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It is important as a business owner that we know who is coming and
going from our facility at all times. Tracking this is often a difficult task.
We do this for safety and security reasons. It is expensive to hire a
security company to watch the flow of traffic and track it for you. That is
where access control systems come into play. An access control system
allows you to monitor when people enter and exit access control systems
help to keep unauthorized people out, while providing flawless access to
those who are authorized to be there.
Access control systems have three main mechanisms. They include a
controller, locks and the device that enables and disables the lock. The
controller is a multi level device that is programmed with software from
a computer that manages the system. This is where your control access,
create accounts and look at the logs of entry and exit. Cost is usually a
factor with how in depth the reporting from the controller. The more
detailed the options and flexibility in programs the more expensive the
system.
The locks are enabled and disabled per a command from the central
control system, computer. There are two different types of locking
systems available, electric and magnetic. Magnetic locks tend to be
chosen more over electric locks. They tend to be a bit more costly but
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are advantageous because of their strength, ease of installation and
power.
The access device is the key to the access control system. There are
several different options available in the area of access devices. It is
often determined by the level of security needed for a facility. A high
tech government facility may be interested in doing a biometric scan
instead of a pass code entry because it is possible to pass along a code
but is nearly impossible to pass on the information needed for a
biometric scan. If you are however just giving access to your companies
parking garage something simpler like a magnetic card reader is all you
need.
I was recently at a gated community up in Oscoda where in order to
access the cabin you needed to enter through a sliding electric gate. It is
nice because every visitor has a unique id that tracks when they arrive
and exit. The code was then deactivated after our stay at the facility. I
felt incredibly safe letting the kids play more freely than on other
vacation I had been on because I knew that people entering through gate
were supposed to be there.