Tag Archives: Access Control

Integrated Access Control

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Integrated access control

Integrated Access control systems are the most effective way of controlling movement and maintaining the security within your organization whether it be one site or multiple locations.

No more key cabinets.

Companies are moving away from using the traditional method of securing your establishment i.e locks and keys. This  is fast becoming unfashionable and inconvenient as well as actually not being that secure at all. Keys are often lost or copied and for the determined individual offer only limited effectiveness.

Who is responsible.

To add to this there is also the fact that companies heavily rely on individuals to lock the building down at the end of the day. Any errors within this process means you can easily be left unprotected.

Access control.

So the solution is access control often integrated to CCTV to give you a belt and braces answer to your security issues. Everyone has heard about it but are we all aware of the huge benefits it can bring.

Control and information.

The other great thing about  integrated access control is that you will know who has been through what door at what time. In addition,  this is backed up with CCTV images to allow verification of the card data. Of course you also want to control when and where your staff can be at any one time within the building, most access control software is now equipped to allow you time zones and access rights into the  certain designated areas you define.

Securing the door.

There are different ways of controlling the locking down of the doors. Mag-locks and electronic door locks together with sheer bolts form the main way of doing this. Combine this with a door closer and when someone has successfully passed through the door it is always locked down behind them.

How do we open the door?

We fit a reader to the door. When a card or fob is addressed up to the reader it sends its unique code through the network to the controller the controller then sends a command to the door release mechanism and opens the door .The software logs each action and the  time it occurred. Sometimes on the un-secured side of the door we fit a push to release button that will allow egress without the need for a card.

Fire.

There are two different ways to exit the building in the case of fire. The first is electronically. To achieve this we are able to interface the controllers to the fire alarm system. Should the fire alarm sound, the software can release every door in the building allowing unrestricted egress. Also adjacent to each door there is a break glass and in the case of an emergency this can be broken and the door will open.

What is right for your organisation?

Well integrated access control comes in many different shapes and sizes from single door solutions to multiple doors within one building . However some of the big access control systems have been designed to incorporate a world wide solution for global organizations. Most access control sysems now also offer IP solutions, so the flexibility of integrated CCTV/ access control systems is unlimited and will bring some welcome control back to your company.

Paxton Access Control

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Recommendation.

On this site we like to talk about products we have used and are happy to recommend. Paxton access control is a product that has long been known to us and tried and tested.

NET 2

Net 2 access control manufactured by Paxton is one of the big success stories in the integrated access control market place. They manufacture readers ,controllers and software that has been designed to be able to control entry and exit to hundreds of doors and be accessible to thousands of users.

Flexible.

Net2 is designed to fit into the mainstream access control market , however it has the ability to expand to up to 10,000 users so giving it a leading edge over many of its competitors. One of the concepts employed by Paxton is that their product is expandable. From one door to many hundreds , flexibilty is crucial in gaining sales .

Access Control Software.

The software is well designed and can easily be understood by end users and engineers alike . The person charged with the administration of the system can be comfortable in the knowledge that it will always be stable and reliable.

Networked IP solution.

Multiple site solutions are no problem as the system uses TCP/IP to communicate between different locations and allows  nationwide or even worldwide solutions to some bigger corperate customers.

Control.

Access rights and time zones give a site manager complete control over who goes where and when. As an administrator he /she has the power to control all the day to day movements of both his staff , any site contractors and of course  visitors . The administrator can view real time events and has the ability to create reports should these be required.

Free software.

The software is free and can be loaded onto multiple PCs within the organization so admin rights can be shared if required.

CCTV and Biometric Integration.

Although Paxton produce their own readers they are no strangers to the concept of integration. They can integrate other manufacturers readers and biometric devices easily into their systems meaning takeovers become a relatively easy task.

Market leaders.

Taking into account all we have highlighted so far , its easy to see why Paxton are one of the market leaders in today’s integrated access control market.

For the record!

Paxton are able to integrate to intruder alarm systems , offer wireless IP solutions and connect seamlessly to IP cameras. I/O boards allow the ability to trip input and outputs over IP . Advanced reader technology can also offer hands free entry.

It all looks good!

One of the main things however that Paxton have considered is aesthetics. Access control has to fit into modern building designs and  they have achieved this with style.

Conclusion.

In conclusion Paxton have managed to capture the mainstream access control market in the UK and across Europe. This is a fantastic achievement when you consider the calibre of the competition .With new innovative ideas being presented to installers everyday .We can only see Paxton going from strength to strength.

NSI, SSAIB why they are needed within the CCTV industry.

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SSAIB, NACOSS, NSI

It does not matter what inspectorate you use, the need to audit is an unquestionable asset in the security industry today. To be fair most of the big companies are “forced” to subscribe to an auditor to be able to give the correct certification to their customers in order that the customer can comply with their insurers demands.

The dreaded visit.

It is fair to say that most company Quality assurance managers dread the impending visit by their inspector,  MD’s also tend to fuss around at the last minute trying to ensure that all their paperwork is up to date and all their internal and external audits have been completed. Staff are briefed what to say and the office and vehicles are meticulously cleaned ready to greet the unwelcome guest.

Think about it though!

Why is this necessary though? At the end of the day all the inspector will look at is to see that you do what you actually say you do in order to give your customers fair service , well installed equipment and value for money. The company should always work to these standards and seek to continuously improve on them. Whats wrong with doing what you have agreed to do when you are certificated? After all it is usually the MD or QAM who has written the proceedures your company will be following anyway.

What are the benefits of being audited?

