Acre Security has released Omnis 7.5 alongside a new REST API, expanding the integration capabilities and scale of its established on-premise security platform.
Omnis combines access control, intrusion and fire detection within a single environment. The new REST interface allows external applications to communicate with the platform through commonly used web-based integration methods, potentially making it easier to connect security functions with other enterprise systems.
The REST API can provide information on available doors, alarm groups and control channels as well as their individual status. External applications can also issue defined commands, including opening and closing doors, setting or unsetting alarm groups and controlling configured channels.
Scale increases across Omnis
Acre has also increased the maximum number of TCP/IP connections supported by Omnis from 700 to 1,000. The number of geographical areas has similarly risen from 200 to 1,000, enabling each connection to be assigned its own area where required.
Performance changes are particularly relevant for larger deployments.
According to Acre’s release documentation, loading a door control window containing between 1,400 and 4,000 doors has been reduced from approximately 33 seconds to around two seconds. Loading an alarm control window containing more than 1,000 alarm groups has fallen from approximately 150 seconds to around 10 seconds.
The company has also introduced PDF support for alarm graphic underlays, improved connection status information and added silent installation capabilities for organisations deploying multiple clients.
On-premise platforms continue to evolve
Cybersecurity has also formed part of the update. Acre reports that several vulnerabilities relating to optional Java components have been addressed by replacing remaining Log4j components with Reload4j 1.2.26. RapidJSON components within the Omnis Discovery Tool have also been updated to address a documented vulnerability.
For security buyers, the release is notable because much of the security industry’s current development conversation is centred on cloud migration.
Large on-premise estates are not disappearing, particularly within critical infrastructure, government and other environments where organisations may have established infrastructure or specific requirements around system ownership and deployment.
APIs provide one route for those environments to become more connected without requiring immediate platform replacement. Security teams can retain an established core system while allowing approved external applications to interact with selected functions.
The challenge is ensuring that increased openness does not undermine security. API permissions, authentication, network architecture and command privileges consequently need to form part of the integration design.
Omnis 7.5 demonstrates that modernisation does not necessarily require replacing an on-premise platform with a cloud service. For some buyers, extending an existing system through stronger integrations, improved performance and maintained cybersecurity may be the more practical route.
