XPressEntry Push to Talk

ONE DEVICE FOR SECURITY AND COMMUNICATION

XPressEntry Push to Talk adds real-time voice communication to the handheld readers guards already use for badge verification and emergency mustering. Guards and the security operations center (SOC) talk over shared channels on Wi-Fi or cellular, without a separate radio. Panic alerts, spoken-phrase alerts and searchable transcripts help security teams respond to incidents and review communications afterward.

• STREAMLINED FIELD OPERATIONS – Guards verify badges and talk to their team on the same XPressEntry handheld, so there is one less device to carry and charge.
• GUARD-TO-SOC COMMUNICATION – Guards and the security office share voice channels. SOC and global security operations center (GSOC) operators listen and respond from the XPressEntry Web Console.
• CENTRALIZED CHANNEL CONTROL – Administrators assign each handheld to a channel, and SOC operators can mute a handheld or remove it from the channel if needed.
• PANIC AND SPOKEN-PHRASE ALERTS – A panic button raises an alert in the Web Console, even on a busy channel, and chosen spoken phrases can also raise alerts.
• RECORDINGS AND SEARCHABLE TRANSCRIPTS – Optional recordings and transcripts save each transmission, and operators search the transcripts by keyword afterward.
• FLEXIBLE, ENCRYPTED DEPLOYMENT – Voice travels over Wi-Fi or cellular to a Media Server run on-premises or in the customer’s own cloud, encrypted in transit.

Push to Talk is part of XPressEntry, alongside mobile badge validation, emergency mustering and guard tours, and it launches with Live Streaming. Channels, recordings and alerts are managed in the same system and Web Console the security office uses every day.

Connect Guards and the Security Office

Guards speak to everyone on their channel by holding the on-screen Hold to Talk button or a programmable hardware key on supported devices. Connected handhelds on the channel hear the transmission, and so do SOC operators listening in the XPressEntry Web Console. Operators respond the same way, holding to talk from the Web Console to reach the whole channel.

Administrators assign each handheld to a channel and set it to “One at a time,” with one speaker at a time, or “Open,” where several guards can talk at once. SOC operators can mute a handheld or remove it from the channel until it is reassigned. A handheld joins a channel, or moves to another team, through an assignment in XPressEntry, with no radio programming.

Safety Alerts

A guard who needs help, including a guard working alone, presses an on-screen panic button in the XPressEntry app or holds a hardware key for two seconds, and an alert pops up in the XPressEntry Web Console. Spoken-phrase alerts work alongside it. Administrators choose phrases such as “need backup,” and when live captions are on and a guard says one, the Web Console logs an alarm with the transcript. Sites choose whether these alarms also pop up.

Recordings and Searchable Transcripts

When recording is enabled, each transmission is saved with the speaker, channel and time. Optional transcription shows speech as text in the Web Console. English is standard, and the XPressEntry Media Server GPU Runtime adds other languages. Saved transcripts can be searched by keyword, jumping straight to the moment a word was said. Each site sets how long recordings are kept, and authorized users play back or download them based on their permissions. Operators can read a channel when listening is not practical and find a moment without replaying long recordings. Transcripts also help SOC operators who are hard of hearing. Recordings help settle questions about who said what and give supervisors real examples for training.

Communication for Emergency Mustering

During an evacuation, muster captains use XPressEntry handheld readers to account for employees, contractors and visitors at each muster point. With Push to Talk, the same handheld connects them to the security office or a GSOC, and a hardware key lets them talk without leaving the muster screen. Muster captains report headcounts and missing people, and the security office sends instructions to every muster captain on the channel at once. When recording is enabled, those transmissions are available afterward for drill reviews and after-action reports.

Flexible and Secure Deployment

The XPressEntry Media Server runs on-premises or in the customer’s own cloud. Voice is encrypted in transit between each handheld and the server, over Wi-Fi or cellular. Push to Talk works with compatible handheld readers and tablets.

How It Works

1. Assign Administrators assign each handheld to a Push to Talk channel in XPressEntry and choose the channel’s talk mode.
2. Connect The handheld connects to the XPressEntry Media Server over Wi-Fi or cellular.
3. Talk A guard holds the Hold to Talk button, or a mapped hardware key from any XPressEntry screen, and speaks. A start beep confirms the channel is open.
4. Listen Connected handhelds on the channel hear the transmission, along with SOC operators listening in the Web Console.
5. Respond SOC operators hold to talk from the Web Console to reach the whole channel, and can mute a handheld or remove it from the channel.
6. Call for help A guard who needs help presses an on-screen panic button or holds a hardware key for two seconds, and an alert pops up in the Web Console.
7. Record If recording is on for that reader profile, the transmission is saved and appears in the Web Console’s history.
8. Search and alert If live captions are on, speech appears as text in the Web Console. When recording and saved transcripts are on, transcripts can be searched. A configured alert phrase logs an alarm in the Web Console.

