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ZKTeco: new name, new opportunities

ZKSoftware is well known in South and southern Africa as a supplier of access control and T&A products, both card and biometric based. This successful Chinese company has carved a significant share of the local market since it first launched its local operation in 2005. Hendrik Combrinck, who together with his team has made the company a household name in the access control and T&A industry over the past several years, heads the local office since 2009.

Towards the end of 2011, the global ZKSoftware holding company restructured to be able to expand its fields of operation and ensure it delivers the optimal service to customers in order to back up its product range. The holding company is now known as ZKTeco. Combrinck says ZKTeco has been divided into five divisions, each with a specific focus area. They are as follows:

ZKAccess: ZKAccess is now responsible for the company’s access control products, from access control panels through to IP-based standalone RFID devices and Wiegand RFID slave readers. This division will also handle ZK’s biometric and facial access systems, as well as accessories for these devices.

ZKSoftware: The ZKSoftware division is responsible for the company’s time & attendance applications as well as the associated hardware.

ZKBiolock: ZKBiolock will concentrate on card, proximity and biometric door locks, especially focusing on the hotel and retail industries. It will also offer fingerprint modules to safe manufacturers and other industries that are interested in integrating biometric locks into their solutions.

ZKiVision: ZKiVision is a brand new operation for ZKTeco that has already been launched in South Africa. ZKiVision will now distribute a range of 1 megapixel (720p) IP cameras along with camera management software. Combrinck says the division has four flagship camera ranges available in South Africa at present, and these will expand over time.

The unique selling point of the camera range, according to Combrinck, is the software. Customers will find the standard camera management software on their devices, but this is upgradable to software that integrates with access control products and can even do facial recognition on the camera. The access control integration will ensure that if a door is forced, for example, the camera will automatically record the incident without being told where to focus or what to do.

ZKAFIS: The ZKAFIS (automated fingerprint identification system) division is the newest division of ZKTeco, which will be launching its product line in early 2013. This will include matching server software for integrators who wish to build AFIS for Civil ID and Commercial ID projects.

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