Standalone offline locks are a cost-effective way to upgrade your customer from traditional mechanical locking devices. They provide security that’s more convenient than traditional mechanical locking devices. Your customer will also get:
- Audit trail reports that tell you who went where and when.
- Options to update users and access rights at the lock using the keypad, authorized credentials or a handheld programming device.
- Ability to program automatic lock and unlock times as well as holiday schedules.
- Ability to easily add and delete users, track usage and manage data – all without installing a facility-wide network.
This gives your customers more control and allows them to manage their system more efficiently than with a traditional mechanical system. These computer-managed locks are ideal in situations where users may want the convenience of a networked system but do not require real time status signal monitoring, such as in a one-door application.
Computer managed offline locking systems are cost effective and easy to install because they do not require routing network cables or power wires when retrofitting an existing facility with electronic access control. These standalone, programmable, battery-powered locks are networked through software to provide audit-trail capability and time-based scheduling for restricting access.
Standalone locks, exit trim and offline hard-wired controllers, which manage strikes and magnets, can be programmed using access control software from a laptop or PDA. Credential types including PIN codes, magnetic stripe cards, proximity cards and smart cards can utilized with this type of system. New users, access points and access privileges can be entered into the system in seconds. Updates can be uploaded to each device via a hand held programmer or programming credential.
With such standalone locking systems, security professionals can become very creative and provide a balanced approach to access control. Such systems facilitate simplified, uniform access control administration. Multiple openings on a campus or in a building can be managed with a variety of stand-alone locking solutions that share common access control software, simplifying management by eliminating redundancies associated with managing multiple systems. These battery-powered, standalone locksets and exit trim always provide code compliant free egress and are very easy to retrofit.
Using the system’s software, the system operator can easily control both users and access points based on time of day, day of week, credential needed and/or period of time. Reports show audit trails retrieved, access privileges granted and time functions established by either the user or door. With a PDA, the administrator goes to the opening, plugs in the interface to the locking system right at the door, and uploads new access instructions to the lock while downloading audits of who has been through the door and when.
Access rights can even be assigned to users by credential and/or time function, providing the system operator with maximum flexibility to control the flow of people into, through and out of a facility. Selectable functions include time zones, time activation and expiration, auto unlock time scheduling, first person in and holiday scheduling. A variety of reports are available to help manage a facility more efficiently including audit trail data, access privileges data, and time function schedules by user or door.
Whatever the credential, administrators can perform various functions including momentary and maintained access, lockout, one-time use, supervised and even linked access, in which a code must be used in tandem with a credential. Linked access reduces the probability of lost or stolen credentials from providing unauthorized access. These computer managed locking devices can even manage up to 5,000 users per opening (very useful for those facilities that have high turnover). They will also provide audits on up to the last 5,000 events that occur at the opening.
Karen Keating is product marketing manager, electronics, Ingersoll Rand Security Technologies
