The global access-control market is projected to reach a total value of $10.4bn by 2020, growing at a CAGR of 10.6%, according to research by Markets and Markets.
Access control technically includes the time-honoured mechanical lock and key, but when people talk about access control in the modern security industry, they mean sophisticated electronic turnstiles, gates, wireless locks and other barriers.
Keys can be lost, stolen and copied, leaving assets vulnerable and requiring an expensive change of locks. Happily, when an electronic access card is lost or stolen, access rights can be withdrawn immediately, rendering the card inactive. Should thieves gain access before a theft is noticed, operators can identify when they breached security and – if there are multiple access points – where in the building they are at any given time.
Modern access-control systems also offer flexible access rights. For example, while all staff can generally gain access through a building’s main entrance, access to certain internal areas may be restricted to those with relevant authority. Access can also be restricted to specific time periods.
The plastic access card has long been the dominant form of identity verification. While they still govern access for most installed systems, biometric solutions – usually authenticating identity through facial, fingerprint and iris recognition – are becoming more reliable, affordable and widespread.
Often accused of being a conservative industry the access control sector is finally emulating its CCTV counterpart in embracing IP, open-platform technology, the internet of things and integration with, and interoperability between, building systems. Mobile access – gaining access using smartphones – is one burgeoning trend with numerous operational benefits.
December 7, 2018
Identity solutions developer HID Global has extended its HID goID mobile identity management solution for deploying and managing mobile citizen ID programmes. Read More
December 7, 2018
Security professionals now have hundreds of elements to consider - from fire to facilities, cyber to safety - in an increasingly complicated world. Our Security Periodic Table gives a visual represention of some of the key elements of security in 2014 and how they fit together. Read More
December 7, 2018
It’s the latest in a string of accolades in 2018 for the Brighton-based business, which was listed among the London Stock Exchange Group’s 1000 Companies to Inspire Europe, named in The Sunday Times 100 best companies to work for and won Company of the Year at the Brighton & Hove Business Awards. Read More
December 4, 2018
ACT Enterprise users can now to upgrade their premises to wireless access control with minimal additional hardware through Aperio. Read More
December 4, 2018
AnyVision, a developer of face, body and object recognition technology, is the first beneficiary of Qualcomm Ventures’ $100m fund for […] Read More
December 4, 2018
“With the release of these new cameras we are taking the effectiveness of ANPR for vehicle access control to the next level," said Maarten Mijwaart, MD of Nedap Identification Systems. Read More
November 30, 2018
HID Global has launched an ID card retransfer printer that halves the time it takes to print the first ID card and doubles overall throughput compared to many rival printers. Read More
November 30, 2018
The CEO of a pioneer in facial recognition believes development is driven by a desire to protect the public and – providing organisations procure systems with appropriate privacy protection – technology can focus on suspected criminals and “ignore everyone else”. Read More
November 29, 2018
Steve Wintle, Abloy UK's head of CNI, and Pip Courcoux, Sales and Product Manager for CLIQ, expanded on the benefits of CLIQ in critical national infrastructure in an interview with IFSEC TV during IFSEC 2018. Read More
November 22, 2018
Inner Range has launched a platform through which security staff can view intrusion and access control events remotely without creating a security risk off-site. Read More