Jeremy Sneller, Managing Director, Salto Orion tells SJA about how the Salto Orion face recognition solution is shaping access.

Can you tell me about yourself and Salto Orion?

I’m Jeremy Sneller, and I’m one of the Founders of Touchbyte.

Prior to my current role, I worked for a large Japanese organization, selling face recognition solutions for border control to local governments.

A move to Cornwall prompted me to think about a new opportunity.

Alongside my Co-Founder, we created TouchByte and started looking at applications for face recognition.

We arrived at using this innovative technology for access control, after recognizing the pain points that exist within the industry.

We developed a product with a small camera and push button on it.

When the button was pressed, the recognition process was initiated and it provided access to approved individuals.

We had several different proof-of-concepts but then, of course, COVID happened.

We had to pivot, as nobody wanted to push a button.

That’s why we made it contactless; all you need to do is walk up to the door, which will then open for those with authorization.

We started deploying these in health clubs and gyms, senior living and assisted care homes and in other sectors where the transmission of COVID via fingerprints was an issue.

Following this, we started to gain momentum and grow our market share.

However, we had built our solution on the Cognitec algorithm, and in early 2022 Cognitec was acquired by Salto.

Following the acquisition, I presented our solution to the Salto leadership team.

Needless to say, they were impressed with what they saw and in 2023, Salto acquired Touchbyte.

Since then, we’ve been focused on innovation and working on further developing our solution.

Today, I am proud to say, we are the only single-source face recognition solution for access control currently on the market.

What are the benefits of face recognition within access control?

One of the key advantages is remote enrollment.

Typically for biometric enrollment, users go somewhere to get a card or submit a fingerprint on-site.

With face recognition, users can quickly and conveniently enroll remotely from anywhere in the world, and at any time, via a simple web-app.

Here, users are guided through a simple process to take a biometric selfie.

The information from the selfie is shared with the access control system, allowing the user to access a specific office, building or facility at specified times.

The whole process becomes much more convenient, as credentials can also be easily revoked within the system by administrators, too.

The experience itself is more streamlined and convenient.

If a user is carrying something in their arms, they don’t have to rummage around in their bag or pocket for a credential – they can use their face as a credential instead.

What makes Orion stand out in the market?

Orion is all about simplicity. It’s designed to be as intuitive as possible – there’s no need for keys, cards or fobs.

You just walk up, and the door opens.

The Orion-C device itself is minimalist, with just a camera, sensor and light. No extra hardware or layers, just seamless access.

What really sets Orion apart is speed and security. We’re using one of the top face recognition algorithms available, so it’s incredibly fast – less than a second.

Plus, the camera includes liveness detection, which ensures that the person is physically present, adding an extra layer of security.

Privacy is a big focus for us, too. We’ve worked hard to make sure Orion is fully compliant with GDPR and other global privacy regulations and standards.

We don’t store any facial images – when someone enrolls, their face is converted into a code and that’s all we keep. It’s secure, efficient and respects privacy.

Another thing we’re really proud of is the environmental impact.

By removing the need for plastic cards or fobs, Orion makes access control much more sustainable.

And, we’ve made installation as easy as possible – automation plays a big role in making it smooth for both businesses and users.

What kind of challenges does Orion solve?

Orion addresses the challenge of secure and efficient access control in environments where managing large numbers of users can be complex.

For example, in education, when thousands of students arrive on campus at the start of a semester, they can enroll remotely and go directly to their assigned rooms without the hassle of key collection.

This reduces administrative burden and eliminates the risk of lost keys.

In hospitality, guests can pre-enroll as part of their booking and receive a notification with their room assignment.

Upon arrival, their room door opens seamlessly, removing the need for check-in queues and enhancing convenience.

What would you like attendees at ISC West to know about Orion?

At the end of the day, Orion is about making access control effortless, secure and future-proof.

It’s a step forward in how we think about access – and ISC West is the perfect opportunity to see it in action!

Before the event, attendees can pre-enroll to streamline their experience at our booth.

Once enrolled, they can walk up and see Orion recognize them instantly, demonstrating how the system works in the real-world.

For those who don’t enroll ahead of time, registration will still be available at the show.

Another exciting highlight is our newly revised Orion Control Unit.

Compact and efficient, this updated version offers a smaller form factor while maintaining powerful functionality.

It’s available in Q2, immediately after ISC West.

This article was originally published in the special ISC West 2025 March edition of Security Journal Americas. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.