Access Control

The basic function of an access control system is to manage access to a building or company premises for employees, visitors and contractors. At the heart of it are the door controllers and the software for managing the system. It can then vary which device is located at the door where access is desired. This can range from standard card readers to biometric solutions such as retina scanners, fingerprint scanners, or even algorithm-based face recognition scanners, which are typically used when there are higher security requirements in place.

We see three main advantages of an access control system, one is that the user of such a system no longer needs keys, which eliminates the worry of what to do if a key is lost or an employee leaves the company, especially when it comes to sensitive areas in the company like data rooms, file rooms, etc. 

The other benefit is that the user can limit the time frame that a person can enter an area of the building using the scheduling feature of such a system. 

Although a key fob or card are the most common credentials presented to a card reader, today's modern systems allow you to eliminate those too and use a smartphone instead. This saves even more time and money, because a smartphone is usually always with its owner and is harder to lose than a small key fob or card. A mobile phone can also be located and found more easily if it is lost. 

This basic access control system fills pretty much any need anyone could have when it comes to restricting and controlling access to a building or premises. It becomes powerful when an access control system is integrated with other systems such as an intrusion alarm or video surveillance system. Through this integration, the systems work together and are managed with one platform instead of several different ones. For example, an "Access Denied" event on a card reader can start a video recording of that person and send a notification to security to resolve the issue. Or if an alarm system is integrated with an access control system and access is granted at a door, then the alarm system could be disarmed automatically, making the operation of the two systems much more convenient. 

These are just a few examples of what an integrated system can do for you.