Caveats: NONE
I inherited a prox-card system at Lowell and I loved everything about it
except the software to administer the cards. The software we used was
Access Gold (AG) and I would not recommend it. What ever software you
select I would recommend that it:
--Can be administered by multiple people. Preferably a web based client
where you can grant access as needed with authentication based on AD or
other login credentials. AG could only be administered directly from
the server. You can use VNC and other tools to mitigate this but it
should be built in to the software.
--Allow for easy/fast search and retrieval of any given card's past
access or cards used at a given door/access point. Ever months worth of
data added 5-10 minutes to searching the records and the reports were
difficult to read unless you really understood the system.
--Allows you to group access points. Example: If you have 4 doors that
provide access to the dorm, you should be able to group them all into a
single group called "Main Entry". And grant access to that. AG made
you define user groups and they add devices individually. This meant it
took a lot more time to build out the user groups (especially in a
building with 21 external doors).
Most systems allow for this functionality but as I looked for
replacements (2 years ago), I was surprised how many lacked one of the
above. We also looked at swipe cards to extend the system to other
buildings, but despite the lower initial cost, the general consensus
among vendors was to stick with the prox system since the ware-and-tear
(read: repair frequency) was significantly lower on prox systems since
they required no physical contact.
Also, in our environment people generally preferred prox on key fobs
instead of the cards. They were a bit more expensive, but they tended
to be far more durable and did not get lost as frequently.
_J
___________________________________
Jason Johnson - Program Director
Web Services Branch - Walter Reed Army Medical Center Ingenium (ISO
9001:2000 certified)
Office: 202-782-1047
Cell: 202-262-0516
jason.johnson@ingenium.net
jason.p.johnson2@us.army.mil=20
-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for independent school educators
[mailto:ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Allyn Bushlow
Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 12:57 AM
To: ISED-L@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: Key cards in dorms
Anyone out there happy with a keycard entry system in their dorms?=20
Looking for a card swipe or proximity key card entry system, similar to
what's used in hotels. Success stories or systems to stay away from are
appreciated.
Regards,
Allyn Bushlow
Director of Technology
Stevenson School
3152 Forest Lake Road
Pebble Beach, CA 93953
831-625-8395
abushlow@rlstevenson.org
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Classification: UNCLASSIFIED=20
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