Security Sales & Integration

November 2012

SSI serves security installing contractors providing systems and services; surveillance, access control, biometrics, fire alarm and home control/automation. Coverage in commercial and residential product applications, designs, techniques, operations.

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UPSELLING ACCESS CONTROL FIND IT ON THE WEB added or deleted at any time right at the door. It is important to remember that there are diff erent types of chassis available. Cylindrical, mortise and exit trim options are available, as well as a wide variety of fi nishes and levers to group with their existing hardware. Mechanical key override is standard and compatible with multiple cylinder types. Keep in mind that with the migration to electronic credentials, your customers' mechanical key system is not as likely to be compromised. Not only are you helping them increase their access control security and fl exibility, you are also eliminating the costs and frustrations of constantly cutting keys and rekeying locks. What do you say to your customer to get them to spend more money on access control? First of all, ask them what they want and listen to their needs. T is simple act plus your knowledge and explanation of what is available will greatly help your customer make a decision based on their broader needs. Stress to your customers they will have more fl exibility in what they want to achieve now and in the future. A baseline EAC lock off ers a variety of options. You are there to help them customize the right solution for their facility. With both offl ine and networked solutions they can control where and when people gain access by setting up rights and schedules in a central database and then transfer this information to the locks. In an offl ine application, they will have to use a handheld device and tour the locks when changes are made. T ere is greater convenience in a networked application because the customer can simply change access rights via a piece of software and these changes are generally in real-time. What is gained in an offl ine solution is price but what is lost is the fl exibility of the networked system. You also have the ability to tie in various video surveillance systems in a networked application. ESTABLISH FUTURE NEEDS It is important to know your customers' credential strategy regarding the future of their system. Electronic locks now come with various reader options. T ese include 12-button keypads, magnetic stripe readers, magnetic stripe plus PIN readers, proximity readers and proximity plus PIN readers. T ere are even electronic locks now with smartcard readers as well as smartcard plus PIN readers. It is also worth repeating here that the electronic lock that you choose must be compatible with your customer's mechanical key system. When it comes to key systems there are many acronyms that you may never have heard of before, such as SFIC (small format interchangeable core) and FSIC (full The online version of this story includes additional reporting on how open architecture locking systems can customize door openings with multiple options. Visit securitysales.com/upsell-EAC-1112. BHMA Grade 1 certifi ed and UL294 listed. Select models are also compatible with leading brands of exit trim, including those from Von Duprin, Falcon, Sargent, Precision 21, Yale, Corbin Russwin and Dorma. A wide variety of fi nish and lever options are also available. T ese locks are typically powered by off - the-shelf batteries. It is important to note how many are needed, what type and how long those batteries last. End users that take the mechanical pushbutton lock approach need to know for relatively the same price they can procure battery-operated electronic pushbutton locks. The electronic lock mechanically performs the same and introduces your customer to the basic EAC mindset. size interchangeable core), and it helps to have done your homework on the specifi c system your customers use. Commercial electronic locks are rugged, which is oftentimes a concern of customers. Most manufacturers today test their locks to the highest quality and reliability standards. T e electronic parts of these locks are built upon the foundations of their rugged mechanical lock counterparts and are also ANSI/ 58 / SECURITYSALES.COM / NOVEMBER 2012 PROMOTE OPEN ARCHITECTURE As dealers and integrators that have taken this step have learned, EAC becomes self-promoting. Once the client starts to implement EAC, there is often the demand for more and more features. You've probably noticed the customers themselves will start requesting progressively more access control options. T at's when the customer becomes a prospect for a true EAC system. T at is also when you want to start promoting open architecture for more fl exibility, scalability and a growth path for even more sales. Remind your customer that security applications frequently are installed in stages. Too often, through the years, diff erent brands with various operating mechanisms are installed. T e products operate independently without integration into one system. Oftentimes, the hardware and software systems are proprietary and not compatible with other components. Security directors today need to choose access control systems that can be upgraded to create an enterprise security system. T ey need systems that can meet current safety and security issues, as well as accommodate emerging technologies that allow the system to expand and adapt as needed. Such solutions should be able to operate current technologies, as well as those under development, without compromising or risking investments in their present systems. For instance, while 125kHz proximity is common in PHOTOGRAPHY ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/DAVEWHITNEY

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