INDUSTRY NEWS
INDUSTRY NEWS
GARTNER SAYS THAT 20 PER CENT OF ORGANISATIONS WILL USE SMARTPHONES IN PLACE OF TRADITIONAL PHYSICAL ACCESS CARDS BY 2020
Mobile technology is already widely used for logical access control .
In 2016 , less than five per cent of organisations used smartphones to enable access to offices and other premises . By 2020 , Gartner , said that 20 per cent of organisations will use smartphones in place of traditional physical access cards .
‘ A significant fraction of organisations use legacy physical access technologies that are proprietary , closed systems and have limited ability to integrate with IT infrastructure ,’ said David Anthony Mahdi , research director at Gartner . ‘ Today , the increasing availability of mobile and cloud technologies from many physical access control system ( PACS ) vendors will have major impacts on how these systems can be implemented and managed .’
PACS technology is widely deployed across multiple vertical industries and geographies to secure access to a wide range of facilities ( buildings , individual offices , data centres , plant rooms , warehouses and so on ), ensuring that only entitled people ( employees , contractors , visitors , maintenance staff ) get access to specific locations .
Mobile technology is already widely used for logical access control . Phone-as-a-token authentication methods continue to be the preferred choice in the majority of new and refreshed token deployments as an alternative to traditional one-time password ( OTP ) hardware tokens . Gartner projects that the same kinds of cost and user experience ( UX ) benefits will drive increasing use of smartphones in place of discrete physical access cards . Smartphones using technologies and protocols such as Bluetooth , Bluetooth LE , and Near Field Communication can work with a number of readers and PACS technology .
One of the easiest ways to use a smartphone ’ s access credentials is to integrate them — via a data channel over the air or via Wi-Fi — into the access control system ( ACS ) and ‘ unlock the door ’ remotely ( just as an ACS administrator can ). This approach requires no change to reader hardware .
Using smartphones can also simplify the integration of biometric technologies . ‘ Rather than having to add biometric capture devices in or alongside readers , the phone itself can easily be used as a capture device for face or voice ( or both ), with comparison and matching done locally on the phone or centrally ,’ said Mr Mahdi . ‘ This approach also mitigates the risks from an attacker who gains possession of a person ’ s phone .’
The technology ’ s limitations remain a challenge . For example , there ’ s significant disparity in functionality between smartphones , and some security and risk management leaders should be aware that their physical card readers and PACS might require a significant upgrade to use smartphones for physical access . ‘ Nevertheless , replacing traditional physical access cards with smartphones enables widely sought after cost reductions
and UX benefits ,’ said Mr Mahdi . ‘ We recommend that security and risk managers work closely with physical security teams to carefully evaluate the UX and total cost of ownership benefits of using access credentials on smartphones to replace existing physical cards .’
SELECT CALLS FOR REGULATION WITHIN THE INDUSTRY TO ENSURE PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
Electricians are vital to the domestic and wider economy and , as such , should be regulated by the Scottish Parliament , according to SELECT , the campaigning trade body for Scotland ’ s electrical sector .
It has taken this irreducible position as a considered response to the issue of rogue traders who portray themselves as qualified electricians and pose a distinct and continuing threat to safety in Scottish homes .
Government statistics have shown that 69 per cent of all accidental fires in Scottish homes are caused by electricity and SELECT is highlighting the need to flush out untrained or inadequately trained personnel .
It has produced a detailed report which documents the seriousness of the situation , and illustrates it with case studies which graphically demonstrate the unscrupulous practices of unskilled individuals working in the construction and electrotechnical industries .
Newell McGuiness , managing director of SELECT , said , ‘ The level of qualifications that electricians currently have to achieve certainly qualifies them as professional people and they deserve to be recognised as such . Each year also , fires arising from dangerous electrical installations load costs on to insurance companies and our emergency services .’
The report asks that the electrical installation industry in Scotland should be regulated in law to put an end to widespread shoddy workmanship in the domestic sector and thus protect householders from injury or death from electrical causes .
SELECT ’ s aim is the delivery of the highest standards of professionalism and workmanship . It promotes constant improvement to meet this goal . It believes that the industry should ensure basic standards of safety and competence so that any customer can rely on any electrician he or she may employ .
To view the full report visit : www . select . org . uk
NAPIT KEEPS MEMBERS BUSY
NAPIT has announced that after successful trials in 2016 the NAPIT Keep Busy Scheme , powered by Quotatis , has been launched nationwide , exclusively for NAPIT members .
The Keep Busy Scheme is a lead generation service designed to help you get extra work , build your reputation and grow your business . NAPIT is working with Quotatis to offer NAPIT members access to a full range of business tools including Smart Leads and the Smart App . The service allows customers to access Smart Leads on a phone or PC , call customers more quickly with alerts for new leads and send them quotes which they can accept online .
The Smart App and Smart Dashboard that come with the system are built to take the stress out of managing customers . There is no need for a lengthy paper trail to handle jobs – now this can be managed all from a mobile phone , tablet or desktop . Whether it ’ s managing workload , sending quotes to consumers or making sure payment has been made , the Smart App and Smart Dashboard can help .
Rather than having to chase customers , the service makes it easy to see how much has been earned and how much is owed . All the information required is stored in one place . Customers that have paid are listed in the payments section and you can see whether that payment has been deposited into your account . Payments can also be taken online via the Smart Dashboard ; just call the customer and take a card payment over the phone . Quotatis , part of the ADEO group , is a nationwide home improvement service provider that has been delivering sales leads and marketing services since 1999 .
Michael Andrews , the NAPIT Group chief executive , said , ‘ As a business , we are constantly striving to ensure that our members thrive in every aspect of their everyday work through our various support packages . We have produced the NAPIT Keep Busy Scheme with Quotatis as an extension to this to give them the best possible chance of having a prosperous 2017 .’
NAPIT members can visit napit . keepbusy . co . uk for more information and to sign up for a free trial .
EXPERT WITNESS – CHARITY CALLED ON ELECTRICAL SAFETY
The prosecution of a high street retailer – for selling fake charger kits – used Electrical Safety First ’ s expertise to make its case .
Brought by Carmarthenshire Council , the prosecution is the first where an unlimited fine was applied – previously , they were limited to a maximum of £ 5,000 . Together with costs , the retailer will have to pay a total of £ 190,000 . One reason given for the increased penalty was the retailer ’ s failure to issue a rapid alert recall notice via RAPEX – the European rapid alert system for reporting dangerous products . Not undertaking timely and effective communication with consumers , to alert them to the dangers of the product , was also highlighted by the Judge .
The charger kits – of which 72,000 are known to have been sold in the UK – included adaptors lacking adequate insulation between circuits and loose wiring , which increased the risk of fire or electric shock .
At the request of the court , Electrical Safety First produced a report on the risks associated with the chargers and Stephen Curtler , product safety manager at the charity , was on hand to provide expert evidence during the trial .
‘ The outcome of the case clearly shows that electrical product safety is being taken seriously ,’ explained Martyn Allen , head of electrotechnical at Electrical Safety First . ‘ The Judge ’ s comments , which were highly critical of the recall process undertaken by the company , echo the findings of our major report – Consumer Voices on Product Safety . This raised the need for manufacturers and retailers to do a lot more than stick a notice in the back of a local paper , or retail premises , to engage with consumers .’
6 | February 2017