Long gone are the days when a visitor management system was a rather large , beefy individual with ‘ No Regerts ’ tattooed across his neck . ( Yes , spelled like that . The irony !) Or having to fill your name in a scruffy book , with a pen held together by perspiration and sticky tape . Nowadays a visitor management system ( VMS ) needs to be efficient , reliable , integrated , secure and compliant with the Protection of Personal Information Act ( affectionately known as POPI ). Although the system is essentially there to protect individuals and their possessions , modern management systems offer a range of added services .

So what is a VMS ? Well , the name is pretty self-explanatory . “ Visitor management ” refers to the collecting and recording of a visitor ’ s information , while keeping track of their usage of a controlled environment such as a building or estate . By gathering information cumulatively , a VMS can keep a record of how specific visitors use the facilities and document their whereabouts .

“ The change from a manual book system to mobile technology has made a significant contribution to the acquisition of accurate and meaningful data ,” explains Glenn Allen of Enforce Security . “ Access control and visitor management have made vast strides

with the availability of technology to capture accurate information about visitors , contractors and others entering residential estates . Systems that are fully integrated with the estate management and access control allow for many value-added benefits .”

So how do you tell whether you ’ ve achieved a sound VMS solution ? Does it have to deliver a roundhouse kick ?

Strangely enough , it ’ s not too far off : an integrated system that works over your fibre network with your estate or community management system , managed by homeowners , management and security . Adriaan Odendaal from GLO-Portal expounds on the benefits of this integrated solution : “ Homeowners get access to a member module , which allows residents to manage their visitors via an app . The gate system allows for a flexible hardware solution through a gate application that runs off a smart device . The system is a totally integrated solution , linking directly to the central community management system ( CMS ) database and controlled by estate management .”

A basic system is required to verify , identify and pre-clear both individuals and vehicles . Some advanced systems do both facial and number plate recognition , which can make virtual booms possible , and have data-sharing capabilities between

estates , so lawbreakers on one estate can be denied access to the next estate . And this type of technological advancement is ongoing .

Soon our estate management will be introducing themselves as “ Management , Estate Management . Brewed , not instant .”

VMS and access control systems require personal data . While this has clear benefits for the protection of individuals and assets , what about POPI , and the protection of the personal information of estate visitors and contractors ? John Cato , CEO of IACT-Africa has been working very closely with estate management and the developers of VMS software . “ Consent and purpose ,” comments John , “ are the fundamentals of the act .” It is the responsibility of the estate to ensure that the visitor is made aware of how the information they are providing will be used , and the visitor is responsible for understanding to what extent their information can be used .

As more competition enters this market , finding a solution that will offer ease of access and security for all parties involved , while ticking all the technology boxes is possible , without breaking the bank , or like the old days , breaking any knee caps .

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SECURE LIVING