Biometric access control is a type of access control system that uses an individual’s unique physiological or behavioural characteristics to confirm their identity and grant access to restricted areas.

Biometric access control systems, as opposed to traditional access control systems that rely on key cards, fobs, or codes, use an individual’s unique biological features for authentication, such as fingerprints, facial recognition, iris or retina scans, voice recognition, or even hand geometry.

Biggest Benefit of Access Control

The primary benefit of biometric access control systems is the increased security they provide. Because biometric characteristics are unique to each individual, these credentials are extremely difficult to duplicate, forge, or share, making them a more secure option than key cards or codes, which can be lost, stolen, or shared.

Because of their enhanced security, convenience, and ability to quickly and accurately authenticate users, biometric access control systems are becoming increasingly popular in a variety of settings, including offices, government facilities, research labs, and data centres.

We know you want a price straight away! But, we want to give you an accurate price and to do that, we need to check out many things on site including (but not limited to):

• Internet
• Power locations
• Ceiling and wall construction
• Listed status
• Whether there is asbestos
• Whether it’s an emergency exit
• Are there any environmental factors which could influence reliability
• How long the installation will take
• Whether you want it to integrate with other security systems or fire alarms

If you’d like a rough idea of how much systems cost, you can read our comprehensive article on how much access control systems cost here

Biometric access control systems certainly come at a cost, and this will vary greatly depending on the manufacturer, the quality of the system, and the related software.

On a sliding scale, fingerprint scanners are now an affordable solution, as are facial reader (but be careful with quality of both of these). Venal and iris scanners are more expensive, and generally reserved for high security requirements. Voice recognition scanners are rare and not generally used as a form of commercial access control (yet!)

Cost vs Security

These biometric systems represent a sophisticated form of technology, and whilst there are more affordable options available, it’s critical to bear in mind that you should not compromise the security of the system and the data it manages for the sake of cost savings.

No, not all biometric readers are the same. Biometric readers can be classified based on the type of biometric data they collect and process. Here are some common types of biometric readers:

Fingerprint Readers:

These are the most common type of biometric readers. They capture the patterns of ridges and valleys in a fingerprint to create a map that is used for identification.

Facial Recognition Systems:

These systems use cameras to capture facial features from a photo or video. They then use algorithms to compare the captured facial features with the ones in the database.

Vein Recognition:

These scanners capture the pattern of veins under the skin by bouncing infrared light through the dermis. This is often done on the back of the hand or the finger, your highly complex and unique venal network is then turned into a biometric template. Vein patterns are unique and remain stable over time.

Iris Recognition:

These biometric readers identify the unique patterns in irises, which are the coloured area around your pupil.

Voice Recognition:

It’s non-contact and easy to use. Using vocal verification for access control is a relatively new concept. There is a different between speech recognition – that is being able to interpret what someone is saying, and vocal verification which is using what someone is saying to identify that they are who they claim to be.

Each type of biometric reader offers different advantages in terms of user acceptance and suitability for different environments or applications. Read our leading article on whether all biometric readers are the same here

Yes, most biometric access control readers are designed to be waterproof and robust to withstand various environmental conditions. They typically come with an Ingress Protection (IP) rating, which is a standard that denotes the degree of protection provided against the intrusion of solids and liquids.

For instance, Almas’ facial recognition and fingerprint readers mentioned have an IP rating of 65.

What does IP65 mean with regards to biometric access?

This means they are dust-tight and protected against low-pressure water jets from any direction, comparable to rain or a sprinkler. However, they are not designed to withstand extremely high-pressure water streams, like those from a fireman’s hose, which could potentially cause damage.

Despite this, under most normal and even challenging conditions, such as inclement weather, these readers prove to be robust, reliable, and tamper-proof. Their design ensures they can provide consistent performance and maintain the security integrity of the system, making them suitable for a variety of installation environments.

Right equipment for the right location

As with all security equipment, it’s important to consider the specific environmental conditions of your site when choosing and installing your biometric readers.

Some systems take a picture of the biometric attribute and save it within the software, some softwares encrypt and convert this data so it’s stored as code rather than an image. It’s important to investigate which approach your potential supplier uses because the second is much more secure than the first one!

What is absolutely vital is that any business contemplating adopting a biometric entry system must conduct a privacy impact assessment and comply with GDPR regulations.

Read all about biometric data storage in access control systems here

Pre-enrolment of visitors, staff or VIPs before events can streamline processes and reduce long queues, thereby improving your users’ experience and reduce ticket touting or staffing substitution.

Read more on biometric technology in the events industry and how it can help reduce the challenges faced here.

Our biometric readers using anti-phishing technology which can distinguish whether the credential presented to the reader is a real person or a photo.

Complicated and clever technology but easy to use! Almas’ approach ensures that your access control system is set up to your needs upon installation and we are always on hand to help if key users move on and additional training is needed.
We will work with IT departments to make sure your infrastructure is set up for your new system and liaise with them regarding GDPR considerations so you know all your data is safe and sound.

They can be installed almost anywhere.. We always conduct a site survey before giving a quote because we want to be certain we’ve given you an accurate price.

Various factors such as building construction, whether it’s listed, asbestos and more all factor in. Generally we can install pretty much anywhere but if you want us to put a reader on an ocean of glass we may have to say no!

We have a number of biometric solutions, but each device can register at least 3,000 users (up to 50,000 on some).

Multi-modal options like PINs or cards can be used as a backup. Ultimately when considering whether to implement a biometric system, you must communicate with your teams and if they don’t want to use their face or finger, then you must give them an alternative way of clocking in or gaining access.

The ICO has a wealth of information around data security and compliance with regards to biometric systems. You can read more here

Biometric identification and authentication are thorny subjects. In an increasingly digital world we are sharing more data than ever on line and as criminals get more sophisticated, so do checks to protect us!

With the advent of GDPR in 2018, the issue of data privacy, especially online was addressed. We believe that the benefits of biometric systems should be weighed against data privacy and all systems should be designed from a privacy first standpoint.

We wrote an article back in 2019 about this and we still think it’s interesting! You can read more about whether biometrics will see the end of identity documentation here