Protection 1 Review
The Best Access Control Systems of 2019
by Business.com Editorial StaffLast Modified: January 2, 2019
Pricing
What to Expect
Reviews
What Features Do You Need?
State of the Industry
Additional Tips
Ask an Expert For Advice
Guides & Whitepapers (Downloads)
Map
Services
Access Control Comparisons
When running a business, keeping your employees and facility secure is a top priority. In 2019, using a facility access control system is one of the most efficient ways to not only prevent unauthorized visitors from entering your business, but also managing employee access.
Editor's Note: Looking for an access control system for your business? Click the Compare Quotes button below to have Business.com connect you with vendors that can help.
Giving each employee their own set of keys isn’t a realistic option for many businesses. Instead, many organizations opt for using an access control system that gives employees the ability to enter locked facilities with specialized credentials, such as a key card or PIN number, that they input into a reader to unlock the door.
Access control systems give employers the ability to restrict the locations each employee can enter. This gives them freedom to set the right levels of security balance between safety and convenience. When an employee leaves the company, all the employer has to do is deactivate their credentials in order to prevent them from gaining unauthorized access.
With access control security, you know who enters your business, when they entered and what door they used. These systems also include analytics that allow you to track where your employees are. In addition, they allow you to section off rooms or areas to only authorized employees and receive reports of suspicious activity, such as someone trying to enter somewhere they don't belong.
This guide provides reviews of some of some of the top access control systems, as well as details on the features these systems include and what you can expect to pay for an access control system.
Pricing
Pricing for access control systems vary greatly depending on the specific hardware you want, whether you choose a traditional or IP system, if you're having the system installed versus doing it yourself, and how many access points you have. You will likely need to speak with a company representative about your specific needs before you can receive an accurate estimate of what your access control system will cost.
What to Expect in 2019
The use of access control systems is only predicted to grow in the years to come. Data from the research firm IHS Markit projects the access control market to grow by 6 percent by 2021.
The market analysis found that the growth is being driven by increased options for small and medium sized businesses, as well as enterprises. This includes more wireless and cloud-hosted solutions.
Moving into 2019, we expect increased adoption of some tools that have been introduced in recent years, such as biometrics and mobile apps. With biometrics, employees only need a fingerprint or facial scan in order to access their building or office. Biometrics is already widely used in extremely secure facilities. However, as biometrics become more popular in other B2B services, like time and attendance systems, we would expect a growing number of businesses adopt this technology for their access control needs.
Similarly, having a mobile app would free employees from having to carry a specific access card to gain entrance into their workplace. They could simply open the mobile app and scan a barcode in the app in order to enter.
Besides providing for increased security and ease of use, using fingerprints, facial recognition scans or smartphone apps can save businesses money in the long run. All of these options would do away with the traditional access card. Not having to continue purchasing these cards could be a way to increase revenue for some organizations.
Reviews
Control entry to your business or facility with an access control system. Secure your building or sensitive areas with specialized credentials, advanced readers, alarm systems and reporting software.
What Features Do You Need?
We looked at each access control company for the features we believe are most important to your business's access control and security. We examined the technical aspects of their products and checked to see if they offered certain services. We gathered this data by browsing these companies' websites and contacting them anonymously to gather information and gauge the level of customer service we received.
Security: Keep Your Employees and Your Business Safe
Security should be the most important factor when choosing an access control system. Services that offer outdated technology, cut corners or are missing key safety features, such as lockdown modes and alarms, did not score well in our evaluation. Door readers and physical credentials come in many varieties, but the best services include readers with their own memory and processors for making decisions, as well as credentials that incorporate some form of encryption. Proprietary technology, rather than open source, is more secure and less likely to be taken advantage of.
The door access readers themselves should be physically secured with specialty screws, and the wiring tucked away and protected. Some readers even have tamper alarms that go off if they are physically altered or removed. Door hold alarms can alert you when select doors are held open too long. Options for different types of credentials, as well as allowing multiple credential authentication, are a must.
Crucial safety protocols include fire and carbon monoxide alerts, along with break-in alarms. In case of emergencies, you should be able to customize lockdown scenarios, programming the system to automatically open and lock selected doors on such occasions. Protection 1 does well in providing this optimal setup, easily integrating these added security features with their access control systems. While some companies on our list don't offer these security features, they becoming increasingly standard for access control providers.
Reporting and Administrating: Manage your system the way you want
A detailed reporting interface allows you to observe the movements of your employees throughout the building, keeping tabs on who enters, when and which door they used. The best access control software integrates with surveillance cameras, recording the instances when an employee used a credential to open a door. These records are useful when investigating suspicious activity, allowing you to verify if it was indeed an employee who used the credentials. The best systems can store these records indefinitely, so you can go back to any date and examine the history. This is extremely useful if you must perform an audit on security or are investigating an event that happened at your business.
