Access control: thinking outside of the box

In days of old the access control industry was a relatively straightforward one: vendors supplied systems to installers who, in turn, organised and fitted solutions which were primarily concerned with securing doorways and controlling the flow of people traffic to restricted parts of the premises.

However, like most elements of the security sector, the access control market has evolved with time and is now looking to expand its offering to add more value for money than ever before.

For some, this concept would have been unthinkable even a few years ago, but now successful companies have to think outside of the traditional boundaries in order to meet the constantly evolving expectations of the marketplace and its consumers.

Integration is a word that’s mentioned time and time again in relation to access control and with good reason! The ‘IP revolution’ has become just as central to this sector as the rest of the security and wider technology world and has shaped the expectations of customers. Far from being a novelty, any system that doesn’t integrate with other IP systems at some level is now considered unusual.

Mutually communicative systems essential

The move towards integration means that mutually communicative systems are essential, with the likes of Microsoft Active Directory becoming a central hub to all kinds of company systems: from security to Human Resources and facilities management solutions.

As an extension to this, there are also demands for solutions that can still incorporate older legacy systems which, in all likelihood, would never have been designed with this kind of integration in mind.

For example, a company that harbours a large installation of analogue CCTV cameras (which may well still have a high degree of their effective lifecycle remaining) is unlikely to want to tear them all out in favour of more modern IP megapixel cameras just for the sake of having new ones. Modern, integrated systems can deal with these integration issues, but it’s something that installers need to be sympathetic towards. They have to offer solutions that will save their customers from wasting budget and, at the same time, realise tailor-made, highly relevant solutions.

The modern business world is largely responsible for driving integration. Security and the ability to monitor it and prove that it works are high priorities, but so is ‘doing security’ effectively and on tighter budgets.

Rather than viewing integration as a potential stumbling block, the access control industry must grasp the opportunity to offer customers a sizable and crucial part of the wider security offering.

Protecting the potentially vulnerable

Schools are a good example of the need to integrate all security systems to protect potentially vulnerable users. Modern educational establishments usually use a dedicated Schools Information Management Systems (SIMS) affording a single point of administration and reference. With this at the heart of the establishment, the opportunities and benefits to be realised from creating a two-way communication between the SIMS and the access control systems are obvious.

For an installer, there may be a temptation to sell the school a simple, standalone access system (particularly when budgets are under such close scrutiny) that offers lower upfront costs with a simpler installation process, yet there’s a superb opportunity to offer a hard-working solution that may cost more up front, but will really make good use of existing systems and offer far bigger rewards while helping to future-proof itself for a considerably longer timespan.

The concept of thinking ‘outside of the box’ can apply on many levels. Access control is closely linked to security and yet an integrated system can be as much a part of the management of the wider buildings’ control systems. If a people counter system can be used to ensure perimeter security access isn’t breached, then why not use it to control heating and ventilation? Closely controlling these systems minimises waste of resources while also ensuring users still receive the services they need.

Health and Safety: access control as a value-add

Another area that’s ripe to be helped by access control as a value-add is Health and Safety. Being able to monitor the number of people who enter a controlled area also means a close eye can be kept on occupancy. Not only can this control the access of unauthorised people, it also monitors if a lone worker is present in a potentially hazardous area, for example, alerting other members of the team that there may be a risk to their safety.

Linked to this, it can also be an integral part of compliance, logging when staff are present in a hospital or a prison, for example, and integrating directly with the employment management system to provide highly accurate and secure information.

The humble Mifare card is another industry standard that can actually offer users a great degree of flexibility and empowerment beyond its access control role. The secure identity information held on the card can easily be accompanied by additional authentication details which are just as safe.

Businesses or organisations that require a number of different secure functions (such as a university campus which may well offer library, gym membership and EPoS systems for retail) can use a Mifare card as a single confirmation token. The appeal for our customers is that it reduces cost by using existing system investments to provide new services. At the same time it’s relatively simple to implement.

Near Field Communications: the security angle

These examples of thinking ‘outside of the box’ could just be the tip of the iceberg as new technologies are waiting to grab the market.

For instance, Near Field Communications (NFC) technologies are rapidly coming into focus as a security tool, building upon the popularity of smartphones and mobile devices on which they’re deployed. This is an exciting technology as it uses a ubiquitous everyday device to offer secure and convenient authentication which, as mentioned above, can have a myriad of different uses well beyond the traditional access control arena.

Biometric authentication is another area that’s coming on in leaps and bounds. Being able to use a fingerprint, retina scan, facial recognition, sub-dermal scan or even the analysis of the circulatory system frees end users from having to carry a token and yet offers even tighter levels of security.

These levels of security will make it even easier to integrate different systems, in turn rendering the idea of limiting the potential of access control seem like an anarchistic relic of a bygone age.

John Davies is managing director at TDSi and chairman of the BSIA’s Export Council