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Wireless technology empowers visitor management

As the concern for security with regards to visitor and contractor management to an establishment is quickly taking a priority in the risk assessments of business parks and residential estates, the challenge has always been how to balance the need for useable information through a disciplined methodology of processing individuals at facility entrances, without negatively affecting the flow of valid users onto or offsite. Technology has enabled bespoke visitor management solutions to deal with the shortcomings of the manual book system employed by many facilities worldwide over the past few years.

Portable licence capture devices, for example, enabled to decode the South African National Driver’s Licence and the South African Vehicle registration disc, have proven themselves to be an indispensable asset at facility entrances with their ability to be integrated to the site’s access control system. Integration to these units has allowed for the accurate capture of visitor details into the site’s access control database through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth technology. The data captured by these devices includes the name, surname, ID number, photo and telephone number of the main visitor, the make, model and licence plate details of the vehicle entering the facility as well as the visitor’s destination. No longer will the visitor system have countless records of B. Atman going to see S. Uperman in building X.

When used in conjunction with a Bluetooth printer, security can issue the unauthorised visitors with a small printed docket with an access code and facility details to be used onsite.

One-time PIN

One-time PINs or visitor personal access code systems use an Internet to GSM service to request a personal access code (PAC) for authorised visitors. Codes are requested by registered users by sending an SMS to a WASP short code system (e.g. 36060) with the visitor’s details. The WASP system replies with an SMS containing a random code which the registered user can then forward to their visitor to use at the entrance of the facility.

To add to the security of the facility, the system will SMS the user once the visitor enters the facility and the code used by the visitor is only valid for a single entry and exit thus eliminating any tailgating or re-use of the same code.

In addition to the SMS option, some systems have incorporated a Web interface that runs both in an intranet and Internet environment. With the same principles applying to this Web interface as it does to the SMS system, users log in using their registered email address and can request single or multiple PACs for their visitors.

On-the-go-enrolment allows the visitor’s information to be captured via integration to the facility’s intercom or CCTV surveillance system. Pre-authorised proximity cards are issued to the visitor to be used at the entry readers and to drop it into an Exit Drop Box to exit the site. All transactions are recorded on both the CCTV and the access control system.

A new trend with this type of visitor management is the linking of a number plate recognition system to the facility’s access control system. The NPR system captures and populates the access system with the vehicle’s details and prompts the system for visitor detail enrolment.

Portable biometrics

Portable biometric enrolment technology will be available imminently and will radically improve the in-lane enrolment process with minimal inconvenience to the prospective visitor. This biometric technology will take visitor management to a whole new level of security.

John Powell, MD of Powell Tronics.

Historically these solutions were both costly and inflexible resulting in prospective users battling with the return on such a grand investment. As technology has in general become more easily available and affordable, major improvements in functionality and the undefined capabilities of customisation have opened the doors for various integrations to cater for all aspects of the business from security to marketing. A need from management requiring important statistical information from their access systems, can now be retrieved from these devices and their relevant integrations.

Ultimately, with the amount of variations to the standard access control and visitor management systems available, organisations should establish their business requirements and from there liaise with service providers that partner with knowledgeable distributors that are equipped to assist them with this challenging risk facing their customers.

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