Visitor management continues to be neglected by companies and it is still not taken seriously, with little or no record keeping. Visitors also continue to provide false personal information to obtain entry into business premises. It is unlawful and it could have dire consequences for visitors as well as company executives.

 

The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHS) requires companies to keep a register of the entries and exits and a register must be available for inspection. With the advent of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPI), company executives are even more exposed and could face harsh fines or even jail sentences.

 

Ideco managing director Marius Coetzee says the POPI Act will dictate how organisations handle personal information and from a corporate security perspective, POPI will determine how organisations protect that data.

 

"Perhaps a highly positive consequence of POPI will be that it prompts organisations to rethink how they control access to their premises and systems and realise that it may be time to secure the foundations rather than adding another layer of shiny playing cards to the teetering construction of security," he explains.

 

Ideco recently launched its eBook, an Electronic Visitor Identity Management (EVIM) solution, based on a mobile data terminal with an integrated fingerprint scanner. It is the only offering of its kind that is fully compliant with the country’s newly promulgated Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act.

 

Coetzee says businesses should seriously consider stopping the use of non-compliant, outdated visitor management and access control systems and investing in a viable, credible and trusted electronic solution.

 

"Ideco's EVIM is designed to automate visitor registration and reinforce accuracy across all ID-based transactions to help combat escalating incidents of identity theft emanating from exposed visitor information in the traditional logbook," he says.

 

EVIM is the only visitor register that is fully compliant to POPI and OHS Acts, it offers next generation visitor management technology, ideal for use at boom gates and security checkpoints. It also replaces the old paper-based process with an accurate digital visitors register.

 

Some features are driver’s license and barcode scanning, live ID verification checks, customised visitor management rules, VIP and deny lists and appointment scheduling. Ideco's EVIM operates within all legal boundaries and not only saves costs, but is a state-of-the-art digital alternative to the traditional visitor book.

 

Unlike paper-based registers, all information is accurate, relevant and no information is openly exposed. The visitor data can only be accessed by authorised EVIM portal users. All South African ID numbers are verified against a national database and pre-assigned PINs can be used for international visitors.

 

"EVIM captures fingerprint templates as secure electronic signatures, digitally recording anyone who visits your premises. This can be used to prove their presence at your premises. By verifying the identity of all visitors, EVIM closes the most dangerous loophole in your access control and provides a potent deterrent anyone with criminal intentions," he concludes.

 

The offering marries the advantages of a digital visitor register system with security in the cloud and integrated fingerprint biometrics, reflecting a strong move in the industry towards the convergence of mobile applications and cloud services, with advanced visitor management systems.