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The Rice Thresher
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by J. CAMERON COOPER THRESHER STAFF
All external doors in the newly renovated building are equipped with the device, in addition to the regular card readers. Keck also has a number of internal doors with only the iButton socket for entry. The Diebold system currently in place on campus is about 16 years old, and some pieces of it are no longer manufactured, according to Associate Vice President for Finance and Administration Neill Binford. "We need to upgrade or look for something to replace it," Binford said. An iButton is "a 16 mm computer chip armored in a stainless steel can," according to its manufacturer, Dallas Semiconductor. The Keck iButtons identify users much like the current magnetic swipe cards. When pressed into a special socket, an iButton can identify whether a user should have access to locked doors. The iButton devices themselves can be attached to a watch, key fob, ring, wallet or metal card. Binford said one of the main advantages of the iButton access system over the current one is flexibility. The current system requires central control for all operations, including user management and access operations, currently handled by the Campus Police. For the iButton system, "local control can be with the authorities of the building, and the police can have an override if necessary," Binford said. The iButton system also uses a computer network instead of telephone lines and doesn't rely on a central system for access control, Binford said. He said in the case of communications failure the system can continue to operate. Binford said the iButtons have other features that may prove useful. In addition to the ability to easily customize or reprogram the system, some iButtons themselves are based on Java technology and run a programmable Java Virtual Machine. Using such iButtons could allow more standalone authentification units that could be programmed to allow access - this would cut the expense of wiring the building in the traditional manner. "It's a new company and a new way of doing security," Binford said. "It has the potential for a very good possibilities." Rice ID cards are unlikely to disappear if the campus adopts the iButtons for building access. The cards are also part of the meal billing system and other systems. "We'll probably end up with both," Binford said. However, the iButton is not the only access control system under consideration, Binford said. Upgrading the Diebold system or switching to a system from another company are other alternatives. "Sometime this summer we should know enough to say if the new Humanities Building or the new colleges will get it," Binford said. - back -
This document may be distributed electronically, provided that it is distributed in its entirety and includes this notice. However, it cannot be reprinted without the express written permission of: The Rice Thresher, Rice University MS-524, PO Box 1892, Houston, TX 77251-1892, USA. The Thresher Online Project -- ethresh@listserv.rice.edu |
