Access Control brings to mind images of protecting a campus or facility with card readers and electronic locks. While this is true, and Access Control provides the flexibility to dynamically change the time frame a Credential will unlock a door as well as which doors a cardholder has access to. It also provides the convenience of automatically unlocking customer facing doors, manually unlocking and locking door(s) through your PC or phone as well as initiating Lockdown.
Besides providing day-to-day flexibility and convenience it can be used for much, much more…
Overhead Garage Doors – This can be accomplished with a standard credential and reader; this use can be made easier with a reader which will pick up credentials from further distance around 2 yards. Even more convenient with extended long-range readers which can read up to around 11 yards. Another credential type used most commonly for underground parking is the “Clicker Fob” or push-button garage door opening. Utilizing these credentials can be allow you to control 1 or more garage doors. The RFID built into the fob can be used for access to your building, elevator or even “clocking in” to your Time and Attendance system.
Elevators – Access to the elevator, as well as which floors a cardholder has access to, can all be controlled through the Access Control System. Access to elevator can be open via an unlock schedule during business hours to both employees and the public. After-hour access to the elevator is secured with a required Credential scan which can also control access to individual floors.
Gates –Control gates to a Lot or Ramp. Here too, Access Control can make a difference. The gate can remain open or unsecured during the day. Then after-hours, the gate will re-lock requiring a card access. Here as well both long and extended range cards and readers can be used for ease of convenience. A release button can be placed in the office to momentarily release the gate for vendors, visitors or anyone who does not carry a credential with them.
Monitoring – Almost every facility has doors which are not controlled electronically by the Access Control System but still provide a security risk. Many of these are parameter doors used as Fire Exits or related. Doors like these being unlocked and unmonitored have led to catastrophic results to our most precious commodity. With the addition of Door Contacts administrators can be notified on-screen, via email/Text or through our mobile app that a door has been left ajar or propped open. It is also common to connect a local sounder to the doors which will activate a high-decibel siren if the door is open for more than a specified time frame.
Reports - All aspects of the Access Control System can be reviewed in an on-screen report which can then be printed or saved out electronically for review on another day. Credential usage is a common report. This provides details on who went through which door, and at what time. With this data and filtering capabilities it is easy to find out who was onsite and when and where at the time of an incident. You can also identify find temporary or expired badges in the system and when the last time they were used. This way they can be recycled and the system can be updated to making sure no one is going to find a badge in a desk drawer and use it to gain entrance after hours.
Mobile App – Just like all aspects of our lives, any piece of data can be displayed via our smartphone. First an email/text can alert you of a crisis event. From here, open your vIDix Control App and see the status of all aspects of your facility. With a push of a button, you can initiate crisis-specific audible warning notifications as well as Lockdown your facility. This same piece of software also provides the day-to-day activity of unlocking and locking doors, initiating or deactivating credentials and controlling other systems or operations.
Door Entry Intercom and Video – For times when your front doors are locked but visitors may need access, a video intercom provides an image of who is requesting access to your facility before opening the door. The Access Control System provides the flexibility of integrating with this system and others to release the door on your command.
PIN Entry – How do you easily provide access to a group of individuals without providing them a credential? You install a card reader with a keypad. Your employees use their assigned credential at this door as well as all others. This particular group of individuals is assigned a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to gain access to this door. This is the only door the PIN will work on limiting access to the facility but still providing ease of access and administration.
Not that many years ago it was either unlocked doors with little or no security, or locked doors with little or no convenience. Now with today’s technologies you can have the security of locked and monitored doors as well as the convenience of knowing who is at the door and the ability to easily grant access. All the while staying informed across all aspects of your facility from both on and offsite.
For more information on vIDix Control contact us at sales@bankoe.com or 952-888-6688