User:JeremyMalies/sandbox

Traka plc Traka is an international manufacturer of key management control solutions, access control equipment and keyless electronic lockers. The company is headquartered near Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. Traka products are distributed globally and installed at schools, colleges, prisons, police premises, transport hubs, utility sites and critical infrastructure. Turnover in 2013 was £14.74m and the company employs 130 people.

History
Traka was formed in 1995 and began by manufacturing key cabinets for use at Gatwick Airport by British Airways to ensure that keys for ground support vehicles were managed in a secure way. In 2012 Traka was acquired by ASSA ABLOY, a Swedish lock manufacturer with market capitalisation in 2013 of $14.89bn.1

Principal contract awards for Traka have been supplying the Ministry of Justice (United Kingdom) with fingerprint key management systems to replace manual dispensing of prison keys2 and provision of key management systems to the Metropolitan Police Service’s Royalty Protection Squad.3 Recent projects include key management systems at BT Group’s International Data Centre in Cardiff.4

Products and services

Traka’s key cabinet and locker products ensure that access to keys and other assets such as computers, tools and weapons are restricted to authorised users, with designated items being released according to the user’s job profile and seniority. A central database records when a key or asset is used and by whom.

Traka’s nickel-plated cylinder iFob units, with keys attached, lock into receptor strips within a key cabinet. Advanced applications involve the iFob unit becoming a key in itself which can discriminate between staff members. When inserted into a receptor socket on a piece of equipment such as a fork-lift truck or server data rack, the iFob and an immobiliser on the receptor determine if the staff member has sufficient privileges to use the equipment, start the vehicle, enter the controlled area etc. iFobs are used in this way by Tesco5 at their logistic centres, and in petro-chemical and mining environments where the associated databases can be used to enforce regulations regarding maximum hours of work in hazardous areas, validity of training certificates etc. In this way, the iFob permeates health and safety policy. It can also mandate issue of equipment rather than restricting it by ensuring that, say, a petro-chemical worker only enters certain areas after taking charge of a respirator or a prison guard only enters a secure wing after taking charge of an attack alarm.

Traka have also developed intelligent lockers using RFID technology for controlling and logging access to portable computing and communication equipment such as data terminals, laptops, industrial tools and medical equipment. The lockers serve as a management device in allowing site mangers to identify who has last used a specific piece of equipment. The lockers are used in education worldwide.

Awards Traka has won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise three times: in 2004 and 2008 (for export) and in 2012 for innovation.6

Key People

Traka was founded by John Kent who trained as a quantity surveyor before creating property valuation software for the Psion Organiser.7 Duncan Winner, Technical Director has been with the company from the start and has led the evolution and development of Traka’s technology. The company’s turnover has more than doubled in the four years since Managing Director, Robert Smith, joined the company, and he has been active in developing the company’s work in asset tracking within education.8

International activity Forty percent of Traka’s business is outside the UK. The company has a US office and division in Longwood, Florida. US clients include the FBI. Traka has a partner network and distribution in over 30 countries. European distributors include those in the Republic of Ireland, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia.

External links  Official website

Compliance and trade associations Traka are members of:  safecontractor  Construction Skills Certification Scheme

Traka has:  ISO 9001 Quality Management certification