The latest version of the SiPass Entro access control system, released by Security Products from Siemens, offers more support for smartcards. SiPass Entro 6.55 features upgraded hardware which handles the extra data associated with smartcards, besides new software and firmware to provide compatibility with most commonly used Wiegand card data formats.
This means that in organisations where smartcards are in use for other purposes, such as personal identification, it will in almost all cases be possible to use the same cards for access control, according to Siemens. Users with earlier versions of SiPass Entro now have an upgrade path that allows them to use the latest smartcards while retaining their existing wiring and access control database.
The user interface is consistent with earlier versions, eliminating the need for existing Entro administrators to learn new techniques, and major smartcard data formats are pre-loaded into the system as ready-to-use templates, so administrators require no specialist knowledge of card data structures or encoding, according to the manufacturers.
SiPass Entro 6.55can monitor and control access to facilities with up to 512 doors and 40,000 cardholders. It enables customised access rights by categories and offers a range of reports. Integration with CCTV installations based on SISTORE digital video recorders is also offered and, as SiPass Entro supports Windows Terminal Server 2003/2008, convenient central management of up to 10,000 remote sites is possible. For further information visit www.siemens.com/buildingtechnologies
