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From the editor's desk: Business efficiencies at the door

The COVID-19 virus and its seemingly endless variations has been termed ‘The Great Reset’ because of the changes in the way businesses have to operate. The virus has also been a reset for the access control industry as those companies offering touchless offerings have seen a sharp increase in interest in these products.

The reset has also seen more people focusing on cloud-based solutions that leave your servers in someone else’s hands while the customer simply makes use of the access service, whether they use cards or biometrics. We touch on how iPulse has changed from selling biometric readers to offering full Access Control-as-a-Service (ACaaS) in the handbook. The benefits of the change, as challenging as it was to make, are apparent both for iPulse and its customers.

Andrew Seldon.

The cloud is going to play a much larger role in access control going forward (and in the security industry as a whole), offering new opportunities while also presenting challenges to the traditional operations of many vendors and integrators.

One of the areas in which we can expect to see significant development is that of making better use of your data. The article based on a talk I had with iPulse’s CEO demonstrates how effectively analysing your access control data can lead to business process optimisation and cutting costs. There are many examples of this happening in various segments of the security industry, and the ability to extract value out of customers’ data will become a major selling point.

This does not only apply to those making use of ACaaS, however. The same data is available whether you store it in the cloud or on site, whether you use biometrics or cards and fobs. If the system is set up correctly, you have the data and can slice and dice it for those ‘data gems’. That is, as long as you have an open system that provides easy access to the data.

We’ve been harping on about openness and integration for years, but today it is critical that one has access to your data (whether from access control or other security or building management systems) as well as the ability to interrogate it. And if your access control data can provide value and reduce costs, how much more will data integrated from all security systems be able to enhance business efficiencies and reduce costs?

The Access & Identity Management Handbook 2021 provides a brief look into the world of access and identity management today. We hope you find value in it and invite you to send comments and criticisms to andrew@technews.co.za.

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