Predicting trends in Access Control for 2021

Coronavirus has turned the world upside down forcing many to work from home which has raised all sorts of questions around security. Not only are people faced with the security of their smartphones, tablets, and computers to ward off cyberattacks which have become more prevalent, the bigger question is the security of half-empty buildings.

We’ve found as the pandemic spread, universities, municipalities, and government buildings are exposed to security threats as its not practical to man them 24/7with security personnel.

This brings us to the question of what are the trends in access control in the future.

Why You Need Innovative Access Control

Traditional access into a home or business environment was the old lock and key, hardly secure at all as keys were easy to lose, easy to duplicate and if given to others, you ever knew where they could end up.

Then along came the security pass cards which had an individual’s unique data encoded on it. The card would consist of a name, ID number and what level of access a person had which would determine where they could go within a building. To allow access it required the use of card readers that could read the information stored on the card. There were three types of card readers available, either a swipe card reader where the cardholder would swipe their card through a narrow slot on the side of the reader, an insert card reader where the cardholder would insert their card, or the proximity card reader where the cardholder would hold the card up to the card reader all of which would unlock a door.

As with any new technology, access control then become more sophisticated with the introduction of Bluetooth and the future of Access Control Security.

What is New in Access Control

Smartphones have made huge inroads into access control allowing users to ditch their cards completely and use smartphone connectivity instead. The introduction of mobile-enabled access control has revolutionized the access control industry. It gives residents and employees frictionless access through doors that are secured, elevators, and even turnstiles as this technology authenticates identity and grants entry. The big advantage is it lowers maintenance costs of credential management, allows greater flexibility, and improves privacy concerns.

A recent development in access control cards is the smart card. Unlike the proximity card which offers minimal security or the swipe card which is easily copied, the smart card offers advanced security.

Although physical cards will continue to play an important role in securely granting and restricting access, combining these cards with digital identity takes access control to a new level.

With the introduction of biometric technology embedded into smartphones using iris scanning and fingerprint recognition, this adds an even greater level of access security.

If your goal is to protect the health, safety and security of those who come into your building and the assets contained in the building, access control is a must, not an option.

Interested in finding out more information about access control solutions ? Call the professionals at Cards Plus on 011 894 3914