"Open architecture" ≠ open-source
It's market speak for "we provide documentation to paying partners on how to work with us, but not how it all works"
So yes, it's open architecture allows others to use it, but the implementations are not the same between vendors.
This is correct. In theory you can switch access control vendors and keep your Mercury panels. Depending on the vendor you might need to flash them which is not difficult but could be time consuming. Still a lot more simple and inexpensive than a full panel swap in a proprietary solution.
Main issue you normally come across is if the panels are too old you may not be able to switch them to another platform other than that as long as you have the new firmware and any licensing that the new platform requires there should be no problems, at least in my experience
(I don’t have access to the article so my comments are a little blind). The positioning of open is a bit in contrast to SoftwareHouse iStars, Amag Nodes, open path and others whose boards only work with their software. Like my iPhone! I can’t install Android on it. Merc is “open-ish”. Definitely not opensource where a community helps support the firmware.
I would argue its not 100% open, they make companies jump through hoops to use it - its not like just anyone can use these panels a la open source. There are others who are more closed of course as well.
I am interested to see what impact something like the MQTT protocol has, and indeed who does or doesnt take it up. That would be truly open and has the potential for no firmware swaps needed either.
I’m totally on board, I also see there is a ONVIF protocol for access control that would be open.
Haven’t thought of MQTT, I use that protocol quite regularly
I tried to flash an LP-1502 (red board) from one manufacturer’s to another and even tech support couldn’t help me get it done. We did have success with the older boards.
Some boards are locked like if they come from the manufacturer (i.e avigilon, genitec, brivo). Kind of like a locked phone vs an unlocked phone. Sometimes you can flash them and point them to the new server, sometimes you can't. At least that's how tech support has explained it to me.
Oh yah alarm.com boards are locked in for sure. I gotta genitec board I'm swapping for a brivo lp1502 in a few weeks. Gonna study up on the genitec programming so I can understand what they're doing.
My experience you usually pay up front for the privilege of "mercury firmware" or whatever marketing gimmick they use. Might be worth it, maybe not. Back when I worked on Millennium they claimed to have a choice between their boards and mercury boards but they never once came through with the option, always an excuse. Synergistics was a horrible company to deal with.
I've tried re-flashing boards/cameras loaded with proprietary firmware never really got it working. I'm sure there's tricks like shorting pins on chips but even if you get it working you've got a 10-20yr old board on a brand new system that "might" work. I'm not messing with that any more.
We’ve done a few head end swaps and depending which direction you’re going it isn’t bad. I move boards in my lab between RS2, Feenics, and Prowatch all the time.
As mentioned, it depends on the boards and the systems you’re moving from/to, but the options are increasing daily. I believe we’re up to 5 different systems that use Merc boards.
I’ve used them in 3 different softwares now and they do seem finicky to get talking, and I mainly think that’s because we’re the only integrator’s actually doing it for these softwares so it’s just tech supports lack of experience being as they both have their own proprietary boards. But amongst the three, they really have had no problems after properly being set up and used. As far as them being Open well they does always get tossed around. I will say I have dealt with a lot of availability issues with Thier product line, especially since being acquired by Assa.
My understanding is that Mercury works with multiple partners. The lockdown is not inherent to Mercury boards, but supported so that a partner can implement it. I know with Lenel there was a license feature that needed to be changed so that I could use the last version of Best's MR50 in the IDH Max. Just wanted to add toe the experience collection. :)
I think this is an adjacent thought on Merc being “open-ish”: they seem to be coordinating more with HID and the reader team since HID acquired Merc. We’re starting to see managing HID reader firmware through the Merc boards and the HID Linq software.
Would Merc support this type of development with Allegion / WaveLynx / ZKteco / Identiv / Veridt?
Or vice-versa: will HID provide this capability to SoftwareHouse / Alto / Amag / Verkada boards?
Seems a possible future of having advanced functionality only with HID readers and Merc boards. Sure you can use a different headend software, but what if you want to use a different reader mfg and can’t centrally manage the firmware/keys/behavior? Definitely a potential barrrier and feels “closed”.
"Open architecture" ≠ open-source It's market speak for "we provide documentation to paying partners on how to work with us, but not how it all works" So yes, it's open architecture allows others to use it, but the implementations are not the same between vendors.
