the reader) and are now standard on all credit and debit cards. Contactless smart cards use RFID technology, which may appear identical in operation to a proximity card to the average user. However, contactless smart cards have a much greater information storage capacity, work on a different electromagnetic wave frequency and have far greater data security than a traditional proximity card. Although most new applications of smart cards appear to be heading toward contactless smart technology, contact smart cards are still the standard for logical (computer) access and other applications, such as payment systems. Achieve Balance In any given facility there are multiple openings to secure and multiple people who need access. Helping your clients un- derstand their credential options and what credential works best will be an important part of transitioning them from keys to cards. Issues to review and consider include: Are they choosing a networked system where issuing and managing card cre- dentials make sense? Do they need to integrate cashless vending with their credential system? Will they be integrating time and at- tendance into their access control system? Are the locks being accessed in an inte- rior or exterior location where weather may be a concern? How deeply will they want to moni- tor each user’s access and movement within the facility? Does everyone have the same level of security clearance, or is there a need for multiple security/access levels? “Typically, security, technology and usability are the key priorities,” says Erik Larsen, Allegion national account manager – electronic integrators. “The goal is to balance priorities for each organization.” 26 KEYNOTES SEPTEMBER 2016 The pace at which technology advances will only continue to accelerate, making it increasingly difficult even for those in the industry to keep up. But he points out that there’s no one- size-fits-all solution when it comes to ac- cess control and security. The key is to achieve a balance. “Many people try to select credentials by leading with the technology,” Larsen says. “Instead, they should be finding out about the user, the applications and the culture. The right technology will follow once those things are understood.” Keep Solutions Flexible A common concern of many clients is that the solution they select today will not be flexible enough to be upgraded and expanded over time as their needs change. They want a system that can meet current safety and security issues, as well as accommodate emerging technologies that will allow the system to expand and adapt as needed in future. Open architecture electronic locking systems are the solution to meeting the security and technology needs of today and tomorrow. Your clients are unlike- ly to be familiar with this terminology and will rely on your expertise to under- stand what it is and why it makes sense for them. Open architecture will allow them to customize door openings with the right solution for each door, including credential readers and network commu- nications, to create a perfect fit. Your role is to help them understand how they can upgrade readers and net- work modules from an offline program to a networked solution, change credentials at any time and use future innovative tech- nologies as they emerge. They may even be surprised to learn that, in many cases, upgrades do not require replacing all the locks or even taking locks off of doors. Implementing a New System As the smart card credential is used for more and more transactions beyond ac- cess control — such as vending, transit and logical identification, for example — the encoding process will require more forethought and expertise on how to inte- grate credentials with back-end soſtware, financial/billing programs, ID systems, vendors and more. Cards can either come pre-encoded from the factory, or com- panies can choose to manage their own card issuances, with or without the help of an integrator. Matt McDaniel, chief executive officer of Multicard, a full-service identification and security integrator, says the planning of card encoding should start well before the actual process. “Before you can encode cards — let alone select the type of smart card — you must first go through a thoughtful process that evaluates how the cards will be used, whether that’s access control, vending or printing, etc.,” says McDaniel. “Then you have to figure out what needs to happen on the back end to allow the various transac- tions, as well as how the transactions will be managed on an ongoing basis.” Project times can vary greatly, depend- WWW.ALOA.ORG
