The school environment must be conducive to learning and free from any undesirable incidents (e.g., illegal entry and kidnapping); as such, school administrators need to address this dilemma. Biometric fingerprint scanning represents a significant step in how schools can manage and communicate student safety and attendance.
This blog discusses the development of a software intended for mobile monitoring and alerts through the integration of biometric fingerprint scanning and short messaging service (SMS) by Pahappa–Hikvision biometrics.
Based on observations, traditional personal authentication systems use personal tokens like an Identification card (ID) that could be forgotten, lost or stolen. Thus, it does not resolve the issue of the proper identification of students.
Further observations showed that biometric fingerprint scanning is one of the best alternatives and accepted methods of authentication nowadays. It provides accurate identification of users, tracks and audits records of users. It can’t be lost or stolen, no password memorisation is required; thus, it is more reliable and user-friendly.
Pahappa – Hikvision integration (What is Pahappa Providing?)
Pahappa has developed and is providing a custom SMS service software platform that integrates seamlessly with Hikvision biometric devices. This system enables schools to automate SMS notifications based on biometric events, such as clock-ins and clock-outs, improving communication and tracking with parents.
This system provides accurate user identification, monitoring, and SMS alerts, which could be used by the school administrators.
Features of the system platform that enable this integration and its SMS functionality
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Dashboard
This is the central hub where school administrators monitor the overall status of the system. It displays summaries of attendance data, SMS activity (e.g., number of messages sent, successful deliveries), and potentially system health. It provides an overview of the automated communication.
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Modules (SMS)
The SMS module confirms the platform’s capability to send personalised messages to the parent, which is the output of the biometric integration.
This module is responsible for:
- Receiving attendance data from Hikvision biometric devices via their APIs.
- Processing this data (e.g., matching biometric scans to student records).
- Interacting with the SMS module to trigger notifications based on predefined rules (e.g., clock-in, clock-out, unexcused absence).
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SMS Settings
This is where the configuration for sending automated SMS messages based on biometric events takes place:
- Sender ID/Masking: Schools are able to configure their recognisable sender ID (e.g., “SchoolName-SMS”) here, ensuring parents know who the message is from.
- API Credentials (Indirect): While not directly visible, this section or an underlying configuration would house the API keys or credentials for connecting to the Egosms gateway for message delivery.
- Delivery Preferences: Settings related to message delivery, such as retry attempts or rate limits, could be configured here.
- SMS Template: This is arguably one of the most important features for making parents happy through automated communication. It allows schools to predefine the content of the SMS messages.
Schools can create specific templates for various biometric events:
- Clock-in Notification Template: “Dear Parent, [Student Name] has arrived at school at [Time]. [School Name].”
- Clock-out Notification Template: “Dear Parent, [Student Name] has left school at [Time]. [School Name].”
- Absence Alert Template: “Urgent: [Student Name] has not checked in at school today. Please contact [School Contact Number].”
Why Choose Pahappa – Hikvision Biometric Integration?
Customer Care
Pahappa provides dedicated and responsive customer support, ensuring that any technical issues or queries regarding your Hikvision integration are addressed promptly and effectively.
Performance
SMS notifications are delivered efficiently to ensure timely communication with recipients. The service handles bulk SMS sending with speed, catering to businesses with high messaging needs.
Reliability
It ensures dependable delivery of SMS messages to parents. The service maintains high uptime and stability for consistent communication.
Conclusion
Integrating Fingerprint Biometrics with Egosms’ bulk SMS technology offers schools in Kampala an effective way to enhance safety, communication, and parent engagement. Egosms provides affordable plans, free integration with biometric systems, excellent customer support, high performance, and reliability. By utilising these features, schools can create a safer, more connected environment for students and parents. Visit our website at https://biometrics.service.pahappa.com.