Bringing Unbreachable Access Control to the Small Business World

Access control and security are pressing concerns for virtually all small and medium enterprises in the UK. No matter the industry in which a company is involved, the same security issues arise and, for most organizations, the same problems of finding robust solutions that protect premises from unwanted trespassers exist.

Currently external and internal access control to most buildings is by use of keys, keypads and swipe cards. All of these methods have obvious drawbacks as keys and swipe cards can be stolen or copied in order to gain illicit access to a premise whilst keypads rely on a user’s memory and integrity to maintain a trouble-free access control system for any organization.

By contrast a biometric access control system only allows authorized individuals entry to an area by inspecting an array of human physical characteristics that are unique to each and every individual on the planet.

Systems developed in the last five years can authenticate a person’s identity with total accuracy by comparing fingerprint patterns, iris structures and even facial features against a database that contains those same details and measurements of individuals allowed access to a particular building.

The obvious advantages of biometric access control systems based on unique human physical attributes are that it is impossible for an unwanted intruder to gain access by theft - there is nothing that can be stolen or replicated - and neither does a biometric system rely on the honesty and memory of an employee in the way that a keypad system does.

In simple terms a biometric access control system is extremely secure because it relies on unique human physical attributes that cannot be stolen or replicated. The system is unbreakable by any unauthorized personnel or unwanted visitors. It is an ultimate and incorruptible key.

Many people are aware of biometrics because we see the media stories about the technology now being integrated into passports so that more accurate citizen identifications can be made at airports by passport control officials. News stories such as these give a misleading impression that biometric access control is very expensive to install and is the preserve of governments, multinational corporations and extremely well-heeled celebrities.

In actual fact, top quality biometric systems are now being designed and sold with the needs and resources of small and medium sized businesses specifically in mind. Normally utilizing fingerprint pads located outside entrances, the retail systems now available have impeccable pedigree as they use the same technology that has been rigorously and repeatedly security tested by governments and multinational corporations keen to protect their own interests at almost any costs. Such systems can now be commonly installed and operated by smaller businesses with no upfront costs and a low monthly service charge.

At first glance the types of businesses that can benefit from the added security of biometric access control are self-evident: leisure centres; retail outlets; industrial unit tenants; serviced office blocks and so on. Almost all companies operating in sectors such as these can improve their security and access control arrangements by installing biometric fingerprint pads at both external entrance points and at restricted areas within buildings.

But biometric access control systems should not just be thought of in the context of upgraded preventative security measures. For many companies, the installation of an unbreachable access control system is a real business positive! As well as entitling many organizations to lower commercial insurance rates, the presence of a biometric system can actively bring in valuable extra customer business.

Owners of businesses that protect and store securely the property of others can use biometric access control as a value-added selling point. Bonded warehouse, self-storage operators and private safe deposit box companies are all examples of enterprises that can gain extra income from the installation of biometric access control.

More important than the protection of goods to many businesses is the protection of people. Nurseries, retirement homes and hospices are all businesses that can offer added peace of mind to existing and potential customers by installing biometric access control systems.

At the moment the potential for the use of biometric access control within small and medium sized enterprises has scarcely been touched by those who sell systems. This will change dramatically as business proprietors become aware of the advantages of biometric systems over conventional access and security measures employed currently.

And given that robust proven systems are already available at low cost outlay, it is actually very probable that the inevitable move towards biometrics is more likely to become a stampede among small and medium sized business proprietors over the next couple of years.

Peter Dickson is a marketing specialist currently employed by Easydentic, a pan-European biometric security company. They can be found online at http://www.easydentic.com