Find news and information for the executive corporate security director, CSO, facility manager and assets protection manager on issues of policy, products, incidents, risk management, threat assessments and preparedness.
Issue link: http://sdi.epubxp.com/i/172392
ACCESS CONTROL & IDENTITY By Peter Boriskin Making the Move to Wireless Four steps to selling the technology shift to your customers W ireless security systems have literally opened up an entirely new world of security solutions that were unavailable before the technology became available. Wireless systems can offer major savings compared to the labor and expense of installing a wired system and can also provide expanded access control capabilities, such as the ability to open and lock a door using a smartphone. Because they do not require a hard-wired connection, wireless locks can be installed in areas that are impractical or impossible to accommodate using standard wired or mechanical locks. But what does this mean to the security integrator? What are the practical considerations in implementing a wireless security solution? When is it the right fit — or maybe not? Step One: Know Your Customer The first step is to know what your customer is actually looking to do. What kind of busi64 ness do they have, and what are their overall security requirements? Determine whether they want to simply install or change out some mechanical locks, or if they want to upgrade to an electronic access control (EAC) system for some or all of their doorways. If the client already has an EAC system in place, are they looking to expand their system? Very often, a customer's primary requirement is to cover a larger area or increase the coverage inside the perimeter of the building. Step Two: Facility Assessment Next, the customer's facility should be assessed. A thorough evaluation of all the entry and exit points in the facility should be made, with an eye toward any possible doors that might be hard to reach or overly expensive to wire. Are there areas where large distances have to be covered where it might be impractical or impossible to use wiring; for example, build- www.SecurityInfoWatch.com | SD&I; | September 2013