Security Tech Talk – Entrance Controls and Turnstiles
Controlled staff and visitor access into and beyond the lobby is a challenge for many organizations. High traffic flow, elevator management, and other considerations can complicate a security plan. Often, those lobby management challenges are brushed aside, leaving the access control system to do the heavy lifting at each office door. This is a major problem for the safety and security of any organization. To meet expectations of the public and safety-minded organizations, smart turnstile solutions are an effective entrance control solution.
When you hear the word turnstile, you may think about a subway system with an industrial looking barricade and a revolving metal bar that’s accessed with a prepaid transit card or coins. Turnstiles have evolved and are right at home in the most ornate lobbies, high-end offices, and high-security government buildings.
Modern, architecturally pleasing turnstiles are often optical turnstiles. Most are equipped with half or full-height glass barriers, rather than metal doors or a revolving bar. The housings that create the walkway are now constructed of the finest architectural materials to match the design and materials of their lobby.
These new turnstile solutions aren’t simply better looking than their predecessors. They’re also outfitted with the latest technology to improve security and reduce overall maintenance costs.
Access control readers can be integrated into the turnstile. This can be a card credential reader or even a biometric reader, like a fingerprint or palm reader. In most cases, these readers verify the credential and let the person pass quickly through to the secure side of the lobby. In some cases, the turnstile reader is also integrated into the elevator control system, automatically restricting the visitor or employee to a specific elevator or specific floor.
When many turnstiles are deployed, it can be difficult to know when a visitor or employee is having trouble using their credential. A guard in the lobby can be notified immediately when entry is denied and can be directed to the specific turnstile to immediately intervene, lend assistance, or investigate.
When it comes to maintaining turnstiles, technology plays an important role now as well. Systems can be programmed to open and close specific turnstile lanes to level out usage across the entire set of turnstiles. When a specific lane is having a technical problem, systems can automatically notify onsite maintenance.
A Trusted Partner
Turnstiles applications require that an appreciation for architecture and office culture be combined with minute technical knowledge and security integration experience. Our experienced system design team understands that every organization has unique IT and physical security challenges. We have the extensive security experience and IT capabilities you’ll need to ensure physical and cyber security compliance.
Netronix evaluates the challenges, performance expectations, environmental conditions, and IT requirements at your facility. Input is gathered from the security team, facilities staff, IT department, administrators, and other stakeholders. We perform a site survey, inside and outside, to uncover potential vulnerabilities. Once risks and expectations are defined, our team designs a unified security solution. Products from a variety of leading manufacturers are assembled into a custom design.