Access Control
Access Control is merely the term used for the managing and restriction of access into and throughout a premises. Access Control can be applied
to a solitary door or be comprised of thousands of doors spanning the whole world! Cosmic can be provide Access Control systems of any type and
of any size.
Typically Access Control systems work either in a standalone mode or in a networked mode.
Standalone Mode
When operating in standalone mode, this is where access card readers and locks work by themselves to restrict access through the specific door in which they are installed. Card numbers are programmed locally into the card reader so that when presented, it knows which cards are allowed, or not allowed, to enter through the door. Typically, access control works out more cost effective than a traditional 'mechanical lock and key' based solution because if you lose a key it typically results in having to replace the whole lock and then cut new keys which can be costly! With access control, if a card is lost we can simply remove that card from circulation so that it cannot enter through any doors! A standalone access control system is the most cost effective form of electronic security to restrict users from freely going through any door.
Networked Mode
A networked access control system operates a little differently. Each door, or group of doors, will have a 'door controller' which manages the card readers and locks for its given door(s). These door controllers make the decisions of who can, and when, go through the given door(s). Typically these door controllers will communicate with one another and make use of Cat5e, Cat6 or Cat7 cabling (either as its own dedicated network or as part of the main building network). The door controllers can share information amongst themselves, for example, verifying if a given card can go through any doors at any time or if there are set rules for the card. These systems have become more popular than standalone as networks have become the standard means of communication in buildings of all types, they allow for more intelligence and resillience than a standalone system and can be expanded to far greater sizes. A networked system would typically have a PC or Server to manage all of the settings, databases of the system and also will typically provide a Graphical Interface for system operators to see activity in the system, to add or withdraw cards and generally manage the system.
Aside from cards and fobs, biometric technology has become more widely used especially for critically secure areas. Fingerprints or iris recognition devices can restrict access based on your fingerprints, eye retinas and other unique biological identifiers.