Integration of access control with video surveillance or other security systems will continue to prevail. Such integration combining access control with video surveillance, perimeter control, and others offers a more holistic view to security managers, allowing greater visibility of the building and the people being secured. To ensure this kind of integration and interoperability, open standards are a must.
More and more integrated
Integration of access control with video surveillance or other security systems will continue to prevail. Such integration combining access control with video surveillance, perimeter control, and others offers a more holistic view to security managers, allowing greater visibility of the building and the people being secured.
But beyond physical security, access control can do much more, especially when it comes to managing staff, visitors, or other individuals within an entity. “End users continually seek complete back-office integration — that is, facilitating workflow from the time an individual is hired until the time he or she leaves the enterprise,” said Mitchell Kane, President of Vanderbilt Industries.
To optimize the performance of an integrated solution, access control is often used as the centerpiece of the system that other systems are integrated to. “It becomes the anchor platform, being able to integrate to provide a wider degree of solutions,” Ouellette said. “This is allowing us to integrate PSIMs, building management, visitor management, and so on. These things are an extension beyond access control to provide stronger value, but come back to being based on that anchor platform.”
IHS's Kozak, meanwhile, said whether access control serves as the head-end platform depends on the use case. “Some suggest that the building management system will be at the center. Active Directory could also play a central role,” he said.
“Overall, access control will have a central role in buildings over the next several years since it can determine logical access, flag a system for possible cyber-attack, integrate with training and HR, and provide an alert on a reader.”
Open standards rock
To ensure this kind of integration and interoperability, open standards are a must. “Today's access control customers require open, easy-to-use products that seamlessly integrate with other systems — especially video surveillance — in order to maximize security,” Kane said. “The adoption of these standards offers many benefits to security system users, of which freedom of choice and dealing with legacy might be the most important,” said Arjan Bouter, Head of Sales at Nedap Security Management. “Introducing standards allows clients to mix and match not only the cameras they need or the card readers that best fit their budget, it also allows them to select the specific functionality that suits their security policy.”
The industry has sensed the need for integration and interoperability, prompting organizations like PSIA and ONVIF to drive open standards, especially with Profile C and A as well as the PLAI Agent, which allows multiple brands to be used together in one system.
“It is rapidly reaching the stage where security providers that don't offer interoperability will struggle to maintain a market share when this has become so important to customers, specifiers, and installers,” Mike Sussman, Technical Director, TDSi said.
Future prosperity
Access control has become a vital, critical component in the security arena, offering protection for homes, companies, and premises as well as helping users raise productivity and achieve more efficient management. Advancements in technology as well as the ability to integrate, supported with open standards, have also benefitted users from different verticals. Prospects for this market look robust and rosy this year and the years to come.