Barclaycard are Europe's leading credit card issuer, with approximately 11 million cards in circulation worldwide. At present, one in every five credit cards in the UK is a Barclaycard and there are currently 8.4 million UK users. Barclaycard is accepted in over 22 million locations spanning more than 200 countries and there are currently 600,000 ATMs and banks available to Barclaycard customers.
Barclaycard were established in 1966 as the UK's first credit card. In 1977, the company became a partner of the international VISA system, leading to the subsequent introduction of Barclaycard Mastercard in 1990. At present the company offers 11 different cards, each catering for a different market. Barclaycard were also the first card services provider on the Internet, with over 800,000 customers now regularly taking advantage of Barclaycard's online account services. This activity ensures that Barclaycard remain the UK's leading Internet provider of card services.
In 1996, through a competitive tender process, Group 4 Technology was selected as principal electronic security provider for Barclaycard's new Headquarters Building at Brackmills, Northampton (known as 'Freshfields'). Barclaycard were already aware of the high quality products and services provided by Group 4 on account of their existing Plantime (flexible time recording and management) system.
The Freshfields site was also home to an extensive credit card production facility necessitating access control, CCTV and alarm systems. In addition to the Freshfields site, Group 4 has also provided a smaller integrated solution for Barclaycard's Teeside Facility. Since installation, the system has been expanded on a number of occasions, further securing the strong business relationship with Group 4.
Due to continuing expansion, Barclaycard's card production facility was to be relocated in 2003 into a dedicated high security building, also in Northampton. Working in conjunction with the principal contractor Interserve Projects, Group 4 designed, manufactured and installed an integrated security solution for the new site. The installation comprises leading edge technologies encompassing Group 4’s multiMAX integrated access control, CCTV, intruder detection and flexible time recording systems.
In 2004, Barclaycard invited Group 4 to develop proposals to upgrade the CCTV system at Freshfields to a similar specification of that provided at the new card production facility. The implementation of this system was undertaken during the latter part of 2004. The security solution spanning both sites comprises:
- 80 colour cameras (internally and externally) comprising fully functional external domes, fixed external traditional style cameras and internal fixed ceiling domes.
- Digital video recording, providing recording for all cameras 24 hours a day and archiving for 31 days, integrated with the access control and alarms monitoring systems
- 100 magnetic stripe card readers connected to multiMAX access control system - Infra-red keyfob readers to identify forklift truck operators entering and exiting secure loading bays via high-speed roller shutter doors.
- Central multiMAX Client/Server PC with two additional Clients PCs communicating over Barclaycard's existing LAN/WAN infrastructure.
- 4000 current card holders
- Integrated alarm system incorporating panic buttons and movement / vibration / acoustic detectors
multiMAX, the access control solution from Group 4 Technology, is a scalable enterprise system capable of coping with unlimited cardholders and configurations. The software is designed, as you would expect from a Microsoft© certified partner, as a user-friendly, secure package, which includes many innovative and unique features. 
