You want to offer a safe and secure place for your employees to carry on their duties. One way to make them feel protected is to prevent any unauthorized access to the work area. This way you keep outsiders outside your doors and ensure that only people who work for you can access the premises. Using access control devices can add a level of security to your commercial premises while allowing your employees to seamlessly enter and exit as they please.
Commercial access control devices come in all types and identifying the system that best suits your needs can be challenging. Here we help you identify the different types of commercial access control devices that are available on the market today so you can choose the ones that will make your business’s premises more secure.
5 Access Control Devices to Consider for Your Business
- Standalone Locks
As the name suggests, standalone access control locks are simply “offline” access control devices that are a viable option for many organizations. They’re simple to install, don’t need to be wired back to the control panel, and aren’t connected to a separate network. Instead, these access control devices are programmed locally and have an internal database to record the audit. As they don’t have to be connected with a control system, they can be installed in almost all areas of your organizations.
However, the biggest drawback of these access control devices is that they don’t offer any real-time monitoring. If the lock has been tampered with or forced open, you won’t be able to take any immediate action.
- Card Readers
Card readers are just as robust as traditional wired systems, but still, offer the convenience of being wireless. They are connected back to a central control system and read barcodes or RFID tags of cards that your employees have.
Card readers are quite affordable, effective, and offer real-time monitoring. However, their biggest drawback is that if your employees lose their access cards, others may be able to use them to gain access to your premises. Moreover, as these cards may easily be lost or broken, you have to keep a set of extra cards at hand, which isn’t effective or cost-efficient.
- Key Switches
Key switches are similar in operation to card readers. However, in this case, your employees would have a special key that they can use to gain access to restricted premises. These keys are far more robust than cards and don’t wear out over time. However, here too, if the key is lost, you have to worry about the lost key getting in the wrong hands.
- Keypad Access Control System
Keypads are one of the most commonly used access control devices in various organizations around the globe. Unlike card readers and key switches, where your employees have to carry access cards and keys every day, keypad access control system is truly keyless, and your employees would just have to remember their access code to enter the premises. The only drawback of such a system is that it requires a steady source of power to function and you have to ensure that the keypad is installed in an area where it remains protected from the elements.
- Biometric Systems
Biometric systems are installed in organizations across industries where access to defined areas is restricted. Different types of biometric systems are available on the market according to the biometrics they scan. Right from fingerprint scanners and retinal scanners, to iris scanners and facial recognition, biometric systems ensure that your premises are accessed only by a chosen few. They’re highly accurate, easy to install and operate, and can offer real-time protection. The only downside is that as some facial scanners don’t operate as intended if the person grows facial hair or loses weight.
At ProTech Security, we have a strong history of experience, innovation, and customer service. The ProTech Security Advantage is more than 30 years of service in Northeast Ohio and a strong commitment to providing quality, cost-effective protection for homes, businesses, educational institutions, and government facilities. To see what ProTech Security can do for you, contact us today.
