Whether your business is large, small or something in between or you are looking to add a bit of security to your community or home access control systems such as gates can be useful. In order to be certain that the only people entering your business or home are people you have authorized it is pertinent to create some type of substantial material boundary. Many business and homeowners find the best way to do this is using an automatic gate system.
Automatic gates include a combination of physical parameters along with an access control system which dictates who has met the requirements set forth to enter. In basic terms a computer (access control system) has been programmed with a criterion that authorizes entry. This can be something as simple as a keyless remote that unlocks the gate and allows it to freely open.
Access control points come in many shapes and sizes. They differ based on need. Here are a list of different option in access points and where you may find them.
- Turnstiles – Turnstiles are found in several places that need to control how many people have access to a space at any given time. One example of this is amusement parks. People tend to crowd on platforms and spaces designed only for an allotted amount. Turnstiles give the ride assistant control over the number of people allowed into the space. This then allows them to freely load the ride and then return to the turnstile allowing a controlled number of guests in at a time.
- Doors – Doors are commonly used in hospitals to control where the public is allowed to enter verse where nurses, doctors and hospital personal can go. Many times you will see a door locked and either a buzzer is placed so that you can buzz to be allowed in and out. This is common in maternity wards where visitors come and go but nurses need control to eliminate the possibility of babies leaving in the wrong hands. Other areas are accessed through the use of card readers. Each hospital employee allowed access in the area will have the code for that card reader programmed onto the magnetic strip on their hospital ID.
- Security Gates – Gates can be found in several different forms and basically anywhere you can imagine access needs to be controlled and monitored. Driveways, business lots, parking structures and gated communities are just a few of the many places security gates can be found. Access can be controlled using many different methods of controls such as remotes, card readers, scanners or transponder systems.
Access control points allow admittance based on information and signal given by the person seeking entry to a reader who then continues to verify the information based on preset criteria. If all of the criteria are met then the computer will send a signal to open and allow entry. If the information is entered and does not match or is incorrect a signal the control point will ignore the signal and stay shut. Often after access information is entered incorrectly after a certain number of times the machine will need to be reset by an authorized administrator. This is for the safety and security of the people or information that is being secured by the access control point.
The access control system you need will be determined on the level of security needed. Homes are often secured with simple automatic gates while business lots may use simple swing arm gates. Office buildings may have simple card readers or may require biometric readers to match fingerprints for entry. You will see the higher security the more credentials will need to be met to gain access. A combination of them may be used for instance in government or medical situations.