New from PAC and GDX, the access control and door entry product company, is its new Architect readers, offered with a lifetime warranty. By integrating radio frequency identification (RFID), near field communication (NFC) and Bluetooth technologies into the range, the firm says smartphones can be used as an access control identification tool.
Architect can be configured to suit applications from a single door to an integrated, global, internet-based system. There are two variants. The ‘Architect-A’ is a compact reader, while the ‘Architect-One’ is a mullion reader, designed for fitting in small spaces. Both variants are available in two options, with RFID only or with Bluetooth & RFID.
Pete England, Global Product Manager for PAC and GDX said: ‘In modern workplaces the vast majority of employees have smartphones, so utilising these devices for access control purposes makes perfect sense. Put simply, people don’t want to be carrying multiple keys and tokens around when their smartphones can do the same job. Architect is the only solution that provides secure identification modes without the constraint of having to swipe a card.’
Architect offers five identification modes. Card Mode allows a smartphone to be used as a classic badge, Slide Mode makes a user’s hand a card, and with Tap-Tap Mode a user taps their smartphone twice and a Bluetooth signal is sent to the reader to unlock. Remote Mode allows a smartphone to be used as a remote control and, last but not least, Hands-Free Mode means a user can walk past a reader.
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) organisations must do all they can to avoid unauthorised access to personal information. When using an Architect reader, the process is highly secure thanks to the encrypted SQL databases and an EAL5+ crypto processor. AES 256-bit SSL encryption is also employed at server level – the same grade used by banks and hospitals – while master key databases are not stored but regenerated and authenticated after each use. This means that there is no transit of personal data when using the reader.
The readers are designed as weather resistant, chemical resistant and able to self-extinguish in a fire. They are also vandal resistant to IK10, which means that they are protected against 20J of impact. This is equivalent to the impact of a 5kg mass dropped from 400mm above a surface.
As for being environmentally friendly, the entire unit is recyclable, as no resin is used. The use of smartphones as credentials reduces the need for physical tokens, which reduces inventory, as well as logistic and transport costs. As for style, bespoke fascia designs are available to match corporate profile.
Pete England added: ‘PAC & GDX is driven by constant innovation and the desire to push the boundaries of what’s possible with access control. Smartphones offer new possibilities and it is estimated that over 20 per cent of people within organisations will be using them for access control by 2022. It’s why we have launched the Architect range, which combines convenience, flexibility, operational ease and efficiency, high levels of security, modular scalability and a vandal-proof design. Anyone with a traditional physical based token and reader system that wants to embrace newer technologies now has the perfect solution within reach.’
Visit www.pacgdx.com.