Push to Talk Features

• Real-time voice communication on handheld readers and tablets running XPressEntry
• Hold to Talk on screen, or a programmable hardware key on supported devices
• Talk with a hardware key from any XPressEntry screen, including emergency mustering
• Press and talk like a radio, with little training
• Channels assigned by administrators in XPressEntry
• “One at a time” or “Open” talk modes per channel
• Security operations center (SOC) and global security operations center (GSOC) operators listen and respond from the XPressEntry Web Console
• Mute a handheld or remove it from a channel from the Web Console
• On-screen panic button in the XPressEntry app, or a hardware key held for two seconds, with an alert in the Web Console
• Spoken-phrase alerts, listed as alarms in the Web Console, with an optional pop-up
• Optional recording of each transmission, set per reader profile, with speaker, channel and time
• Optional transcription in English, or in other languages with the XPressEntry Media Server GPU Runtime, with saved transcripts
• Transcript keyword search that jumps to the moment a word was spoken
• Recording retention set in days
• Transcription processed on the XPressEntry Media Server, with no third-party transcription service
• Speaker and Bluetooth audio output
• Wi-Fi or cellular
• Media Server on-premises or in the customer’s own cloud
• Compatible with XPID200/201, XPID210/211, XPIT100 and IDEMIA ID Screen
• Voice encrypted in transit

Requirements

• Handhelds XPID200/201 and XPID210/211 handheld readers; XPIT100 and IDEMIA ID Screen tablets
• Server XPressEntry Server 3.7.7850 or later for on-premises sites, plus the XPressEntry Web Console in a browser
• Media Server XPressEntry Media Server on 64-bit Windows 10 or Windows Server 2016 and newer, on-premises or in the customer’s own cloud. A Telaeris-hosted Media Server is also available for sites whose network allows connections to it.
• Network Wi-Fi or cellular from each handheld to the Media Server. With an on-premises Media Server, cellular and off-site use require Remote Access setup. Telaeris hosting includes it.
• Web Console HTTPS for microphone access. Panic alerts require on-premises XPressEntry at launch, notification subscriptions for operators and browser notifications allowed.
• Recording The Media Server recorder must be configured.
• Captions English is standard. The XPressEntry Media Server GPU Runtime adds other languages; an NVIDIA GPU is strongly recommended for live multilingual captions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Push to Talk replace two-way radios?

Push to Talk lets guards who already carry an XPressEntry handheld communicate over Wi-Fi or cellular without a separate radio. It needs a connection to the XPressEntry Media Server, so areas that need radio-to-radio communication without infrastructure should keep radios.

Does Push to Talk work with our existing two-way radios?

No. Push to Talk connects XPressEntry handhelds and the Web Console. It does not connect to two-way radio systems, so sites that keep radios for some roles run the two side by side.

Can guards switch channels on the handheld?

No. Administrators assign each handheld to a channel in XPressEntry, which keeps guards in the right group without changes in the field.

Can muster captains talk without leaving the muster screen?

Yes. A programmable hardware key works from any XPressEntry screen, including emergency mustering, so muster captains report to the security office while they account for people.

Can the security operations center (SOC) talk to guards in the field?

Yes. SOC and global security operations center (GSOC) operators listen to channels and hold to talk from the XPressEntry Web Console. They can also mute a handheld or remove it from a channel.

Can guards call for help without speaking?

Yes. Guards can trigger a panic alert from an on-screen panic button on XPressEntry screens such as Entry/Exit and Verification, or by holding a compatible hardware key for two seconds. The alert pops up in the XPressEntry Web Console, so the security office can respond even when a guard cannot talk.

Is voice recorded?

Recording is off by default and turned on per reader profile with the Record push-to-talk setting. When it is on, each transmission is saved with the speaker, channel and time, and authorized users can play it back or download it from the Web Console. Each site sets how long recordings are kept.

Are transmissions transcribed?

Optionally. When transcription is on, speech appears as text in the Web Console, and transcripts can be saved with recordings. English is included; other languages require the separate XPressEntry Media Server GPU Runtime, and an NVIDIA GPU in the Media Server is strongly recommended. With an on-premises Media Server, the customer provides the GPU, and Telaeris hosting offers it as an option. Captions are processed on the XPressEntry Media Server, without a third-party transcription service.

Can recordings be searched?

Yes. Search works through saved transcripts. Operators search them by keyword, and each result jumps to the moment the word was spoken.

What are spoken-phrase alerts?

Administrators choose phrases for each reader profile. When live captions are on and a guard says one, the Web Console logs an alarm with the transcript and, when recording is on, a link to that moment in the recording. Sites choose whether these alarms also pop up on screen. Saving transcripts is not required.

Does it work over cellular?

Yes. Push to Talk works over Wi-Fi or cellular. With an on-premises Media Server, cellular and off-site use require Remote Access setup so handhelds can reach it. Telaeris hosting includes it.

Can Telaeris host the Media Server?

Yes. A Telaeris-hosted Media Server is also available, including for sites that run the XPressEntry Server on-premises, as long as the site’s network allows connections to it. Telaeris can confirm the setup.

Can Push to Talk and Live Streaming be used at the same time?

Not at the same time. Both can be enabled on the same handheld, but the microphone serves one feature at a time. A guard ends a live stream before talking on Push to Talk, or releases Push to Talk before starting video.

Is it secure?

Signaling uses TLS and voice uses DTLS-SRTP, so audio is encrypted in transit between each device and the Media Server. Handhelds also verify the server’s certificate.

Which devices are supported?

XPID200/201 and XPID210/211 handheld readers, the XPIT100 tablet and the IDEMIA ID Screen tablet.

Trusted Worldwide

Physical security and safety professionals in 50+ countries trust XPressEntry. See how Push to Talk connects guards and the security office on the handhelds they already carry.