This document is designed to help you choose the proper time clock for your company. There are various different types of time clocks that can be used with NETtime. NETtime also can collect time via a PC using a web based time clock interface that comes standard with NETtime or by using an optional telephony time clock interface that uses a telephone to collect employee time.

The first choice in choosing a time clock is “Do you need biometric verification?” Biometric verification utilizes the employee’s hand to confirm that they are who they say they are. An employee will either swipe a card, or enter a pin number, then place their hand on the hand reader. The hand reader analyzes more than 31,000 points and instantaneously records more than 90 separate measurements of an individual's hand-including length, width, thickness and surface area to determine their identity.

If biometric verification is not a requirement, then the determining factor will be the type of badge that an employee will be using.

There are three common types:

• Magnetic Stripe – these badges are like a credit card and have a magnetic stripe which contains a number that uniquely identifies the employee.
• Bar Code – these badges contain a bar code which uniquely identifies the employee
• Proximity Card – a proximity (or prox) card contains a unique identifier with in the card which can be read when the card is placed with in 1 to 2 inches of the time clock.

In addition to the type of clock, it is also important to choose the proper communication type.

There are three common communication methods:

• Ethernet – this is the fastest, and most common type of communication available. Attaching a time clock to your Ethernet network allows you to continuously retrieve the punches from the clock, which allows for near real time data.
• Modem – modem clocks are useful in remote areas where an Ethernet network is not available. Punches are retrieved by dialing into the clock using a phone line. This requires having a modem on the computer that is retrieving the punches.
• Serial – serial clocks are connected directly to the PC via a serial cable that can not be longer than 50 feet.

All of the polling, regardless of the communication method, is done automatically. A utility is set up on a PC which will automatically gather the punches from the clocks at set intervals. The length of time between intervals depends on the communication method.

In addition to the 2 types of clocks listed above, NETtime also contains a web based time clock that can be utilized by any employee (assuming they have been given the proper security permissions by their supervisor). The web based time clock allows for additional functionality that is not available in the hardware clocks, for example, an employee can attach a note to their punch.

With NETtime, you can have as many different types of clocks as you need. For example, you may use the web time clock in the office where everyone has a PC, a hand reader in the warehouse, and a badge reader in another facility. You can mix and match the different clocks to meet your specific needs.