2N has launched a new access control reader, the 2N Access Unit 2.0, which simultaneously supports three access technologies – multi-frequency RFID cards, PIN via a touch keypad, and Bluetooth-based smartphone credentials. This offers the flexibility to provide different access control options for different users, depending on their needs or preferences.
Employees have different preferences for gaining entry to an office building. Options include using a smartphone, RFID card, PIN code, or two-factor authentication.
In residential buildings, the same flexibility is required: younger people often prefer mobile access – but with a PIN code as a backup option in case, for example, their phone runs out of battery. Elderly residents, on the other hand, sometimes favour an RFID card or PIN as the primary method for accessing their building.
As well as flexibility, the 2NAccess Unit 2.0 avoids wasting space and money by combining multiple devices and modules. This makes installation very straightforward and also streamlines the management of the site’s access control devices.
The 2NAccess Unit 2.0 is compatible with another newly-launched product, 2NPICard. 2NPICard lets administrators create a unique cryptographic keyset for every site and then use that keyset to encode new Protected Identity Credentials, which are put onto RFID cards. 2NPICard Commander is built on Mifare DESFire technology and combines high security with a uniquely simple workflow.
Michael Nicholson, Business Development Manager for the UK & Ireland at 2N, said, “The 2NAccess Unit 2.0 is a direct response to rapidly growing customer demand for more flexibility over their access control options. One of the central pillars of the current era in access control – which we at 2N call ‘Access Control 3.0’ – is multi-user technology because projects have different needs, and no two users are the same. Maximising usability, therefore, means maximising flexibility.”