itatec

biometric clocking and access control

Network Management Solution

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Network management involves :

  • configuring
  • maintaining
  • monitoring and
  • troubleshooting.

It is important to identify :

  • which parts of your network are dependent on one another
  • the performance graphs on the network
  •  which devices are more prone to failure than others
  • when devices should be replaced to prevent hardware failure

With industrial networks, many of these complicated tasks are done manually. Wouldn’t it be ideal to automate these management tasks with software? This will improve the efficiency of the network management process, and that’s exactly what network management software does.

Network Management Software

With NMS, it is possible to quickly assess the status of your most valuable asset – the network. Many networks today are so complex that if anything is amiss, it takes a long time to locate the problem. In this kind of situation, attempting to fix the problem without an accurate picture of what is wrong leads to *troubleshooting* in the dark. With proactive network monitoring, it is possible to locate problems before they become emergencies, and locate emergencies before they become catastrophes.

Administrators in most sectors have long enjoyed the benefits of network management software on enterprise networks. IT administrators can identify which services are most heavily used; when or where to add more resources; and how to maximise uptime. The problem is that most NMS software packages are not actually network management software in the true sense of the term, but are actually *enterprise network management software*. NMS is an excellent solution when used in the situations for which it has been designed.

NMS software must monitor the full scope of the network, including services, servers and routers. This includes high-level information such as whether or not the web server is up, or if the office has a connection to the outside world.
Industrial automation networks are on a different level, ‘closer to the ground’ of operations, with many switches and edge devices. Industrial engineers need accurate and prompt low-level information. NMS provides extraneous information about higher-level information that simply confuses the picture. As software originally created for a completely different field, NMS demands a skill set that will be unfamiliar and perplexing to automation engineers

Morpho Readers

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Over the last decade, biometrics has become the preferred technology for many identity management implementations in the Southern African region. One of the major players is the Morpho brand from Safran. Morpho has been available since 1979. The design of Morpho fingerprint terminals evolved through extensive experience in biometric solutions.

Morpho Technology

Fingerprint-based identity management solutions can run in tandem with numerous other systems used where identity-based fraud is rampant. Innovative IDM solutions can minimize criminal activities in many areas of business, inter alia, workforce management, canteen access, or account management. Reliable identification is of fundamental importance in industries where environmental hazards will be encountered. In harsh working environments, it is essential to be able to locate all staff at all times.

Testing and benchmarking surveys by the US National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) and NIST Minutiae Interoperability Exchange (MINEX) consistently rank Morpho algorithms among the world’s top performers. Morpho algorithms are able to manage more than 2 billion fingerprints worldwide.

A fingerprint is captured as a template. The unique pattern formed by true minutiae points distinguishes one fingerprint from all others. Typically, a fingerprint has around 80 minutiae points. These minutia points are the positions on a fingerprint where ridges split or end. A damaged fingerprint could have 150 minutia points, of which some 50% may be false. If these false points are misinterpreted there is a strong probability of mismatching. Morpho algorithms recognise and exclude these false minutiae and are able to store accurate templates. This capability has been clearly proven in environments that typically exhibit the worst quality fingerprints – mining, construction, agriculture, manufacturing and pension payments.

Scanners’ Surface Area Size

The size of a scanner’s surface area determines the size of the fingerprint read and minutiae data that can be captured – the larger the surface area, the larger the amount of data. Morpho scanners can capture a lareger fingerprint area and data, so an authorised user can place his / her finger differently at each clocking event and a positive match will result.

Morpho terminals operate in identification mode, verification mode or a combination of both.

  • Identification* compares a person’s fingerprint to all records in the database, returning an exact match and positively identifying that person. This process is called one-to-many or 1:N.
  • Verification* matches a user’s fingerprint data with additional information, for example, a password, ID number, PIN or card. This process is called one-to-one or 1:1.

Morpho’s superior scanners and algorithms’ analytical and predictive abilities deliver faster and more accurate identification than any other fingerprint technology.

Installing Access Control Systems

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To install a hardwired access control security system, you will need a professional technician.

We recommend the following installation strategy :

Plan
Before you begin installation of your wireless security access control system, you will need to ascertain where to place the control panel and window and door sensors.

Install the Control Panel

The first item that you will install is the control panel. The control panel should be easily accessible, (we suggest that it be installed close to the front door, and within easy range of an outlet and a phone jack).
This installation only requires that you drill holes into the wall and screw the control panel into place (use anchors if you’re not screwing into a stud). For greater security, you can run the power cord inside the wall. Failing that, it is best to keep the control panel out of view. If an agency will be monitoring your access system, run a line from the phone jack to the control panel.

Install the Sensors

The next step is to install sensors. We recommend that sensors be placed on all easily accessible windows and doors. Thus, if someone attempts to open the windows or doors while the alarm is on, the alarm will ring. To install the sensors, drill into the frames of the doors and windows. One part of the sensor will go onto the frame, and the other on the window or door. Ensure that the two parts line up properly. Breaching the contact point between the two parts of the sensor will set off the alarm. In some instances you might need to use an adhesive patch to hold the sensors in place.

Set up the Access Control System

With the hardware in place you’re ready to set up the wireless security access control system. (Full instructions are in the user manual.) First you’ll need to verify that the control panel and all the sensors are communicating. If not, you might need to alter the frequency of the sensors. Then set your own security code for the control panel – *never use a default code*. This code should be easy to remember but not obvious. Key in your unique code and set it as outlined in the user manual. Turn the system on.
To test the system, leave the house and close the door. Then go back into the house. The alarm will sound in about 30 seconds. You can then switch the alarm off.

Change in the Security Industry

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Change in the security industry is inevitable:
Times and seasons change, so does technology. Each day presents something new in the field of technology: so it is critical for companies, organizations and government to keep up to date with security developments.

The security industry, in particular, feels the impact of changing needs throughout the world. Persons in the security industry, including government institutions that deal with security, are compelled to keep up with this constant change in technology.

A time is coming where physical characteristics of employees (eyes, faces, behaviour aspects, signature or voice recognition) will be used to permit access to certain areas. In fact, some manufacturers of biometric readers, for example Anviz, are offering such devices – that is why Itatec has agreed to a core partnership with Anviz to distribute and support Anviz’s exciting wide range of products. We believe that the success of each Anviz product in the market is based on unique features that distinguish it from like products.

The current wave of change taking place in the security/biometric industry is inevitable because of more specific requirements for unbridgeable security systems. Researchers have highlighted the necessity to use physical characteristics to secure data and control access to buildings.
The directors of many companies are realizing the importance of time-and-attendance to their companies. There is, therefore, a demand for biometric devices which can perform the dual functions of employee recognition and time-and-attendance. Anviz T50, T60, VF30, OA1000 or AO1000 Mercury, combine this 2–in-1 function and are easy-to-use and to install. Because companies have differing access control and time-and-attendance needs, devices that manage access control or time-and-attendance are the Anviz D100, D200, EP300 and A300. In all, these devices save money, time and electricity.

The fact is that the South African security industry has been using fingerprint and card readers for many years. And Itatec has been able to meet the needs of many organizations. But we cannot shy away from upgrading current systems. It is important for companies to keep up-to-date with changes in biometric technology.