Well, training is audited , administrative procedures to, Installation standards, stock control, security screening and so on. All of these things are a crucial to maintaining the highest standards within your company. Lets be honest would you want to let anyone into your house or business to install something as sensitive as a security system if they had not been audited on the above subjects? I would think not!

It should be easy.

It certainly should be easy. All your company and its employees have to do is follow the instructions written down in your company manual , simple! Any changes or improvements to procedures simply need to be noted and updated within the manual and adhered to. Anyone cutting corners or breaking company procedures really do need to be reprimanded and bought to book . After all you must want staff to do as they are are asked and follow the instructions laid down pretty much to the letter.

Changes within the industry.

With the rapid introduction of integrated CCTV, IP cameras and integrated access control companies and inspectorates alike must adapt to these changes. Manuals will need to be re-written and procedures changed especially bearing in mind that third party networks will form the backbone of any IP CCTV solutions in the integrated security market place. This being said it will not be insurmountable to introduce standards to ensure the end user is not short changed.

Summary.

So in summary being regulated and inspected is actually good for all involved . Security companies get the staff they deserve and the staff get the training and clear working mandate they need. Most importantly the security industry is thankfully short of cowboy installers and this of course means that the end user can be rest assured that they will get a well installed reliable security solution.

Biometrics, things are not as bad as they seem!

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Are biometric readers the future?

This is a question that has recently been raised in the security community. After all biometrics have been around for a long time now and their impact in the market has been very limited indeed in integrated systems.

To many things to too many people.

For those who have looked closely at the subject the reason for this lack of  market penetration is simple, manufacturers are trying to do too much with the biometric reader. By trying to appeal to everyone and install too much functionality into each device the units have become cumbersome , over engineered and very expensive, literally pricing themselves out of the market.

Why has this happened with biometric readers?

The main reason is speed. To open the door quickly most readers incorporate a card reader or a key- code that must be entered first before the finger is presented, this is so that when the database makes a search for the fingerprint, it already knows where it is looking because the card or code will point the database to where it has to match the fingerprint. Fingerprints are complicated, if you had no card or key-code, a search of the whole database to match the exact print would leave someone standing outside the door for several seconds, hardly ideal.

Ergonomics

So we have slow expensive readers that quite frankly are unreliable and require two elements for them to work, its no wonder that something that has such promise has fallen so far into obscurity. Add to that the fact that many readers just don’t look the part and you even have the architects refusing to specify them in new build situations.

Externally quite frankly they have failed to perform in hostile conditions such as rain or snow and are badly effected by dust and grime.

So where do we go from here to sell the biometric reader?

The answer as far as we see it is integrated access control. The biometric reader needs to provide a more secure solution than the humble fob or card. It will need to look  good, be small and easy to fit to doors in place of existing card readers, be 100% read reliable and most importantly integrate directly into an existing access control system.

Does such a product exist?

We are sure it does but have yet to track it down. The ability for 100% read reliability is pretty much there and by decoding finger prints from an image into simple 1’s and o’s means that this information can be integrated into existing access control systems in the same way that a card or fob is read.  Get the cost to around £800-£950 installed and you have an extremely competitive product with all the benefits that Biometrics have always promised.

Summary

Partnership’s between some of the big suppliers of integrated security in the form of access control and the manufacturers who produce the biometric readers are inevitable. If a producer of the biometric reader can  overcome all of the problems we have highlighted above, incorporate a sleek and ip65 rated design and secure a partnership deal with an access control manufacturer, then the future of the biometric reader is very promising indeed.


Will IP solutions mean security equipment distributors have to move online?

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Moving to on-line sales.

The introduction of IP equipment into the Integrated CCTV and access control arena is being hailed as the next step forward in the security industry. This does however pose some serious questions about how this new equipment is brought to the market. So far there is a set pattern. A manufacturer approaches a distributor and gives him the exclusive right to sell his product. The distributor in turn will fix a price and only allow this product to be sold to security installers. The public have no access via the distributor. If they wish to have the product installed they must go to an installing company. So far quite simple.

Who are the main players?

The main players in the distribution market (UK) are Norbain , ADI and  Gardners Security however there are probably over 100 in the UK and they control who they will deal with, what price the equipment will be sold at and so on. Over the last 20 years or so all these companies have expanded enormously and each year gather at IFSEC to demonstrate what is new on the market.

So what will change?

The main thing that the big distributors need to consider is ,who will actually be installing the new products?  As we have said, up to now it has been installing companies. Most of the big installers are giants who will struggle to adapt to the new market place quickly. So if they are not installing large volumes of IP security products who will?

IP integrators.

Well the school of thought says that at the moment the balance could tip towards IP integrators. Most companies of any reasonable size have their own IT department or outsource to a local IT company. These people in reality will be very well placed to start installing IP security solutions for their employers and very much cheaper than a security installer.

So where does the smart manufacturer sell his products?

Well it does not take much to imagine where an IT integrator is going to look for his security solution. On line of course and at the moment he can buy some fairly good stuff that will satisfy a need. But that is about it! some of the products have questionable quality and origins. IT integrators will however demand quality and back up . So could it happen that the smart manufacturer actually begins to bypass the big CCTV distribution companies and sell through an on line company?

Cut out the middle man?

Not inconceivable when you think about it. By putting a search on google for “IP cameras”  Norbain is nowhere to be seen nor are any of the big distributors or manufacturers. They should all be worried about this

The future.

So how will this be addressed?  Well they are going to have to think who will be doing the installation of the security systems, be it CCTV or even access control. There are still things that need to be fixed to walls and doors but the technical aspect of the way it is going may mean that your friendly CCTV installation engineer is going to struggle with the technology . If this proves to be true and installers fail to move fast enough with training and recruitment, the security industry could be a very different place in just a few short years.