How is ICT redefining security and building automation beyond just opening doors?

Access control is evolving beyond simple door access, as security systems, access control platforms, and smart building automation converge to unlock unprecedented efficiency, energy management, and integrated facility operations.

At The Security Event Asia in Singapore, New Zealand manufacturer Integrated Control Technology (ICT) showcased how its unified platforms are redefining the role of physical security systems in the modern intelligent building landscape.

ICT, known for its systems integrating access control, intrusion detection, and building automation, shared its operational philosophy with asmag.com in an interview featuring Ben Italiano, General Manager APAC, and Jacky Chow, Director of Sales for Asia.

From Single-Purpose to Central Data Hub: A New Thesis

ICT’s core strategy revolves around transforming the security system’s purpose from merely preventing unauthorized access to actively boosting enterprise efficiency.

“Our approach to security is no longer just about keeping bad actors out; it’s about letting efficiency in,” Italiano explained. “The modern security system is evolving into the central nervous system of intelligent buildings, with a focus on measurable operational efficiency gains and enhanced safety.”

At the event, ICT spotlighted its unified platforms, Protege GX and Protege WX, which enable deep integration with Building Management Systems (BMS). This connection bridges the gap between physical security and facility management, attracting significant interest from facility operators spanning data centers to healthcare providers.

Efficiency Through Data Convergence: A Deeper Dive

Traditionally, security systems and building automation have operated in silos, relying on static, pre-set rules (e.g., lights off at 9 p.m.). ICT’s integrated architecture allows systems to leverage real-time data from access control for dynamic facility management, resulting in tangible efficiency improvements.

1. Enhanced Security and Surveillance: From a security standpoint, integration facilitates automated responses to incidents. For instance, upon detecting an intruder, the system can instantly activate zone lighting, enhancing the quality and clarity of video surveillance recordings for improved evidentiary value.

2. Energy and Manpower Savings: By harnessing live access control data, businesses can drastically reduce unnecessary energy consumption and optimize staffing levels.

“Based on your access card usage, the system knows precisely where you are working,” Chow noted. “This allows us to dynamically activate only the lighting and air conditioning needed in occupied zones, while leaving surrounding, unoccupied zones off to conserve energy.”

This integration proves invaluable in self-service environments like storage facilities, co-working spaces, and hospitality. Guests or visitors can complete an automated check-in process upon badging in, minimizing the need for on-site staff and reducing labor costs.

Italiano illustrated this with a hospitality example: “In a hotel, the system can be programmed to switch on the TV or mood lighting when a guest enters, but not when housekeeping staff enters, preserving energy savings.”

3. Industrial Compliance and Safety: In strictly regulated industrial environments, the system ensures that heavy machinery cannot be activated unless a user with the appropriate, verified “privilege” credential badges in. Once the user leaves the immediate work zone, the system automatically shuts down the equipment, enforcing safety protocols and mitigating liability without requiring constant, manual human supervision.

Expanding the Definition of “Security Credential”: Beyond Door Entry

The unified platform empowers organizations to utilize access credentials for diverse applications beyond simply opening doors.

Chow highlighted a “Smart Office” deployment in Indonesia where employee access cards govern timed usage of amenities like PlayStation consoles and massage chairs—leveraging the security credential for automated amenity management.