Case Studies

Swipe for schools

by msecadm4921

North Wales High School Emrys ap Iwan commissioned local security and IT installer Spider Technologies to look at a replacement for their exhausted swipe card system. Spider recommended a fingerprint reader.

 

 

Specialising in ICT and electro-technical services, Spider Technologies has been providing PAT testing, bespoke software and digital signage alongside access control, since 2005.  Spider Technologies became a registered Paxton installer.

 

Spider Technologies were initially approached by Emrys ap Iwan before the IFSEC show to investigate fit for purpose and robust access control to replace their original swipe cards as they were causing the school problems. After attending IFSEC and researching possible solutions, Managing Director of Spider Technologies, Steve Jones, decided n the ievo Ultimate fingerprint reader. After a one to one demonstration with one of ievo’s account managers in August 2011, Steve made an order of multiple Ultimate readers which he would later install at the school to be activated as early as September, in time for the next academic year. The school previously used a swipe card system, whereby about 250 sixth form pupils and 100 staff would gain access around the building.  Not only was the system difficult to maintain but it became ever dearer to run because pupils kept losing their cards.  All the ievo Ultimate readers secure and monitor access on entry points between two main school buildings, which enables further control over sixth formers and the rest of the school year groups. Steve Jones of Spider says: “Having researched an access control solution to solve the problems faced at Emrys ap Iwan there was no doubt in my mind that ievo would be fit for the job. Obviously, I had never installed an ievo biometric reader before, therefore I did have some technical questions. My ievo account manager visited the installation site on a couple of occasions in order to facilitate technical support. I was incredibly pleased with how well ievo Ultimate interfaced with Paxton Net2, it made the installation process run a lot smoother and of course reduced disruption on site, which was a major relief because I had a tight schedule to abide by, for the system to be completed before the next school term began.”

 

Nayland Southorn, headteacher of Emrys ap Iwan, adds: “Ysgol Emrys ap Iwan in Abergele, N.Wales is a very large school, spread over several sites with multiple entry/exit points. This has always posed a significant access and security problem for us, with students, staff and visitors alike. Our existing swipe-card system was proving to be inadequate for need and increasingly difficult to maintain.  We contacted Spider Technologies to look in to the issue and they operated with great speed, professionalism and efficiency to investigate our concerns and to come up with a reliable and cost-effective solution. The rapid installation of the ievo Ultimate fingerprint readers has proved to be a tremendous success, immediately solving all of our access and security problems in one fell swoop.”

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