Your name's not down...

Since then access control has progressed in leaps and bounds. The doorman has been replaced by the video entry system and the industry has moved into the age of computerisation; Windows-based and integrated software, network solutions and smart cards.

Contractors were brought up to speed at a recent conference at the Securex show. Access control is now a significant proportion of the total spent on security on many projects. The product lines include not only card access systems but also both audio and video entry, push button systems, article tagging, electronic and electro-mechanical products.

The reasons behind installing an access control system are obvious – safety and security – but how do you ensure that the system installed is of the best quality and to some extent future-proof? At a Securex seminar entitled The future of access control, Graham Oliver, md of Viking Security Systems, offered his view. Traditionally, the specification of an access control system was sent to the main contractor, who then sent it on to the electrical subcontractor who, finally, passed it to a security system subcontractor. This method is fine if the specifier is knowledgeable in security systems and their integration into any other system, like building management software etc. It all falls down, claims Oliver, if access control specifications are thrown together by incompetent or overworked individuals, bypassed for cheaper products or simply ignored.

Surely, a far better method would be for the installer – the electrical contractor or security contractor – to specify the system. This enables the client and consultant to build a proposal around a knowledgeable specification.

Once this hurdle has been overcome the question of the actual installation arises. As Oliver points out, the best way for a client to ensure that an access control system is installed correctly is to employ a competent approved installer. Electrical contractors can and should undergo training if they are to be considered a viable access control installer, whether it be on manufacturers' courses or one held by a trade association.

Customers are demanding more from their security installations – from securer buildings to integration with other services and remote stations. A recent survey in the USA found that large customers wanted central event management, a single point of programming and a common user interface for all of the company's security sites worldwide.

This type of installation is possibly out of the electrical contractors' league, argues Oliver, and should be left to the specialist. However, contractors must keep up with the constant changes happening in the marketplace if they are to take advantage of mid-range projects.

Vanda Murray, md of PAC, updated the audience on emerging technology. Manufacturers are moving towards integrated systems. Software integration will be designed into systems from the start, rather than using hardware links to achieve solutions. The security package will definitely be integrated into the building management system, meaning that manufacturers of cctv, perimeter detection, fire alarms and sensors and access control will start to work more closely together.

Swipe cards are changing too. Where once a card carried out a single function, now companies are specifying multiple operations like bar-codes for obtaining supplies and materials, magnetic strips for point of sale systems and entry to restricted areas, photo identification and even smart chip technologies.

Biometrics is perhaps the newest and most far out technology to enter the security arena. Fingerprint, voice and even retina recognition may seem like something out of the new Star Wars film but it is here today. The only barrier to it becoming widely used is the cost but even this is coming down slowly.

Both installers and end users could be baffled by new technology if they don't keep up-to-date. And training is the answer because unless you are prepared to invest a little there is no way that you will be able to reap the rewards on offer in the security installation market.