How likely is downtime on your ID access control system to pose a threat to your building security?
One of the most fundamental issues to consider when purchasing any kind of IT system is the stability of the products and on-going support you can expect to receive from the system supplier. Arguably, this applies even more so when it comes to photo ID systems, for many reasons. Thermal card printers are more complex than normal printers and badge design is often new to the system operator, meaning a steep learning curve. Getting to grips with exporting data and images and the importance of understanding the cameras, thereby ensuring that crisp pictures are taken of the staff are also important if the system is to be used effectively. On complicated installations, support should begin before an ID system is even purchased, in the form of pre-installation consultancy. This should involve discussion with the customer to establish their exact needs to ensure that the best solution is specified. Given the wide choice of software, printer and camera options available, sound advice at this stage is critical and can pre-empt problems further down the line.
Planning stage
The next stage is a planning meeting with customer’s IT team to decide how best the ID software can be run on the company?s IT infrastructure and it goes without saying that the ID supplier should have knowledge of all the major IT platforms. Even on simple stand-alone installations a detailed IT audit should be conducted ensuring that the system will be able to run smoothly on the equipment already in place. Once the ID system has been purchased, installation by qualified engineers is paramount. The importance of not letting a poorly-qualified person loose on a company?s IT infrastructure cannot be emphasised enough.
Training needs
System training needs to covering hardware and software. The system is only as good as the operator. The supplier that trains well will have happy customers to spread the good word and as an added bonus will have fewer support calls to answer! It is always a good idea to check with the supplier before buying how detailed their training is ? ask to see their training procedures and check that it covers everything. As for on-going support, does the supplier operate a telephone support service, does it carry out regular maintenance services on the hardware, and where there are hardware problems which cannot be resolved by phone, will the supplier offer on-site maintenance visits or just a swap out service? Finally, can the supplier provide a regular customer service for the next day provision of quality accessories and genuine (not cloned) consumables at competitive prices?
About Jersey Police
The States of Jersey Police researched the ID systems available before they decided on Kalamazoo?s Validate. Ian Skinner, Planning and Research Manager comments: “We chose the Kalamazoo system on price and customer service levels. We needed to be sure that the system would run smoothly and that any problems would be sorted out quickly. Since we have been using Validate, we have only had to call for help once, such was the attention to detail given during the installation and training.” So before you decide on an ID system, be very sure that this significant investment is well protected, to avoid costly downtime, the knock on effect of which is compromised security. A good supplier will be happy to answer all your questions and to supply testimonials. Visit www.ksp.co.uk
