GT Clocks
A New Name with 50 Years' Expertise in HCM

For some years now, organizations across the globe have increasingly adopted biometrics in their human resource management systems in an effort to reduce the time, theft and compliance challenges that traditional data input (usually PIN or card) brings. While utilising biometrics has certainly reduced ‘buddy punching’ (the practice of an employee ‘clocking in’ an absent colleague with a borrowed card), the technology now presents its own challenges, and it should certainly not be seen as a panacea as most organizations are simply not equipped to safeguard their employees’ Personally Identifiable Information (PII). This can not only lead to the threat of class actions and huge fines, but the distrust of employees providing their biometric data owing to the idea of identity theft. In an attempt to stem such PII losses, three states; Illinois, Texas, and Washington now have biometric privacy laws in place, while the California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA"), goes into effect on January 1, 2020. Many more states are currently considering, or actively debating, legislature specific to how biometric information is collected and processed and as an added challenge, no two states law is consistent, as the regulations differ from state to state. Against this dynamically evolving backdrop, compliance is challenging.

The good news is that there are companies that specialize in helping organizations to protect their biometric data, meet compliance and gather employee clock times via advanced edge devices.

One such company that has carved a significant niche in the market is GT Clocks. Although the name might be unfamiliar to some, they can boast almost 50 years of expertise within the human capital management market, having recently rebranded from Grosvenor Technology.

Based in Hollywood, FL, GT Clocks, provides a custom approach that delivers a software and hardware solution which exactly matches the most complex requirements. Secure data collection, collation, processing and dissemination is at the heart of GT Clock’s offering. They design and manufacture a range of HCM hardware to suit every environment and budget.

Whether a simple ‘badge-in-badge-out’ device, or a fully featured touchscreen edge device with options for a variety of biometric options is required; they have an offering to suit.

These employee engagement devices can not only collect data via finger, face, PIN or card but also are equipped to support everything from time and attendance and payroll, to benefits management, recruitment and training. "We create smart, safe, and secure environments via our offerings in a typical corporate setup to allow secure data management," says Andy Rainforth, President of GT Clocks. “We secure the data right on the edge device (the first point of contact) through to its cloud storage and onwards, to however and wherever it is finally surfaced as an ‘input’ in a contemporary HCM system.”

Apart from providing state of the art hardware, GT Clocks also offers a complete management solution via its unique GT Connect platform. This includes edge device remote management, secure data transfer to the cloud, as well as ensuring all PII collection, storage and handling complies with various regulatory authorities. Additionally, the company provides 24/7 technical support to troubleshoot any hardware problems.

Most HCM solution providers typically shy away from accepting the liability in case of a data breach or any non-compliance scenario. GT Clocks, on the other hand, cements its position in the market by providing a complete solution that strictly adheres to the various compliances be it in the U.S. or overseas where the European equivalent, GDPR, applies.

Envisioning the future, GT Clocks have a five-year strategic plan, wherein they are investing significant resource developing additional software services and re-imagining their hardware to achieve faster, more secure and cost-effective. The company is looking to extend their GT Connect platform beyond its own time clock devices to provide a range of services for legacy estates of time capture devices from other manufacturers. This includes developing a brand-new converged platform to offer estate management, remote support, middleware, biometric and PII secure distribution and storage, reporting, analytics and dashboarding.