South Africa now has access to integrated workforce management and security solutions thanks to a demonstration of combined Cisco and Kronos solutions. Exhibiting at the recent Information Security Conference (IFSEC) in Johannesburg, Bytes Workforce Management drew attention to these solutions which it says support easier and more efficient employee management.
Mike Ellison CTO Workforce Management Division a division of Bytes Systems Integration says these solutions leverage the power of Internet protocol (IP). “With the launch of Cisco Systems’ Connected Safety and Security products together with Kronos Workforce Management, integrated, internet protocol-driven solutions which do more with less overhead are now a reality,” he notes.
Kronos Workforce Management, Ellison continues, steps in where traditional Time and Attendance stops.
“The main purpose is still Time and Attendance; however, with add-on applications ‘Workforce Management’ comes into its own. With Workforce Scheduling applications, Accruals, Job Costing and Workforce Analytics, Kronos allows employers to fully understand how, where and when employees are adding value – and that translates into the ability to manage better,” he says.
With the Kronos solutions integrating fully into Cisco’s products, Ellison points out that transfer of employee data between the two systems delivers even more value. He explains: “All the solutions we provide to the security industry are IP- based. With Cisco’s edge devices, such as cameras and field controllers, it is now possible to combine the data generated by the Kronos solutions with data and images from Cisco’s products, to achieve a ‘triangulated’ view of operations.”
As a Cisco gold partner of several years standing, he says Bytes Workforce Management adds further value to these solutions through its expertise in network design, implementation and support. “We’re the largest locally owned IT company in Africa to offer professional IT services to the access control industry.”
Be that as it may, Ellison says Bytes’ position is something of an industry secret – one which it is working to dispel. “At IFSEC, the visitors who engaged with us were often surprised that Bytes is involved to this extent in IP-based video surveillance and Access Control, and even that Cisco is a major supplier of this technology. However, the demonstrations showing the integration of Video, Access Control and voice were particularly well received and generated substantial interest in the possibilities which can be opened up through the integration of these complementary systems.”