Keyless door locking systems like key card access control systems have been around for decades now in various forms as a staple and some might say starting point for the current digital access control industry.
Although technology and IoT solutions have enabled higher forms of communication to multiply, the RFID keycard, proximity card and magnetic strip key card have cemented their place in the industry as a solid mainstay on most systems.
This is for good reason—the reliable technology is a quick way to get into a door when you forgot your pin or left your phone in the car, there’s a lot to know about key card access systems before you go out and get one, however.
The Benefits of Key Card Access
We predominately install and maintain card access control systems because they help businesses:
- Manage their employee’s payroll and access.
- Protect their site from unwanted intrusion.
- Audit access to their building.
The unique functionality of a keycard system enables you and your employees to keep their keycard on their person and badge in quickly to any door they have permissions to enter. Because the reader typically accepts the credential based on proximity and key card technology is versatile, it’s extremely easy to use the same access card for the gate, for the elevator and for the office door.
Because key cards are extremely easy to use, then the least technologically savvy person in your building can take to one quickly. As an added benefit, because entry is auditable, those time signatures can be used to run or fact check payroll as well.
In that way, a keyless door locking system can be an operational boon as much as a business-securing guardian.
The Downsides of Key card Access
There are other solutions that offer this without the need for key fobs or keycards as part of their offering, however.
Many of the commercial security systems we install have multiple ways to provide access, whether it be fingerprint or keycard or touchless solutions such as mobile and wave-to-unlock permissions.
We install fewer keycard systems than cloud-based systems because:
- While keycard-native software is more cost effective in the short term due to lower equipment cost, the physical cost of keys can stack up over time.
- Keycard-native solutions typically require setup on a local server, which makes it less flexible when you’re running a multi-site business.
- Keycards are easily lost and require time to reissue.
While none of these are dealbreakers necessarily, they’re certainly important to note when you’re considering what commercial security system to get excited about. Key cards have come a long way from legacy systems.
Unwieldy and cantankerous, legacy key card systems typically had a bad reputation for causing the most sighs in the office. Ask any Human Resources Rep their opinion and they’ll say the best systems they ever used were easy on the backend.
Final Thoughts—Choose What Works for You
If you are ready to form a relationship with a reliable, trustworthy locksmith, request a free quote from Locked In N Out today or call us at (617) 599-7435
