Hanwha CA-1Y-ENTRY32 ONCAFE 1-Year Entry Channels License

We've deployed ONCAFE across a range of mid-market facilities, and the CA-1Y-ENTRY32 sits at the sweet spot where dedicated access control becomes operational overhead rather than necessity. The key insight: access events are only useful if they're timestamped alongside video. Traditional separate access controllers and DVR/NVR systems create two timelines that never align precisely, forcing security operators to manually scrub footage in search of the 20-second window around a card swipe. ONCAFE eliminates that friction — an unauthorized entry attempt triggers simultaneous capture of the door unlock event and camera frame in a single UI. On a 30-door deployment, that workflow difference translates to 3-5 hours per week of staff time saved in incident response. The CA-1Y-ENTRY32 tier (32 channels, 1 year) is the minimum viable scope for MSPs managing multi-tenant facilities or enterprises consolidating security at regional hubs; smaller deployments typically use ONCAFE's 16-channel tier, and larger networks graduate to the 64+ channel platform editions.

Technical Highlights:

• PoE 802.3af Power Envelope: The license itself is software, but it assumes fielded access hardware (readers, strikes, door sensors) that operate within 12.95W per device per IEEE 802.3af spec. This means a single PoE switch port can power an access reader, 1 MP camera, and door sensor simultaneously — no auxiliary power panel infrastructure at the perimeter. Real savings on retrofit installations.
• 32-Channel Granularity: Not a vague "unlimited doors" claim — the license keys to exactly 32 entry points. Once deployed, adding door 33 requires license tier upgrade. This constraint is intentional: it forces honest architectural planning and prevents scope creep. In practice, 32 channels covers a 4-6 story office building or a regional warehouse + parking gate.
• 1 MP Native Support: Hanwha's 1 MP camera line (specifically the Q-series IP entry cameras) pairs directly with ONCAFE without codec negotiation or fallback scaling. You avoid the 5MP→1MP downscaling overhead that plagues heterogeneous VMS setups, preserving bandwidth and disk I/O for the 24/7 ingest case.
• Annual Renewal Model: Unlike perpetual licenses (common in older access control), you're not locked into hardware end-of-life. If a camera fails in year 2, you replace it with current-generation hardware; the license tier remains valid. This is a major advantage for integrators managing aging installations.
• ONVIF Profile S Output: ONCAFE exports event streams and credential audit logs via ONVIF-compatible webhooks and syslog. Pair it with Genetec Clearance or Milestone XProtect for unified incident investigation across video + access + badge history — no custom middleware.

Deployment Considerations:

• This is a software license, not a hardware appliance. You must already have ONCAFE server infrastructure (typically a single-socket Windows or Linux box, or a virtual machine) running on-site or in a managed cloud tenant. The license does not include the server; many integrators miss this and spec the server separately — budget $3,000-$8,000 for HA-capable ONCAFE appliances depending on redundancy requirements.
• The 32-channel limit is per license instance. If you have two buildings, each with 25 doors, you need two CA-1Y-ENTRY32 licenses (one per ONCAFE server). Cross-facility badge sync is possible via API, but each building operates its own credential database and event log — a deliberate security boundary.
• PoE power is the limiting factor on typical office networks. A single PoE switch port supplies one reader + camera + sensor stack. Count your entry points, then oversize the switch uplink to the core (typically 1Gbps minimum for a 30-door site, 10Gbps if you're also ingesting video to a local NVR). We've seen installations starved of bandwidth when integrators didn't meter the PoE draw during design phase.
• The 1 MP camera spec assumes optimal lighting (>500 lux at entry point). If you have dimly lit vestibules or outdoor entries, spec Hanwha Lightfinder 1 MP cameras instead — they cost ~$200 more per unit but eliminate the need for supplementary lighting and the associated facility upkeep.
• ONCAFE is designed for on-premises operation. Cloud-hosted variants (ONCAFE Cloud) are available as a separate SKU. If your client demands zero on-prem servers, pivot to that offering — the CA-1Y-ENTRY32 license does not apply to the SaaS version.

The CA-1Y-ENTRY32 license is the right choice for mid-market integrators managing 2-4 multi-building accounts and for enterprises consolidating access control and video under a single platform. Organizations with simple single-building deployments should evaluate the 16-channel tier; those with enterprise-scale requirements (200+ doors, multiple geographic sites) should scope the 64+ channel platform. For guidance on sizing, see the Hanwha catalog.