New Opportunities for 1-4 Door AccessComplex Features Can Be Applied to Simple AccessThe evolution of smaller access control systems has pretty much followed in lock step with their bigger siblings. However, when first looking at specifications for these systems, one can't help but wonder why the manufacturers put all of these capabilities in their products. Does a single door system really need the ability to handle 5,000 users? Will a four-door system need to expand to 128 doors? Isn't this overkill? Manufacturers have chosen to add this complexity to small systems because software features are easy to add. Also, these additions allow manufacturers to keep up with the competition. Even though a small system typically has only 25 or so users, if one company can support 100 users, more than likely, its competitor will respond by supporting 1,000 when it does its next upgrade. But there's a tremendous side benefit to this feature creep - it opens up new markets for access control systems that represent a tremendous opportunity for the integrator. The anti-passback feature is a good example of leveraging the controller for use in new applications. This feature counts the number of people entering and exiting a portal and compares it to a predetermined number. At a parking lot, for example, this can be used to count the number of cars that come and go, triggering a gate operator that allows each car through. When there are no more spaces available, the gate arm no longer opens and a "parking lot full" sign is illuminated until a car leaves the lot. Reports can be generated to allow the owner to track the busiest times of day and the numbers of cars parked each day. In this case, an access card may not even be used, but the intelligence of the system is a requirement for smooth operation. Sophistication helps with traditional applications as well. Suppose a retail store adds an access control system and eliminates the traditional lock. When the store is closed, employees need to use their cards to gain access, but the system can easily be programmed to allow free entry to the store by unlocking the front door during normal business hours. But what if there's a snowstorm or the manager doesn't show up to open the store in the morning? A feature called First Man In requires an access card be read by the system during normal business hours to unlock the front door. For example, a retail employee can enter using his or her card at 8 a.m. and the front door remains locked. At 9 a.m. when the store is supposed to open, the employee goes outside and swipes his or her card again, which unlocks the door until closing time when it automatically locks. Access control systems also play well with other systems. Kantech, for example, promotes the fact that its systems integrate with all major alarm systems. This allows the user to arm the alarm system when leaving and disarm it when arriving, without knowing the alarm system access code. By integrating systems in this manner, a business can ensure that an employee who is authorized to arm a system when leaving at night cannot disarm it in the morning or on weekends if this isn't part of their normal work routine. Health Clubs Need 1-4 Access System That Support 100s of Users One feature that sometimes baffles security systems contractors is the vast number of users systems are capable of supporting. A health club, with its large number of users, yet small number of doors, is an excellent application for this feature. Members are issued ID cards, which are also access control cards that only work during the club's normal business hours. VIP memberships are also sold, which give members extended hours and are administered by the access control system. These cards can be set to expire after a certain period, to ensure that monthly dues are paid. They are also programmed to expire after a number of uses, which keeps members from lending cards to their friends. Finally, a member's face appears on a computer screen when his or her card is swiped, so the receptionist can quickly verify the user and member are one and the same. The possibilities offered by today's state-of-the-art access control systems are limited only by an integrator/dealer's imagination. It's hard to find a business that can't benefit in some way from these systems, and they are an excellent way for a creative integrator to discover new revenue opportunities. Robert Grossman is president of R. Grossman and Associates in Egg Harbor Township, NJ.
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