SAUDI-BASED Universal Building Materials Merchants Company (UBM), one of the leading suppliers of door hardware, specialised architectural hardware and mechanical products for 35 years, has launched new electronic security and safety systems on the market in association with its leading European and American partners. These include access control and time attendance, exit control, under-vehicle inspection systems and electronic hotel locks.

Access control system

According to Chethan Balashekar, product manager for the company, access control products are designed to preserve business processes, which is essential in times of increased competition.

“There are numerous threats including theft of knowledge, research and development results, destruction of important means of production, sabotage of production processes, loss of customer/employee data, theft of goods and destruction of inventory,” Balashekar says.

Business processes can be protected by securing the premises with an effective access control tailored to the client’s security needs.  One such company offering advanced solutions is the Germany-based Dorma.

“As a producer of system technologies that covers all aspects of doors, Dorma caters for all areas of security technology, door control and automatics to achieve comprehensive access solutions. Its products are perfectly engineered and guarantee perfect functioning,” he adds.

Time attendance system

In addition to access control and security technology, UBM also offers the possibility of maintaining an employee’s time and attendance record. The “arrival” and “departure” log is directly linked to a central attendance recording system, where it can be used, for example, for wage and salary administration.

“This not only save times but also minimises inaccuracies during the recording of attendance times,” says Balashekar.

“The company has continued to evolve and most of its customers trust its electronic attendance recording system which offers major advantages over the first generation electronic attendance recording systems especially with regard to evaluation possibilities,” he says. “Web-based professional software has been devised for both access control and attendance recording and uses the same dataset. Of course, the attendance recording system can also be integrated into other time management systems. Interfaces of well-known manufacturers such as SAP are compatibly mapped and documented using certificates.”

Emergency exit control

Another key safety and security concern is the safe evacuation of people in emergency situations.  To ensure the safety of occupants in such situations, it must be ensured that escape route doors can be opened at all times. At the same time, the company’s assets including fixtures, goods and know-how have to be protected from falling into the wrong hands and hence escape route doors have to be secured against unauthorised access.

Building security technology can be applied in places wherever conflicting demands have to be met, the spokesman points out. “With its systems for escape route security and door management, UBM is a supplier you can rely on. Its products are developed and manufactured according to state-of-the-art technological standards and current security regulations.

“Mechatronics components such as locking devices and locks are small but vital to secure objects. Integrated into access control systems, escape route security and door management systems, they are all part of a cog which keeps the clock ticking,” he says.

Under-vehicle inspection system

Meanwhile, UBM also offers under-vehicle inspection systems (UVIS) that can make light work of the arduous task of ensuring that no security threats are posed by vehicles entering the premises. Thousands of facilities worldwide incorporate vehicle identification and inspection processes into their perimeter security protocols, where gate officers need to maintain the highest standard of watchfulness when inspecting hundreds of vehicles on a daily basis, says Balashekar.

Automated UVIS provide a solution and are growing in popularity because they allow gate officers to quickly view images of a vehicle’s undercarriage on a computer screen, allowing them to see areas that are most often missed when using a ‘mirror-on-a-stick’, he says.

The innovative technology of under-vehicle inspection systems supports fast and easy detection of dangerous objects such as weapons/explosives, drugs/contraband and even the smuggling of human beings across borders or out of prison compounds as well as vehicle safety issues.

“In contrast to conventional vehicle underside control methods, like hand-held mirrors or inspection wells, UVIS facilitate reliable safety inspections without slowing down the flow of traffic at the access point. It is the only system that provides you a clear, seamless view of any type of vehicle’s undercarriage, increasing officer intelligence and alertness, making stand-off inspections possible, while providing maximum security and officer safety,” he says.

Electronic hotel lock system

UBM also offers electronic hotel locking systems for hotels from European manufacturers, which are described as being a perfect fit for any hotel. “They are easily upgradable, fit on existing mortise locks without requiring rework on the door, have a flexible design, and offer a choice of handles and finishes,” says Balashekar.

These systems feature next-generation contactless technology, superior reading quality, and high security encryption.

UBM has been a leading building products supplier in Saudi Arabia for the past three decades. The total solutions provider offers a comprehensive range of services from engineering design to delivery of products and services and manufacturing. The company has branches throughout Saudi Arabia supplying a wide range of specialised building materials from stock and undertakes direct import of materials for specific requirements/projects.

UBM’s latest tie-up for electronic security and safety products further enhances the services it has been offering its clients over the past 35 years with the best of European and American engineering technology, Balashekar concludes.