Access control software is designed to be used on a dedicated computer and may interfere or be interfered with by other software. Often access control software had coding that seizes certain memory addresses during operation. If those addresses are in use by another program, the conflict could damage one or both software programs.
Security technicians are trained in the installation, use and troubleshooting of access control software programs but not in commercial word processing, database management or accounting software. This is particularly worth noting if your access control computer is utilized for these other programs. Application software and data could become corrupted, partially deleted, or lost during the troubleshooting process. Although some manufacturers suggest that their programs are simple enough to operate in “resident memory”, they do not come to your facility when a problem occurs. Over the years our experience has shown that, in the long run, a dedicated computer for controlling security systems is less problematic and more cost effective.
The use of graphics programs or action games has the effect of stealing memory on Windows computers. If computers are not regularly cleared by rebooting, memory loss could reasonably be expected to negatively impact the operation of the access control programs.
