Access control creates opportunities for contractors

The physical security and access control market is undergoing a major transition to IP-based solutions. Access control intelligence is moving to the door and the phone, presenting opportunities for electrical contractors to proactively grow their business and help clients choose the right security solution.

Emerging technologies will deliver ease of operation, simplified expansion and customisation, and the ability to integrate a physical access control system (PACS) with many other solutions sharing the same network. Modern, smart buildings clearly offer many benefits to facility managers, staff and to the enterprise itself, but there are plenty of considerations for people involved in the planning, engineering and physical wiring of the facility as well.

One of the most obvious benefits of IP-based access control is the ability to move intelligence to the door for streamlined system monitoring, management and reporting via standard web browsers. In such a system an individual door will have onboard ethernet connectivity, and a smart lock that can engage with smart cards, tags or NFC-enabled mobile phones. This will present a new opportunity for an electrical contractor, as every door in a security-controlled area of the facility will now require connection to a power source and be wired to the local area network (LAN).

Traditionally, up to sixteen wires are needed to connect a door to the physical access ecosystem. With an IP-enabled door, this can be reduced to one CAT 5/6 cable, so the facility will save overheads on wiring and, with a quicker install time, the contractor will be able to provide a more competitive quote.

IP-based solutions are also scalable and can quickly be expanded or adapted as the need demands. Adding switches can quickly multiply the number of end points in a system from ten up to thousands. Some solutions are power-over-ethernet (PoE), which can eliminate additional overheads for the facility involved. Since PoE is scalable as well, power consumption can be minimised and the facility can reduce its carbon footprint.

Unlike traditional systems, IP-based access control solutions can also conduct constant ‘health checks’, immediately notifying the user when a problem is identified. End users can maximise their investment by upgrading to the latest hardware technologies while using their existing IP infrastructure.

Intelligent wireless locksets are the first step to untethered connectivity in the networked access control environment, and these devices will become more prevalent as lower-cost, energy-efficient models are introduced to the market. Meanwhile, the use of NFC-enabled phone handsets is also on the rise for mobile access control, which will enable users to carry credentials on phones that fit into the existing network environment.

The most basic approach for mobile phone access is to replicate existing card-based access control principles: the phone communicates identity information to a reader, which passes it to the existing access control system. Based on a predefined set of access rights, the access control system makes the decision to unlock the door. This model provides a safer and more convenient way to provision, monitor and modify credential security parameters, temporarily issue credentials as needed and cancel credentials when they are lost or stolen.

As more and more organisations embrace the advantages of IP connectivity for access control, the concept will evolve further to wireless connections, including locksets as well as NFC-enabled handsets. As mentioned, these will initially emulate the ID cards and tags that we all know and use today. Ultimately, NFC-enabled mobile solutions will leverage the phone’s own network connection and the cloud to move access control intelligence and decision-making all the way to the palm of one’s hand. Instead of carrying a card or tag, each user will be able to push an app on their enabled mobile phone to advise the facility that they are ‘in the house’. The mobile device will then send a message via the network or even the private cloud to the locked door verifying the person’s credentials, unlocking the door when access is granted. In essence, the mobile device will become the key, processor and rules engine for the physical access ecosystem.

Despite the benefits of IP-based access control, until recently security concerns have blunted its adoption. These concerns are rapidly waning as the industry realises that IP-based access control actually improves security. Integrating video surveillance with access control, for instance, offers a more comprehensive view. For example, as well as IP security cameras watching all critical areas of a facility, the central server will be able to record all access to the building by staff and visitors. When the security system enables all of the various subsystems - from video management and access control to video analytics, intrusion devices and all associated IP-based edge devices - situational awareness is significantly enhanced because all information can be immediately combined and correlated.

Furthermore, with an integrated security network, all levels of physical security and access can be managed through a single user interface, which significantly streamlines the task of securing a premise. This host system can be used to monitor a site remotely so, in effect, a new facility can be set up on the other side of the country, with the host site communicating with the new hardware over the WAN.

Parameters can be set for physical control, as well as activating alarms, sensors and security cameras within the same ecosystem. For example, if a cleaner needs to access certain parts of the facility - such as the lunch room, corridors and common areas - then those parameters can be set by the central security management servers. If an unauthorised person tries to access the boardroom or admin office, permission will be denied and security cameras alerted, sending a message straight to the controlling PC or even mobile phone of the security officer in charge.

Parameters can also be set to provide safety to staff - locking doors at certain times when potentially harmful activity is taking place in a manufacturing plant for example, or on a mine site to block access to areas where blasting is about to begin.

IP-based access control is here and growing in adoption.  It delivers valuable benefits including simplifying operation, expansion and customisation, while enabling a PACS to be integrated with many other solutions on the same network. By moving intelligence to the door, it also streamlines system monitoring, management and reporting. Ultimately, the concept of networked access control will continue to extend with the ongoing adoption of NFC-enabled smartphones. Solutions for smartphones will in turn continue to develop, with enhanced access control intelligence and decision-making, which will enable the electronic security of far more doors than ever before.