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Transforming Electronic Access Control
The benefits of a Web-hosted systemThe Latest from SIW
Security primer: Outsourcing employee background checks The security week that was: 10/03/08 Research shows how schools adopt access control Loss prevention firm releases results of annual retail theft survey ComNet's George Lichtblau talks fiber optics iPhone application makes phone a biometric checkpoint
By Bob Mosler
Electronic access control systems (EAC) may serve the same purpose as old locks and keys, but they bring many new advantages, such as controlling who goes where and when, the ability to terminate lost or stolen credentials without replacing locks, and reporting on who entered and when. Clearly, security is improved with these capabilities, and the cost of replacing locks and duplicating keys is eliminated.
Web-hosted access control could be the next step in the technology’s progression. The benefits of this fast-growing and increasingly popular technology could make it a perfect fit for just about any vertical market, regardless of type or size.
The Cost of Traditional Systems
Traditional EAC brings with it a host of costs: organizations must install software on a PC and then maintain that software (keeping it safe from viruses, paying annual license agreements and fees, and applying upgrades and patches to obtain new features or keep up with new operating systems). Additionally, an on-site server is required along with its own maintenance needs (including regular database backups); and after a few years, these pieces become obsolete and the end-user must make a major expenditure to replace them. Often, simply upgrading the PC and operating system makes the access control application obsolete and in need of replacement, which then can require replacing the control panels.
A traditional EAC also supports only one facility, unless the buildings are networked together. If two locations are managed separately, there are two access control systems — both of which have the same maintenance needs. Administration ends up being twice the work as well, because a user needing access to both buildings must be entered into both systems.
Web-hosted Access Control
Instead of installing software on dedicated computers, Web-hosted access control enables end-users to access their system using a standard Web browser. Since user and configuration data are hosted as well, there are no backups needed, and no virus protection or data security to worry about. Since there are no on-site servers, obsolescence is a thing of the past. In fact, the end-user never has to be concerned about upgrades — since the application is not installed locally, it is not upgraded locally either. The upgrades are taken care of by the host, often referred to as an Application Service Provider (ASP).
Managing multiple sites becomes possible from a single interface with Web-hosted access control. Because the user and configuration databases are hosted and accessed over the Internet, it does not matter where the buildings are located or where the administrator happens to be at any given time. This results in time and money savings for the user.
Lower TCO, Superior Performance
Web-hosted access control has a variety of costs as well, of course. Generally, the total cost of ownership is more favorable for Web-hosted access control, and it can be much easier to budget for. Since there is no software or computer hardware to buy, the end-user does not need to worry about upgrades, backups, and data security — it is all taken care of at the Hosting Center. Since there are no on-site servers, there is no cost to maintain servers nor will an obsolete unit need to be replaced. So, upfront costs are quite low compared to traditional electronic access control.
