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Access IS is the UK's largest independent computer keyboard manufacturer. More widely, Access IS designs and manufactures products to input data into computer systems. In addition to making keyboards where an operator types the information into a system, other Access IS hardware reads data from various media, particularly from printed barcodes, magnetic stripe media (for example, information stored on the magnetic strip on the back of a credit card) and through optical character recognition (for example, reading the text printed on traditional passports). Access has its headquarters in Reading, UK, with approximately 55 salaried staff. In addition, it has a sales subsidiary in Atlanta, USA and an associate company in Melbourne, Australia. Access IS has four major vertical markets: airports, retail point-of-sale, retail banking and dealer rooms. Access IS is the trading name of Access Limited. For further information on the brand name, see below.
Background to the name Access IS is an abbreviation of 'Access Interfacing Solutions'. Originally Access Keyboards Limited, the company was renamed Access Ltd and adopted the brand name Access IS in October 2007 to reflect the broader product offering the company offered. The new logo device was intended to allude to the company's history in keyboard design by using the shape of a keyboard return key. The two interlocking shapes that make up the logo device was intended to represent the process of interfacing to pass data between systems, or between media and host systems. Technology Optical character recognition reading, MICR, Magnetic stripe card reading, biometric fingerprint readers, smart card and contactless smart card reading, e-passport decoding and reading, bar code scanners and airport boarding gate readers. History 1980s 1984 - The company was incorporated in December 1984 and was wholly owned by the Videcom Group of companies. Access IS (then named Access Keyboards) began trading January 1985.
1989 - Became authorised distributor for Cherry keyboards. 1990s 1992 - Gained ISO 9001 accreditation.
1994 - Became autonomous in 1994 after a management buy-out with funding provided by 3i.
1997 - First programmable point of sale keyboards launched. 2000s 2004 - 3i s shares were sold back to the company.
2006 - Access manufacture BGR (boarding gate readers).
2007 - Subsidiary established in Atlanta.
2007 - Access Keyboards Limited renamed Access IS, and began trading as Access IS.
2009 - Access IS gained ISO 9001:2008. Product range Custom computer keyboards (including those with integrated functionality), magnetic swipe readers (MSRs), optical character recognotion readers (OCRs), bar code readers and imagers. Specifically for airports: Boarding gate readers (BGRs), passport readers. External links
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