Smart cards and readers are commonplace across a range of businesses. They offer a range of security benefits by allowing you to grant and limit access to certain areas, so if you handle sensitive information, only certified people can enter areas where it is stored. 

These systems, often called access control systems, allow you to hand out smart cards to your staff or visitors, and you can manage all cards and fobs from one centralised location. This is ideal for any cards that are lost, as they can be deactivated instantly and not used by anyone else. 

Access control security is ideal for industries such as government, healthcare, education, and more. 

What is access control?

Access control is a type of security that limits access to buildings, rooms, and even equipment like computers and printers. 

Each person who has been issued a card or fob has their own user credential, which means that when they use their card or fob to access something, each scan can be seen on the management portal. This allows you to monitor who is scanning readers and when they are being scanned.

Access control systems can also be used for ticketing, contactless vending, and other types of transactions.

What is a smart card?

A smart card is a PVC card, often printed with staff ID, which contains a smart chip or magnetic stripe and is encoded with information that reacts with the reader to either deny or grant access.

If you have no need for smart ID cards, you can also use encoded key fobs with your access control system. These are small plastic tags that are ideal for attaching to a lanyard, badge reel, or keys and work the same as smart cards when granting or denying entry.

Plastic cards and fobs are encoded using software alongside either a plastic card printer or an external tap encoder. Most plastic card printers come with optional upgrades for encoding units, so you can print and encode your cards at the same time, saving you resources and simplifying the production process.

There are several types of access control technology from a range of manufacturers, including Paxton, HID, Salto, and ACT.  

Where can access control be used?

Access control systems can be used across a range of industries, as they’re ideal for personal safety and business security.

Many schools and universities use access control systems to limit access to campuses and to dedicated staff areas. This prevents any risk of theft of equipment with regards to computers and stops any unauthorised persons from being in areas where they shouldn’t be.

For education, access control can also be used for cashless vending and print release. This means that money can be loaded onto the card and can be used in canteens, as well as for pay-per-page printing in libraries.

Hospitals and healthcare settings also use access control to allow doctors, nurses and other staff to enter patient-restricted areas like medicine storerooms and surgical units. It’s also important that healthcare access control systems are contactless to prevent the spread of germs around vulnerable patients.

Businesses in the private sector use access control to secure their premises and allow employees access to certain areas.

Why use access control?

Access control systems are ideal for businesses of all sizes across a range of systems. With a centralised location for credential management, access control reduces the risk of theft and unauthorised access, ensuring staff and business safety.

For more information about why you should use access control systems in your organisation, please get in touch with a member of our expert team.