After touching upon some of the benefits and considerations of having an access control system for your organization in Tuesday’s blog post, we wanted to share some additional insight into biometrics—a growing segment of the access control and security industry. Originally known for their high price point and a user experience that left much to be desired, biometric platforms were rarely considered for widespread implementation. As the technology continues to advance, and prices come down, biometrics could now begin changing the landscape of widely practiced access control methods.

In his article, Biometrics Becoming an Increasingly Practical Access Control Solution, on campussafetymagazine.com, Steve Perna does an excellent job of dispelling previous perceptions. He also introduces many much-improved aspects of biometrics, as well as the subsequent extended benefits they can furnish organizations that deploy them. The opportunity for biometric access control “is especially ripe.” He points out that end users are tired of spending thousands on new and replacement credentials. That recurring expense is an “investment that does not add any incremental improvement in security year-over-year,” according to Perna.

In addition to eliminating the expense of having to replace lost or compromised physical access cards, he goes on to point out additional benefits now available with biometrics applications when applied to time and attendance, inventory control, company messaging and general security. The value of the system now has the ability to extend beyond security and provide a greater return on investment.

If you have previously believed biometrics to be an impractical form of access control for your business or organization, Perna’s article does an excellent job of shifting these long-held perceptions. The overall security benefits and lower cost barrier, definitely make a strong case to take a look at biometrics again.

If you would like to learn more about potential applications of biometrics for your organization’s access control system, we would be happy to provide a one-on-one consultation to answer any questions and help you determine what might be the best system for you. Please reach out to our Security, Access and Vigilance Systems Integrator for Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, Dan Gelinas at 207-249-5505.

 

 

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