printer friendly version

Going to BAT in the Middle East

BAT in the Middle East has opted for Impro Technologies to control its employees’ access to company premises as well as Caddx alarm systems.

The Middle East division of British American Tobacco’s global office extends and includes offices in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Bahrain and Kuwait. BAT needed a multisite access control system linked to a single database. With more than 3500 employees between all the sites, a personnel reporting and access control system integrated with a comprehensive intrusion alarm system was a key priority.

The chosen access control system had to be a system capable of operating from one intrinsic software solution. As well as managing several sites that would all report back to a single database, the system also needed to incorporate a PA sound system that would audibly warn or inform employees according to systematic codes entered into the alarm system’s keypad.

The database server was situated in the United Arab Emirates head office. It would run SQL Server and managing each of the sites data. Each of the other respective sites runs an SQL engine pointing to the UAE server. As far as the access control and intrusion solution was concerned, each site received the same system, specified as follows.

* The system is integrated with the Caddx intrusion detection system as well as a Bosch PA system via ImproX IO (input/output) units. There is only one integrated software solution used to operate the entire system.

The BAT installation uses Impro’s IXP400i access control system over six remote sites to incorporate the more than 3500 employees between all the sites. One ECII Controller is installed on each site, operating between seven and 10 doors, all using keypad readers. For integration purposes, two ImproX Door relay units are used per site.

* A dual access control system is in place. During normal daytime operations, users access the sites with tags; at night the system demands a tag as well as a reason code, which sends a command to automatically arm the Caddx panel, for example. At the same time, the Bosch PA system can be set to play a prerecorded message to alert persons remaining inside the office that they have a limited time to exit before the alarm system arms itself automatically.

The Impro system will indicate that the system is armed via the LEDs on the keypads. If there are employees in the office that need to work beyond normal office hours, they are able to tag at a specific reader and enter a reason code according to the amount of time they require to work further. For example, '01' equates to a further 30 minutes; '02' to 60 minutes etc.

This action will drive a relay according to the time and the PA system will play a recording as activation is set.

Stanley goes BATs in South Africa

Coming closer to home, Stanley Security Solutions has also been dealing with BAT time and attendance issues at the company’s branches in Stellenbosch, Heidelberg and Paarl. The proposed solution was based on a BlueLine backbone with Sagem indoor and outdoor biometric readers and proximity card readers, all connected to SAP via BESAccess software. The system was successfully installed at the three branches by Stanley.

The solution meant BAT could keep all its existing infrastructure in regard to controllers, software and communication devices, only changing the reading devices to fingerprint technology. This ensured a stable upgrade path, but minimal changes and disruptions to the business. Moreover, with the project done, it eliminated buddy-clocking, overtime and unauthorised access.

Share this article:

Further reading: