Electronic Access Control

Electronic Access Control systems, commonly referred to as “the card swipe system,” is a system comprised of credential readers, controllers, sensors, locks, cable and typically a centralized server. An electronic access control system simplifies management of access to a building, an area, a door, a gate, or a cabinet. Keys do not need to be made and distributed to employees or contractors. Credentials (either permanent or temporary) are issued to the respective party.

When using keys, staff manually lock and unlock doors at the beginning and end of business. This requires time and introduces the risk of forgetting or not properly locking a door. Doors controlled by an electronic access control system, whether controlled by a card reader or not, may be automatically unlocked in the morning and locked at night on a schedule, or when the intrusion detection system is disarmed and rearmed. With an electronic access control system, administrators can have an audit trail of activity, the system keeps a record of who came and went through each door, and when.

There are various types of electronic access control systems on the market and choosing the correct type of system and the correct devices for your application is important. Your selection will greatly impact your budget, the extent of administrative control, and the ability to integrate with other systems. For example, a small business with a single office location generally won’t require the advanced functionality that a multi-site, national or international business would.

Important Considerations
• Ability to control access to: doors, gates, cabinets, other
• Audit trail
• Administrative control and interface
• Single site or Multisite
• Local control, Enterprise control
• Embedded, Server or Hosted platform
• Need to integrate with other systems and technologies

Benefits
• Improves security and safety for your employees - prevents strangers and unwelcome
   persons from entering without your knowledge and awareness
• Precise administrative control of who has access and when they have access to a
   secured area
• Have a precise audit trail of who accessed, when they accessed or attempted to
    access a secured area
• No more lost keys - no need to distribute keys to individuals
• Immediate termination of access rights to a controlled area
• Grant temporary access rights to a secured area, with expiration
• Comply with state and federal lawas and regulations, for example: HIPPA(Healthcare).
    33 CFR 106.20 (Marine Security), FISHMA(Federal Agencies), PCI DSS (Anyone
    handling credit card information), 21 CFR part 11 (Pharmaceuitical)

Video and content courtesy of Kantech