If you're away from your business a lot, opt for services that allow you to manage your access control from mobile devices. If your company regularly receives visitors, your system should have options for allowing temporary access to such guests.
Consider also whether you want your access control system to tie into your time and attendance system, which some services do. If you're concerned about spending too much time monitoring your access control system, some companies offer to manage monitoring and security for you so you can focus on running your business.
Installation
Nearly all the companies we evaluated provide professional installation, either by their own professionals or through third-party installers or dealers. The number of doors that a building access control system can cover varies by company. Some companies cover as many doors you need but are limited by how many door readers each control panels support.
You may need to install multiple control panels if you need to cover more than just a few doors, and that can be costly and take up space. Other services have the capacity to host unlimited doors. In most cases, systems can accommodate an unlimited number of employees, with a few exceptions. It's also rare that a company does not push free firmware updates to the system once they are released.
Help and Support
We tested customer support thoroughly, looking to see if customer service representatives for the companies were knowledgeable, transparent and accommodating. We also took into account the timeliness of each company's response, if they had any support available 24/7, and if they offered live chat on their website. A company that conducts training for employees on how to use the system is a must. Access control companies are typically also security companies and offer a bevy of resources on their websites on how to improve your security.
State of the Industry
Access Control: Traditional vs. IP Systems
There are two prominent types of access control systems. The first is the traditional method of access control where control panels act as hubs for door readers, door locks, cameras and the system's interface, usually a PC. The door readers and control panels connect with proprietary power and communication wiring. The second, newer method of access control is called an IP system. This type of system connects the door readers directly to a network, usually through Ethernet or wireless signals. Instead of control panels, these systems run usually through a less-bulky and easier-to-install network hub.
While IP systems are newer, there is still contention in the security market over which method is better. IP systems are much simpler to set up, usually just needing Ethernet connections to your company's network rather than serial connections to multiple control panels. There is no limit to how many door readers can be connected to an IP system, while in a traditional system, control panels can only be connected to a handful of doors, so you’d need several panels to secure buildings with many doors.
Critics say IP systems are less secure than the proprietary traditional versions of access control since network outages can affect performance and they are more susceptible to hackers. Ultimately, the system that would best suit your company depends on your needs. Some access control services offer both options and will work with you to determine which type would work best.
Working with Credentials
There are three forms of authentication: a physical credential like a card or key fob, a password or PIN, and something biometric like your fingerprint. Biometric credentials are becoming more popular. Many of the companies (though not all) offer biometric devices. Another method of authentication that is emerging is mobile phone credentials, which involves using a phone app in place of a card.
For optimal security, use at least two of these methods for authentication. This practice is known as layered security, which requires employees to go through multiple safeguards before entering your business or certain sections.
If an employee leaves the company, whether they resigned or were terminated, their credentials should be voided immediately. Most control systems have an option to instantly revoke an employee’s access and can even automatically suspend them if the system detects suspicious behavior.
Additional Tips
Enhancing Your Security
Security professionals recommend that businesses do a yearly review of their security and access control. Consider your security needs and how your current system has served you. If there have been any security incidents over the past year, reflect on whether your current system is at fault and if it could be more secure.
As part of your company's routine security inspections, regularly examine the hardware involved with the access control system and check door readers, along with the wiring that connects them to the system, for signs of tampering. If the system is connected to a control panel, be sure it is installed in a secure location and that it remains locked at all times.
You can enhance your security by setting up what is called an anti-passback. This means setting up a reader on both sides of a door, requiring employees to use their credentials to exit the building as well as to enter. An anti-passback system will not allow credentials to be used to enter a door twice, because it detects that the user is already in the building and won't know they've left until they've used the exit reader. This can protect against cases of copied cards, cards being passed to others after opening the door or passcodes falling into the wrong hands.
Common Payroll Questions & Answers
Have an access control question of your own?
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Map
ADT
1501 Yamato Road
Boca Raton, FL
Brivo
7700 Old Georgetown Rd
Bethesda, MD
Honeywell
2700 Blankenbaker Parkway
Louisville, KY
IDenticard Systems
148 East Stiegel Street
Manheim, PA
ISONAS
4750 Walnut Street
Bolder, CO
Kisi
45 Main Street
Brooklym, NY
Protection 1
1267 Windham Parkway
Romeoville, IL
Stanley Security
8350 Sunlight Drive
Fishers, IN
Tyco Integrated Security
4700 Exchange Court
Boca Raton, FL
Vanderbilt Industries
2 Cranberry Road
Parsippany, NJ