Top Reasons to Upgrade Your Commercial Access Control System in 2023

Posted on 5/15/2023

Your business is continually adapting to the times—and your commercial access control system should be, too. As technology constantly improves, there are new opportunities for better protection, as well as new vulnerabilities in older systems. Keeping your security equipment up-to-date helps keep your facility, your people, and your bottom line safer. If your existing access control system is becoming more of a sticking point than a safeguard, check out these three great reasons to upgrade your technology this year.

Advanced Technology Provides Better Security

First and foremost, the primary job of access control infrastructure is to restrict access to your facility. But many systems have an inherent Achilles’ heel that should not be overlooked: badges, keycards, and PIN numbers can be stolen by, or shared with, unauthorized individuals.

Consider this: if a burglar or vandal used one of your employee’s keycards to gain access to a restricted area, would you know about it? If you have security cameras at access points, you could verify whether it was truly your employee who accessed the site—but only after discovering that theft or damage had occurred. This is where an extra layer of security can make a crucial difference, allowing you to actively prevent threats, instead of just reacting to them later.

New access control systems can be equipped with two-factor authentication to make it far more difficult for unauthorized users to gain access. Before entering a restricted area, users will have to provide at least two forms of authentication—for instance, first swiping a badge or entering a passcode into the control panel, and then entering a code provided via an app on their smartphone.

On the other hand, biometrics-based solutions eliminate the need for badges and passwords entirely. This type of access control system scans a user’s fingerprint, iris, entire face, or even their voice, only allowing access if it matches the system’s database. Biometric technology removes the possibility of passcodes being shared and keycards being lost or stolen.

If you need security beyond what your current access control system provides, consider investing in these innovative technologies. You can provide improved protection throughout your entire facility or only in sensitive areas—enhancing your peace of mind along with your security.

Reduce Costs with Cloud-Based Systems

Over time, the cost of maintaining your older access control system may have increased. It might now require more frequent repairs than it did when it was new, or it might need expensive, hard-to-source replacement parts. Upgrading to a newer system can help you save money in the long run. And by incorporating cloud technology, you can reduce the hardware you need to keep on-site—thereby reducing energy, maintenance, and staffing costs.

Cloud systems also offer significant advantages in terms of reliability and remote management. If your business has an existing access control system but could benefit from switching to the cloud, get in touch with ISG to learn how we can integrate new technologies with legacy systems.

Scale Your Security System with Your Business

If your business has grown significantly since your access control solution was first installed, it may be time to revisit your overall security system to ensure it still has you covered. Hiring more employees, expanding your facility, having more customers or visitors in the building, and having more assets on-site are great signs for your organization, but they can also create blind spots in your security.

A commercial access control system must be able to grow along with your company, so make sure yours can accommodate:

• Different user types, allowing you to assign permissions by level, department, and other criteria.
• User scheduling, allowing you to authorize users during normal business hours only, or as needed.
• Multiple access points, allowing you to keep multiple distinct areas of the facility equally protected.

These permissions should be simple to manage so that you can make changes at any time for both individual users and entire user groups. With this control, you can immediately revoke access from a terminated employee, make allowances for special projects, and temporarily restrict facility areas as needed. If you need to wait days for an outside technician to perform any of these tasks, your current access control system is leaving you vulnerable, and it’s time to explore an upgrade.