Introduction –
Have you ever seen people scanning a smart card to get inside a building or an office? Do you know how these Card Access Systems work? With unceasing advancements taking over, technology has come to a point where comfort and convenience come freely to people. Modern machines and revised software have made it their mission to make the world a better place. Standing in such times, a card access system largely adds to the cause.
A card access system digitally controls and monitors the security of a building or certain parts of the building. It is a smart access system that grants you command over the interactions and visits that happen at your building. Replacing the traditional methods with the latest mechanisms, the system strategies to automate access and make security measures much simpler.
Nonetheless, the smart card access system is the security system of the future. Go for it and expose yourself to the growth the world has to offer.
The Course of Action –
Before you invest in smart access systems, you need to know how they even work. The process can be as simple as you want it to be. All you need to do is log in with the credentials you want to grant access to the machine. Then the machine itself will figure out whom to let in and whom to not.
Furthermore, if you are just the user of the system and not the owner, your job gets even easier. You only have to carry the smart card with you and scan it with the machine every time you want to access it. The system will read your information and grant you what you need.
Card Access Systems –
Work with three elements, the first is the key card that holds all the data and credentials about the cardholder in digital imprints. The second is the scanner or the card reader that reads the codes from the punched cards. Lastly, there is the controller that matches the read data with the saved ones. This is the part that truly decides if the access is to be granted or denied.
Benefits of Switching to a Card-based Access Protocol –
There’s a reason why this card-based smart access is becoming so popular in recent times. It’s the long list of benefits that the arrangement brings to you. Following are some of those inviting benefits.
An Easy and Smart Experience –
When you think about smart-card access systems, one of the first things that might come to your mind is convenience. With such technology greeting you at the entrance, getting in and out of a building becomes much easier and faster. Moreover, it cuts the need of requiring manual permissions every time you plan on entering a private location.
If you are the owner yourself, such security systems will also allow you to grant temporary access to people. That is, you can cut off access to certain people whenever you want. You might have to do this in case a visitor has limited agreements.
No Need for Jingly Old-School Keys –
With the Card Access Systems, you don’t need to carry a bunch of heavy keys with you all the time. Neither do you have to keep a track of which key belongs to which lock. Additionally, the system also reduces the risk of denied access at times when you forget your keys at home.
Keep Attendance Record –
Apart from being an excellent security apparatus, a card access system can also act as an efficient attendance register. When you are scanning your card with the machine, the processor automatically stores your credentials.
As a result, the system is recording your presence on a particular date at a particular time. Some educational institutes also use this feature to collect quick and foolproof student attendance.
Heightened Security –
Similar to Office Security Cameras, card access systems also ensure safety and surveillance around a building. While security cameras video records the actions happening around the place, the access system is filtering the visitors. Consequently, it is safeguarding the building from unwanted guests and intruders. Furthermore, it protects a place from potential burglary as no one without a key card can infiltrate the premises. Besides, it saves you the cost of hiring security guards.
Full Control of Access –
As mentioned earlier, Card Access Systems grants you full control of the guest list. That means you can choose whom to let inside your building and whom to turn down. This way, you can maintain an environment in your building that you prefer.
What are the Different Types of Access Cards?
Smart cards for security access can be of two types, based on their functions and characters. These are magnetic cards and contactless cards.
Magnetic Cards –
Magnetic Cards, or magnetic stripe cards, have well-fitted iron parts in them. These parts are charged to be magnetized to hold the user’s data. Such cards are manually swiped against the reader. The processor identifies the data before matching it with the saved credentials. The magnetic field generated by the iron makes the entire thing possible. Hence, the name.
Magnetic stripe cards can further be of two types – Low-Coercivity and High-Coercively cards. This classification is based on the strength of the magnetic fields.
Contact-less Cards –
As the name suggests, such cards don’t require direct contact with the machine. These cards hold information in RFID chips and can be scanned even from a distance. Contact Fewer Cards can be either proximity cards or smart cards. The difference between these two lies in their memory capacity and service capabilities.
Limitations of a Security Access System –
Like many other advanced technologies, Card Access Systems also have some limitations. One of the biggest limitations is, no doubt, the presence of hackers. A security system entirely dependent on software is often prone to be hacked. However, you can easily solve this problem by outwitting the hackers.
You can simply overwrite the security programs in such a way that a hacker can’t crack them. Nonetheless, you can also keep the system under regular supervision to check if there’s any unidentified action.
Another disadvantage is the need for an alternate solution. Being entirely dependent on machines and circuits, card access systems can often face malfunctions. In such times, the presence of an alternate solution can keep the building functioning smoothly. One can prevent this through proper maintenance though.
Some Other Smart Alternatives –
Despite taking the best care, it is still safer and preferable to keep an alternate available at all times. You even keep a spare key for your traditional locks. So, why not here? Some effective alternatives are,
- Biometric Locks where you are the key.
- QR Systems that use unique codes.
- System Inbuilt Keypads where you can manually punch in a certain entry password and gain access.
- Mobile Application through which you can demand access.
- Key Fobs that open the locks electronically.
Conclusion –
Now that you are well aware of the access systems and their features, it’s time to get one for yourself. Not only will you get an easy and enhanced security system, but also a slick access mechanism. Just think about the awesome good looks it’ll bring to your building. So, wait no more. Switch to the future right now.
Read More: How to get the best CCTV system for your commercial space?
