Page 82 - Security Today, November/December 2023

HIGHER EDUCATION “STUDENTS LOVE THE TECHNOLOGY BECAUSE OF ITS NON-CONTACT AND CUSTOMIZED ACCESS CAPABILITIES AND THE CONVENIENCE OF HAVING PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING THEY NEED ALL IN ONE DEVICE.” technology, the migration is often a multi-phase undertaking that needs to transpire over a few years, depending on construction schedules and their impact on campus activities, as well as available funding. There is a lot to consider and some challenges to be aware of. If a school is currently issuing card credentials, a starting point is to document where cards are being used and note where the technology is being leveraged, such as residential room assign- ments under a housing management system. It is also necessary to assess whether existing door readers will be able to read Near Field Communication (NFC) or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) credentials from a mobile phone. If modern read- ers are already in place for contactless ID cards, for example, then the institution may be partway there. In other cases, though, it is often necessary to upgrade or replace readers to accommodate mobile credentials. There are also decisions that need to be made about where 38 “” wireless/Wi-Fi locks are most appropriate versus wired installations. The determining factor is what’s on the other side of the open- ing; what is being protected. If it is a retrofit for a residence hall suite, a solution like IN120 Wi-Fi locks may be the most practical and economical fit. They will not bog down a network, are always fail-secure, and are not affected by power outages. If it is new construction or a space where more real-time, online command control is required, IN220 PoE locks or IN100 real- time wireless locks are often the best options. This is particularly important in academic spaces where higher education institutions need to immediately lock down classrooms, lecture halls and en- trances in the event of an emergency. Whether an EAC solution is wired or wireless, uses card cre- dentials or mobile access, it is an investment that can pay dividends in student and staff life safety, convenience, recruitment, student retention and many other benefits.