It’s time to better define integration. In the first two papers of the RS2 White Paper series, the firm examined the subjects of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and Open Architecture as they relate to access control systems. They concluded that an important element of TCO was the use of Open Architecture and that, in turn, Open Architecture was the “cornerstone of integration.”

This integration allowed end-users to build completely integrated security systems incorporating access control, badging, CCTV, digital or network video recording and analytics, intercom, intrusion detection, wireless/IP locksets and other functions such as visitor management.

The newest White Paper from RS2 endeavors to provide a useful definition of integration (as it pertains to access control systems), provides several examples (including diagrams) of discrete integrated systems, and discusses what the next step(s) might be along the road to even higher levels of integration.

It also lists some of the questions that end users should ask the vendors of access control systems and the systems integrators who install these systems. Readers are then encouraged to apply these conclusions to their own evaluations of access control systems.

What is Integration?

Not too many years ago, when defining a word, writers would quote the American Heritage or Merriam-Webster dictionaries. In keeping with the times, we find Wikipedia’s definition of “system integration” to be very useful for the purposes of this White Paper.

For the White Paper go to: http://www.ask.com/bar?q=RS2&page=1&qsrc=0&ab=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rs2tech.com%2F