment to offer first class user support and maintenance for all installed equipment and software. Because we install digital CCTV systems, image quality is so superior to outdated analogue footage. By providing cameras manufactured by the top suppliers you can be confident in your choices that we will deliver unrivalled service and image performance, as your surveillance set up will be made to order.

Let our experts design the right security system for you

Book a demo with Tensor plc today