What do you need to know before buying access controls?

What are the typical business needs for access control systems?

While deciding on access control, spend some time on thinking how can the service support your business needs in more ways than one. Clearly, the access control needs to keep people that are not supposed to be in that area out of it. Typical examples for restricting physical access include the main front door, parking areas, secure storage rooms within a facility, sensitive data areas or restricted/special authorization areas.

Basic business security needs of some companies require meeting legal framework criteria. Before you seal the deal and buy access control from an affordable vendor, consider if the provider can offer solutions that meet legal compliance criteria, audit requirements and security standards mandatory for your business.

Reviewing the connectivity and the scalability of the proposed model usually goes along with researching access control models. The right model will fit your business technology, your company size and simplify processes; not only control access. Access control systems can backup your human resources department by tracking your employees and by recording role-based responsibilities. In the end, before deciding on access control options, don’t underestimate the capacity for monitoring and keeping records. Modern access control systems support accounting and finance, making it easy to keep track of money and overall financial data.     

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How will my business determine the type of access control required?

When researching access control types from different providers, you need to find answers to the key question: How will you build the right type of access control from the bounty of possibilities with diverse elements? What access cards, door locks, card readers, entry and exit mechanisms, alarms and sensors, and camera surveillance do I need to set on my business premises?

While the physical elements of the system need to solve your technical and administrative security needs, deciding on access control software is as critical. If it doesn’t match system parts and your business needs, instead of solving, it can create new problems.

Cloud-based access control frees you from the burden of technical check-ups, updates, maintenance and system backups. It supports standalone access points or multiple doors, and hundreds, even thousands of users. As a hosted solution, it offers stronger protection of sensitive data. When you buy access control, always keep in mind its user-friendliness. This will save you unnecessary time for software training. The combination of cloud-based access control and smartphone apps is a powerful tool to help you record IDs and control doors in remote locations, as well as to gather reports and conduct audits in real time.

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What are the considerations for choosing an access control service provider?

Budget considerations are a no-brainer: Any planner researching access control solutions keeps in mind the amount of money that can be spent on securing the business. To buy an access control system without thinking about the full scope of the services it provides, you are setting yourself for unforeseen obstacles. Yes, not all events can be prevented; but choosing an access control service provider is based on a comprehensive and optimized offer that includes other factors than just the budget.

Let your team member, who is deciding on access control providers, ask the following questions:

• Can this access control option prevent, detect and correct unpleasant security events from occurring?
• Will the solution discourage attackers and keep threats at bay?
• Can it guarantee quick recovery and restoration of vulnerable capacities when an event occurs?
• How does it fit within the existing access control tools?
• Is it easy to use or needs complex staff training?
• Can it be scaled in the long run, as the business changes and grows?
• Do I need to obtain software licenses and manage system updates?

As a general rule, the access control provider should demonstrate that a solution is scalable, as well as easy to maintain and manage. By asking these important questions before you buy access control from a selected provider, you’d be able to weed out the type and the quality of service that’s advantageous for your business needs.