Businesses are constantly seeking more secure, efficient, and reliable ways to manage access to their buildings. Traditional keys have been a staple of office security for decades, but as technology advances, they quickly become outdated.
Proximity cards, on the other hand, offer a modern solution that enhances security and streamlines day-to-day operations. If you’re still relying on keys to manage your building’s security, it’s time to consider switching to proximity cards. Let’s explore the key reasons why proximity cards are the future of building safety.
Convenience and Efficiency
Think about how often you’ve found yourself digging through a bag or fumbling with a keyring, trying to find the right key. This inconvenience can slow down employees and cause frustration, especially when entering high-traffic areas multiple times daily.
Keys are also often misplaced or lost. In the Lost & Found Survey, when people were asked which items they lost at least once a week, keys were among the most commonly misplaced items, along with TV remotes and phones.
With proximity cards, accessing your building becomes effortless. Tap the card on a reader, and the door unlocks instantly. There’s no need to fumble with keys or worry about having the right one. This saves time and hassle for employees and visitors alike, allowing for a more seamless flow of movement throughout your building.
Proximity cards are particularly useful in large office complexes, universities, or multi-tenant buildings where multiple doors and zones need to be accessed regularly. They can also be easily integrated into lanyards, badges, or wristbands, ensuring employees always have their access credentials on hand.
Protection Against Unauthorized Access
One of the most compelling reasons to switch from traditional keys to proximity cards is the significant increase in security. Keys are easily lost, copied, or stolen, putting your building and sensitive areas at risk. Once a key is out of your control, you can’t always be sure who has access. With proximity cards, however, you eliminate many of these risks. Each card is assigned a unique identifier that can be linked to an individual employee or visitor, allowing you to monitor and control who is accessing your building closely.
Proximity cards, like those offered by Avon Security Products, can be programmed to restrict access to specific areas within your building, ensuring that only authorized personnel can enter sensitive spaces. If a card is lost or stolen, it can be deactivated instantly, rendering it useless. This level of control reduces the risk of unauthorized access and simplifies the process of managing building security, especially in larger offices with many employees.
Real-Time Monitoring and Access Control
With traditional keys, once someone has physical access to your building, tracking their movements is nearly impossible. This makes it difficult to know who’s coming and going or to keep tabs on restricted areas. On the other hand, proximity cards offer real-time monitoring and tracking capabilities that are invaluable for building security.
Using proximity cards and access control software, you can track who enters and exits the building and when. This is especially important in security breaches or emergencies, as it allows you to identify which personnel were present at specific times quickly. If you suspect suspicious activity, reviewing access logs can help pinpoint exactly where and when unauthorized access occurred, providing vital information for any investigation.
This monitoring capability also allows you to gather insights into building usage, which can inform security strategies, optimize traffic flow, and improve the overall efficiency of your space. Whether it’s tracking which areas are most frequently accessed or identifying bottlenecks, proximity card systems offer a data-driven approach to managing your building’s safety.
Easy Scalability
As your business grows, so do your security needs. Expanding a key-based security system can quickly become cumbersome, with additional costs for cutting new keys, changing locks, and tracking who has access to what areas. In contrast, proximity card systems are highly scalable and easily adaptable to businesses of all sizes.
Whether onboarding a few new employees or expanding to an entirely new location, adding new users to a proximity card system is simple and cost-effective. You only need to issue a new card and program it into the system with the appropriate permissions. There’s no need to worry about replacing locks or managing an ever-growing collection of physical keys. This scalability makes proximity cards ideal for businesses anticipating growth or needing flexible, easily manageable security solutions.
