Access control means more than just a lock and a key. For many businesses, it incorporates technology solutions that provide a seamless user experience.

Access control in 2020 does not look like it did 10 years ago. Employees of all levels — and in some cases, customers — rely on technology-driven access control solutions. These methods are far from analog; they utilize and integrate with technology to determine who gets in and how doors are unlocked.

Access control technology has come a long way from the era of magnetic stripe cards, which are increasingly considered outdated because they can be copied quickly and easily, are easy to lose, and not always effective when deployed.

For larger businesses, especially those where security is a concern, access control must be efficient and intelligent. Access control can refer to both physical access control and logical. The former is the category most business owners and the general public are familiar with, dictating who can enter a property, building, or room. It is the door on a family home, the gate at an apartment complex, the entrance to a store, and a fence around a worksite. Logical access control is a concept more familiar to IT professionals that refers to the protection of data and technology.

For businesses considering protecting their properties through modern access control techniques, here is a look at eight of the latest access control options for today’s world:

1. Remote access control                 

Remote access control allows an administrator to immediately lock and unlock entry points from an off-site location. This is crucial for its security benefits, as it allows a manager who is not present to lock down a building in the event of a threat. It is also helpful for convenience, as that same manager does not have to be present at the location to update access control settings.

2. Mobile access control

Mobile access control allows individuals to lock and unlock doors using Bluetooth technology that works via smartphones. By simply tapping the screen of a phone or holding it up to a sensor, employees and/or customers can gain access to controlled areas. This technology is increasingly popular in the self-storage industry, where it allows tenants to access units with their smartphones, eliminating the need for property managers to create keys.

3. Facial recognition access control

Facial recognition technology has the power to make businesses safer. It’s also a modern method of controlling access, allowing entry to be granted to approved individuals via a facial scan.

4. Fingerprint access control

For those looking for technology similar to facial recognition but not quite as drastic, fingerprint verification is an obvious solution. This access control solution is already familiar to the public thanks to smartphones, and it is a secure and effective method for commercial purposes, too.

5. COVID-19 Drives Other Biometric and Access Controls

Some access control systems take biometric identification to another level, reading multiple different kinds of biological signature. From facial recognition devices that also detect a person’s temperature to multi-function access controls that can scan everything from palms to facemasks.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, these systems can be used to automatically screen for people with higher temperatures (perhaps indicating illness) or adherence to facemask and other protective equipment protocols.

6. Role-based access control

Role-based access control is ideal for businesses where individuals from certain departments need access to specific areas. This method of access control allows administrators to determine access limitations based on full-time or contract status or position within a company. These roles can be updated via software as needed.

7. Access control with video monitoring

Tech-savvy businesses should look for access control solutions that integrate with surveillance and other security technology. Access control software can work in tandem with video monitoring. In the residential sector, this is already occurring with front-door technology that uses cameras to show the homeowners who is outside. Businesses can use video monitoring to keep a property safe and can update access control settings in the event of suspicious activity or simply to verify that the person having trouble entering a door is in fact approved to be on site.

8. Other modifications

The sky is the limit when it comes to customizing access control to suit the needs of individual operations. In addition to choosing the method of access control (mobile, fingerprint, remote, etc.), system administrators can modify access control technology to be entirely based on clearance levels, to lock specific rooms at certain times of day, or to only work for a continuously updated list of approved individuals.

For businesses looking to update access control offerings or shift to a new system, Unisol International is a worldwide distributor for electronic security products specializing in turnkey project deployment. View Unisol’s online catalog or contact us about your needs. Unisol excels at finding ideal solutions for businesses of all sizes and can create a quote based on recommendations for your unique access control requirements.