Page 70 - Security Today, January/February 2022

Access Control and
Visitor Management:
By Jeff Bransfield
The Power of Integration
Access Control
New technologies are integrating visitor management and access control systems together for a streamlined user experience.
The pandemic significantly accelerated the worldwide digital transformation we see across various markets. Fortunately, this transformation has also made way for innovative products that have reduced the need for physical devices and in-person contact. The phys- ical security market today has expanded to include and address the User Experience (UX) and access control solutions capable of pro- moting various new building services such as visitor management accessed through multiple devices, including mobile phones.
These new technologies have propelled a discussion surrounding best products and practices when integrating with security backbones like access control and video surveillance. A new emerging trend is the integration of visitor management systems into access control. In this article, we will look at two examples of access control integration and its impact on the organization.
The Integration Trend
While there has been a significant push for integration across the security industry, it has been incredibly relevant in the access control market. When third-party systems are integrated with access control, there are numerous benefits, including the simplicity in adopting converged credentials. Users are less likely to lose combined creden- tials, ultimately saving money for the organization.
Security integration often helps keep the organization in sync while offering various benefits. Organizations typically select a multi-layered approach, and the more layers within the security infrastructure, the more challenging it is to break through them. Ultimately, the company's needs will determine what systems are integrated into their infrastruc- ture.
Integrated systems work and function together. For example, when access control and video surveillance systems are integrated, users can use timestamps from the access control system to match an indi- vidual on video, strengthening the uses of both systems. Integration is such a highly sought-after trend because of the sheer amount of work it takes for security systems to be working in a silo on the indi- vidual system and any supporting IT or security team on-site.
Security system integration simplifies monitoring and reporting while bolstering security, reducing errors, adding convenience, and lowering an organization's total costs.
Example 1: George Mason University
George Mason University is home to more than 35,000 students, a 670- acre residential campus, and over 170 buildings. Over the years, GMU has invested in building new facilities across the campus, including
faculty/staff housing, research buildings, residence halls, and confer- ence centers. One central recurring theme the university faced was the need for physical security and access control.
Because of the sheer number of individuals that cross campus daily—whether staff, students, or visitors—GMU needed scalability and functionality above all else. That is one of the main reasons they chose the access control system. This access control system was easily integrated with the existing VMS and visitor management system, among many other third-party systems, and had an incredibly simple interactive map feature. Because of the system's flexibility, all integra- tion objectives were achieved, video surveillance and visitor manage- ment were streamlined, and GMU received a scalable system that has grown and will continue to grow with the university.
The Power of Visitor Management
Certain manufacturers offer open-platform access control solutions and have software that allows security leaders to integrate a facility's access control, video, intercom, intrusion detection, alarm monitor- ing systems, and visitor management systems. These systems are ideal for a larger, multi-site or global organization, and they can also sup- port visitor management.
Traditional visitor management systems allow the security team to
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