Page 36 - Security Today, June 2018

Think Beyond the Perimeter
Exploring the benefits of bringing the security and convenience of electronic access control to interior openings
BTy Robert Gaulden
echnologies continuously evolve to become better, faster and more efficient. In turn, users be- come smarter, quicker and more
productive. Innovations are created or rei- magined to improve customer satisfaction, either filling a void in the marketplace or solving customers’ problems. Sometimes users don’t even realize that void exists un- til the product becomes part of daily rou- tines—then it’s expected to do more, leading to another evolution.
Electronic access control is no different. Traditionally, it was found around the build- ing perimeter and high-security openings, primarily due to costs of wired access control solutions. Today, intelligent locks are found on interior doors for a variety of applica- tions that stretch beyond security.
Integrating Solutions
Thinking back, when hardwired devices first grew in popularity, the superior function was security. Secondary was the efficiency they offered facility personnel, especially in larger buildings with more than 50 of employees accessing the main doors each day. It sim- ply made sense to use a credential to avoid key turnover and mange access rights. Then employees began to experience the benefits. With large groups entering the building at the start of the day, entrances either needed to be left unlocked, leaving doors vulner- able each morning, or each person needed to find the correct key on their keychains to grant themselves—and potentially the small crowd waiting while the door is manually un- locked—access to the building. The creden- tial improved security and flow control with a single swipe.
Even after electronic access control be- came the norm for main entries, users didn’t think twice about pulling out a mechanical key to access their interior office door.
Like other technologies, access control evolved and so have customers’ expectations. Now that users have experienced the benefits of electronic access control on main exterior doors, they expect these systems to do more.
Evolution beyond the Perimeter
Perimeter security is an essential step to pro- tecting a facility and its assets. It’s one of the first tiers of defense in a layered security ap- proach. With the costs of wired electronic
access control, end users were more selective when determining which openings to secure electronically. When it came to electronic access control, interior doors were a nice to have, but not a must-have. Telecommunica- tions and electric closets were considered high-security areas, and they were next to the main systems, which helped keep labor costs low. In some cases, the human resources and president’s office would also be wired to pro- tect sensitive information.
Then wireless locks were introduced, which significantly reduced the costs for end users. As electronic access control became more af- fordable, end users could connect more inte- rior openings throughout the building.
Today, the demand for electronic access control in the interior has increased. In an of- fice environment, there is sensitive informa- tion stored on laptops or at desks through- out the facility. The need for a lock and key is there, but now that employees have experi- enced the convenience of swiping a creden- tial, the demand for electronic access control in the interior went up quite a bit. As with other technologies, now that customers ad- opted these systems and reaped the benefits, they expect them to do more. The employee who once never questioned the mechanical
key is now swiping a credential at the front door and wondering why he cannot use that same card to access his office.
A similar case can be made for educa- tional buildings. In K-12 schools, the main entrance and secondary entrances should be incorporated into an access control sys- tem. This gives the school control over their perimeter, a critical layer in school security. With the right hardware in place, this school can easily lockdown the entire perimeter. This is great, and once schools see this ben- efit, they realize the same can happen inside the building. Wireless locks can also be con- nected to effectively lockdown the classroom layer in the event of emergencies.
The demand for security and convenience has grown, and electronic access control is no longer just a nice to have on interior doors. As an industry, we need to think be- yond the perimeter.
Expanding Interior Opportunities
The evolution of electronic access control re- duced costs for end users, which is actually an advantage for integrators’ business. I’ve heard concerns that this evolution has reduced in- vestment opportunities. However, it’s the
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0618 | SECURITY TODAY
ACCESS CONTROL
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