Good prospects for contactless access control

ASSA ABLOY’S Identification Technology Group (ITG) was created during 2002 to coordinate the Group’s interests in this increasingly important area, which includes electronic accesscontrol technology.

ITG comprises three us manufacturing companies – HID, Indala and Card Technologies & Services (CTS) – plus a us-based Research & Development Center and four sales and distribution companies – AccessID in the USA and three others in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

HID and Indala both manufacture contactless card and reader systems based on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. More than 95 percent are used for physical access control. HID is moving towards sophisticated high-frequency smart-card products, exemplified by its newly launched iCLASS system, while Indala mainly produces simpler proximity systems. CTS manufactures Wiegandtechnology access-control products and specializes in value-added security printing options. These options include custom artwork and anti-counterfeiting technology such as holograms and uv inks.

An evolutionary market
“The market rose slightly in 2002,” reports ITG President Joe Grillo. “Private-sector investment was lower than in the technology boom years, but this was partly offset by increased public-sector spending due to security concerns in the aftermath of 11 September 2001.

“Our industry is evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Movement to next-generation contactless smart cards is slow but ongoing. Looking ahead, experts predict that electronic security and especially access control will eventually return to double-digit growth.”

Recent consolidation in the industry will drive ITG’s growth by creating large, sophisticated corporations seeking suppliers capable of worldwide response and support. Another driver is the trend for large companies to combine their it security and physical security. Thirdly, penetration of the technology is currently lower outside the USA. “This gives us good potential in the whole of Europe, in Asia (notably China) and in Latin America,” Joe Grillo says.

Bright future for smart cards
HID’s iCLASS technology represents a major investment in a true multi-application smart card. With its higher data storage capacity, faster data transfer rate and greater security based on encryption of data, the card can be used, for example, to control access by opening (or not opening) doors, to pay for meals in cafeterias and to log on and off a computer network. Early orders have come from the Chicago Board of Trade and Anixter’s international headquaters. For added security, iCLASS cards can carry the holder’s biometric template. Three major biometrics companies are incorporating iCLASS into their biometrics terminal devices, and HID will launch its own branded biometrics readers in 2003.

“Indala had proved itself over 14 years with a reliable product and good service,” says Anthony Artrip, Director of Security for the University of Miami’s School of Medicine. “So when we needed to upgrade our access-control system, we chose Indala’s ASP technology. We spread the conversion over two years, and ran parallel systems while it was in progress.” The new system, which uses electromagnetic proximity cards and readers instead of the earlier electrostatic technology, is faster, more efficient and more secure. There are 6,000 cardholders, 300 readers and 1,200 alarm points.

Leader in advanced technology
ITG has helped to improve the manufacturing costs of the CLIQ technology. The Interconnectivity project is another important collaborative enterprise. “The object is to offer a simple installation solution for everything associated with a door,” Joe Grillo says. “A single two-wire bus will connect the lock, card reader, sensing device, request-to-exit device and other securityrelated items. This standardized interface will help installers to complete their work faster without errors and service engineers to detect any problems when carrying out maintenance.”