Tying together access control, egress safety, data mining, building management and more makes financial and security sense.
The growing sophistication and broader spectrum of choices available in electronic access control is leading to greater integration with total building controls and systems, with a consequent increase in the economic value of a door opening that goes beyond security concerns. The burgeoning adoption of electronic access control technology is also redefining the meaning of the term 'total opening' in the security market and beyond.
As electronics play an ever-increasing role in managing a building's entrances, the added initial investment is more than justified by the increased economic value that the so-called total opening generates. Access security and egress safety features are being combined into systems that also generate data for asset tracking or personnel tracking.
Creating the intelligent opening
As more openings are being equipped with access control systems that incorporate an ever-expanding technology, they can be managed so they will deliver an incremental value in other areas as well. Functions such as personnel scheduling or time and attendance record-keeping can be automated. With the advent of open architectures, networking of intelligent openings improves building systems efficiency by having the openings link electronically to current building systems.
Linking components into a door system
No longer are the door's hardware components merely individual entities. The growing number of hardware choices increases the complexity of the opening and makes it necessary to ensure that all components work together. As more components become electrified, access control functions are joined with egress hardware, and sensors monitor the functions of mechanical hardware as well. In a networked system, for example, a malfunctioning closer or latch is reported at once, which lets maintenance activities be directed when and where they are most needed.
Linking openings into a building network
Greater economic value accrues when leveraging individual door systems into the total building network. Where such networks exist, they demonstrate that managing 50 doors on one system is much easier and more cost-effective than managing each individual opening. Replacing locks or rekeying, which formerly required much of a locksmith's attention, can be all but eliminated with an electronic access control system.
More and more, integrated building systems are web-based, which provides remote monitoring of a door over the Internet, from any location. This not only improves security, but yields more efficient administration with lower staff costs.
Generating more data and mining it for value
From a building owner or facility manager's viewpoint, thinking of the opening as an engineered system instead of a collection of individual components provides the ability to gather data that can be 'mined' in many different ways, in addition to making installation easier, lowering its cost, and increasing up-time. Personnel scheduling is one such area, especially when card-based systems or biometrics are brought into the picture. It is why such systems are so heavily used in the hospitality trades, where there are many people working disparate schedules from day to day. The ability to manage and control staffing becomes much easier and increasingly more accurate.
Wireless systems remove the pain of installation
Wireless solutions seamlessly integrate into the access control panel, eliminating wire between the lock and the access control panel and providing a complete solution at each opening. Implementing a wireless solution actually takes less time than its traditional hardwired counterpart.
Wireless systems can be applied anywhere a lock is installed. But there are certain applications that lend themselves particularly well to wireless. Older buildings that would be difficult or impossible to hardwire are naturals for wireless. Whether they are installed in new modern buildings or historical landmarks, however, wireless locking systems preserve the integrity of the architectural design.
Wireless systems work with any of today's access control systems. That means users do not have to replace their existing software or ID credentials. Such systems are an attractive alternative to off-line, standalone locking systems, because they offer a realtime solution that is compatible with all brands of access control panels.
And, in today's world of chronically short time and money budgets, wireless solutions work particularly well for airports, schools and universities, healthcare institutions and corporate facilities. They can be installed in days, not weeks, resulting in substantial installation savings. They are ideal for both difficult-to-wire situations and new construction projects. Wireless systems are less invasive, and often eliminate carpentry, patching and repainting. They also retain the integrity of historical buildings, and avoid potential asbestos issues in older buildings. What is more, they are re-usable and can be redeployed quickly and easily.
Growing uses of biometrics
Driven by both security concerns and the desire for efficiency, biometric applications are growing faster than ever. Hand geometry continues to be the dominant biometric technology for access control and time-and-attendance applications. It is especially well-suited for handling large volumes of transactions where a high degree of reliability is required.
Martin Huddart is an SBU manager at Schlage Locknetics Electronic Security.
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