Distributor Training

Group 4 Technology is committed to offering all our customers a complete quality solution, during and after installation. To enable you to get the most out of your system it is vital that we supply the very best ongoing support throughout its active life.

Our purpose designed Training Facility in Tewkesbury, incorporates all of our latest security systems equipment and is fully equipped with audio-visual training aids. Our range of courses extends from day to day operator training through to full systems management.

The flexibility of our training options has resulted in many of our customers investing in the on-going training of their security managers and staff; so enabling them to gain the maximum benefit from their Security Management system.

Our approach to training concentrates on being fully participative, thus encouraging attendees to gain as much experience and knowledge as possible via a hands on approach. Our courses are structured to encourage a commitment to learning and the ongoing development of ideas.

Access Control Distributor Training Courses

We hope to be flexible in the provision of training for our Distributors, matching the courses we offer to experience and needs of each student. We also want to make our courses relevant to the way in which individual distributors sell and install our product range.

However to make it easier for distributors wishing to send engineers for training we have produced a set of recommendations shown below.

These recommendations include two Core Product Training Courses with a number of options.

The duration of each Core Course and each Option is listed so that the appropriate time can be planned when arranging a course.

We can customised a course to suit a particular distributor, this may include omitting something in the Core Course and adding an Option keeping the core course duration the same or extending a course by adding a number of Options to be undertaken at the same time.

Distributors are welcome to take the options separately as required.

Core Course 1 – Software and Standard Hardware (4 Days)

Day 1 – Professional Edition Software Operation

Using pre-configured systems training is provided on the features and software set-up.

The purpose of this is to enable the student to have an understanding of the software, its capabilities, features and configuration i.e.

All User menu items. (installer issues will be covered on days 3,4)

Alarms Maps
Cardholder Visitor Management
Access Control Permission management
Management of operators
Running of Reports on the system set-up and system activity.
Checking the status of the system and exercising commands
System activity and locator.

Practical exercises around given scenarios
Suggestions on how to achieve the best out of the system
Understanding how to make enquiries on the system when a function is not operating as expected.
Covers the installable options of:

Guard Tour
Muster
Dial in / out alarms functionality

Day 2 – Hardware

Basic system configuration and design.

The course currently covers the following hardware types:

multinode 2 SMD
Series 600 and 700 cardreaders.
HID manufactured wiegand readers.

Product familiarity: recognising each type of controller / reader and the corresponding switch setting; links, connectors, LED’s etc. Choosing cable types and distance limitation considerations.
Connecting the hardware.
Configuring the hardware in the software.
Connecting inputs outputs locks.
Commissioning and fault finding.
The course will cover all the controller types, Group 4 manufactured readers and other wiegand interface readers using HID as an example.

The course will cover dial up modem and LAN connectivity in addition to hardwires links.

Should an attendee use a specific card reader type then this can form part of the course, configuring the reader to work if the reader and some sample cards are provided in advance of the course being attended.

Many distributors consider elements of the above unnecessary, however hardware related issues dominate calls to our support facility and we would not recommend excluding the above subjects.

Day 3 & 4 – Professional Edition Software Installation and Commissioning

Configuring the computer / network / clients / backup devices / Options.
Installation of a web client Server
Installing the software.
Configuring software and connected hardware.
Chain types
Controllers
Cardreaders
Inputs and Outputs
Networking - workgroups / domains
user permissions
Advanced Software options on networked systems
Fault finding
Backup and Restore of databases.
Email Alarms
Video imaging pass products
Installing capture cards
Adding a printer
Producing card designs
Card encoding
Overview of other options not covered on this training course.

Note : The above is based on four days of full training starting at 9.00 and finishing at 17.00.

Optional Items

The following optional items can be included within the core course extending the 4 day course as required. The subject together with the duration of the option are shown below:

Description of magnetic / wiegand cards and setting up card formats
0.5 Day
For those distributors who regularly connect third party card readers to the access control system and require a better understanding of how the system can be configured to accept other manufacturers readers and cards.
Digital Video & CCTV switching management principles
0.5 Day
Covers the principles of interfacing the access control system to a CCTV switcher and a Digital video management (DVM) system. Covers one switcher and one DVM system and principles of operation.
Import / Export functionality
0.5 Day
Provides information on the Import Export options available.

Core Course 2 – Enterprise Edition & Global Edition Systems (2 days)

A prerequisite for the course is that the basic course must have first been undertaken and the student has sound understanding of computer operating systems.

Access Control Systems can extend to large enterprise systems of unlimited size using the full power of Microsoft SQL.

Additional Global Enterprise client software can provide links between individual based systems to provide centralised alarm monitoring or centralised card database management.

This course covers building an Enterprise Edition System from the beginning, including:

Advanced system design.
Configuring all the Operating Systems currently supported and User Permissions.
Installing SQL.
Considerations working over wide area networks.
Upgrading a system to Global capability.
Loading and configuring Global Enterprise clients.
Managing multiple companies.

This course is for those who are required to or likely to install an Enterprise Edition or Global Edition system in the near future.

The course provides a workshop environment to test and understand the system and its configuration.

It also provides an insight into the database structure.

The course may be extended to include any of the options not previously covered on the basic course.

Booking a course

We have at our head office in Tewkesbury comprehensive training facilities to allow engineers to be fully trained to install, commission and support our manufactured products.

To be a certified installer of our products and receive meaningful technical support it is necessary to attend training at our factory facility.

We provide training free of charge for the nominated technical principle of each distributor of our products. This training is held at Tewkesbury and is subject to the distributor paying their own travelling and accommodation costs.

Should a distributor require other people in their organisation to be trained then a charge is made for each place required.

To find out about - the availability of training courses, the current costs for attending a course (except those who qualify for free of charge training) and to make arrangements to book attendance on a course then contact should be made with our Training Department.

The particular requirements with regard to course content can be agreed at this time.

Please note that all our Training courses are conducted in the English Language.

The training department will be able to take your booking, assist with travel arrangements and provide joining instructions for the attendee.