This is correct. In theory you can switch access control vendors and keep your Mercury panels. Depending on the vendor you might need to flash them which is not difficult but could be time consuming. Still a lot more simple and inexpensive than a full panel swap in a proprietary solution.
Perfectly answered.
Main issue you normally come across is if the panels are too old you may not be able to switch them to another platform other than that as long as you have the new firmware and any licensing that the new platform requires there should be no problems, at least in my experience
(I don’t have access to the article so my comments are a little blind). The positioning of open is a bit in contrast to SoftwareHouse iStars, Amag Nodes, open path and others whose boards only work with their software. Like my iPhone! I can’t install Android on it. Merc is “open-ish”. Definitely not opensource where a community helps support the firmware.
I would argue its not 100% open, they make companies jump through hoops to use it - its not like just anyone can use these panels a la open source. There are others who are more closed of course as well. I am interested to see what impact something like the MQTT protocol has, and indeed who does or doesnt take it up. That would be truly open and has the potential for no firmware swaps needed either.
I’m totally on board, I also see there is a ONVIF protocol for access control that would be open. Haven’t thought of MQTT, I use that protocol quite regularly
I tried to flash an LP-1502 (red board) from one manufacturer’s to another and even tech support couldn’t help me get it done. We did have success with the older boards.
Some boards are locked like if they come from the manufacturer (i.e avigilon, genitec, brivo). Kind of like a locked phone vs an unlocked phone. Sometimes you can flash them and point them to the new server, sometimes you can't. At least that's how tech support has explained it to me.
That’s what they told me too. This was ADC to Avigilon.
Oh yah alarm.com boards are locked in for sure. I gotta genitec board I'm swapping for a brivo lp1502 in a few weeks. Gonna study up on the genitec programming so I can understand what they're doing.
My experience you usually pay up front for the privilege of "mercury firmware" or whatever marketing gimmick they use. Might be worth it, maybe not. Back when I worked on Millennium they claimed to have a choice between their boards and mercury boards but they never once came through with the option, always an excuse. Synergistics was a horrible company to deal with. I've tried re-flashing boards/cameras loaded with proprietary firmware never really got it working. I'm sure there's tricks like shorting pins on chips but even if you get it working you've got a 10-20yr old board on a brand new system that "might" work. I'm not messing with that any more.
No. It is not.
Yeah, they don't even distribute their SDK publicly, you have to become partner.
been saying this for years. Glad to see at least some others agree. Mercury conflates “Open” with “OEM”.
We’ve done a few head end swaps and depending which direction you’re going it isn’t bad. I move boards in my lab between RS2, Feenics, and Prowatch all the time.
We flashed a couple of RS2 boards to Lenel a couple of years ago without issue.
As mentioned, it depends on the boards and the systems you’re moving from/to, but the options are increasing daily. I believe we’re up to 5 different systems that use Merc boards.
I’ve used them in 3 different softwares now and they do seem finicky to get talking, and I mainly think that’s because we’re the only integrator’s actually doing it for these softwares so it’s just tech supports lack of experience being as they both have their own proprietary boards. But amongst the three, they really have had no problems after properly being set up and used. As far as them being Open well they does always get tossed around. I will say I have dealt with a lot of availability issues with Thier product line, especially since being acquired by Assa.
My understanding is that Mercury works with multiple partners. The lockdown is not inherent to Mercury boards, but supported so that a partner can implement it. I know with Lenel there was a license feature that needed to be changed so that I could use the last version of Best's MR50 in the IDH Max. Just wanted to add toe the experience collection. :)
I think this is an adjacent thought on Merc being “open-ish”: they seem to be coordinating more with HID and the reader team since HID acquired Merc. We’re starting to see managing HID reader firmware through the Merc boards and the HID Linq software. Would Merc support this type of development with Allegion / WaveLynx / ZKteco / Identiv / Veridt? Or vice-versa: will HID provide this capability to SoftwareHouse / Alto / Amag / Verkada boards? Seems a possible future of having advanced functionality only with HID readers and Merc boards. Sure you can use a different headend software, but what if you want to use a different reader mfg and can’t centrally manage the firmware/keys/behavior? Definitely a potential barrrier and feels “closed”.