Cloud-Based Access Control vs. Traditional Key Cards: What Your Business Needs to Know

The Problem with Traditional Key Card Systems

For decades, businesses have relied on proximity cards and key fobs to control building access. While these systems were a significant upgrade from physical keys, they come with well-known limitations that create both security vulnerabilities and operational headaches.

Lost and stolen cards are a constant risk. When an employee loses a key card, that credential remains active until someone manually deactivates it in the system — which may take hours or days if the loss goes unreported. A stolen card gives an unauthorized person full access to every door that credential unlocks.

On-premises servers create single points of failure. Traditional systems store all credential data on a local server. If that server fails, loses power, or suffers a hardware failure, your entire access control system goes offline. Maintaining these servers requires dedicated IT resources, software patches, and periodic hardware replacements.

Managing multiple locations is painful. If your organization operates offices in Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware, traditional systems typically require separate server installations at each site with no centralized management. Adding a door at one location means a truck roll from the installing contractor.

How Cloud-Based Access Control Solves These Problems

Cloud-managed access control platforms from Brivo and Verkada move all credential management, event logging, and system administration to a secure cloud infrastructure. This fundamental architectural change eliminates the limitations of legacy systems while adding powerful new capabilities.

Mobile credentials replace physical cards. Employees use their smartphones as their access credential via Bluetooth or NFC. Lost phone? A administrator can revoke access instantly from any web browser. New hire? Their credential is provisioned remotely before they walk through the door on day one.

Centralized management across all locations. A single dashboard provides real-time visibility into every door, across every building, in every city. Facility managers in Philadelphia can grant access to a contractor at the New Jersey warehouse without leaving their desk. Global lockdown commands execute across all sites simultaneously.

Zero on-premises servers to maintain. The cloud platform handles all data storage, redundancy, and disaster recovery. Firmware updates push automatically to door readers without scheduled maintenance windows. System uptime is backed by enterprise-grade SLAs.

Security Advantages of Cloud Access Control

Encrypted end-to-end communication between readers, controllers, and the cloud platform prevents the credential cloning attacks that plague older proximity card systems. Multi-factor authentication can require both a mobile credential and a PIN for sensitive areas like server rooms, pharmaceutical storage, or executive offices.

Real-time alerting notifies security teams instantly when anomalies occur — an access attempt outside business hours, a door held open beyond its threshold, or multiple failed credential attempts at a single reader. These alerts integrate with security camera systems for immediate visual verification.

Detailed audit trails log every access event with timestamps, credential identification, and door location. These logs are essential for regulatory compliance in healthcare (HIPAA), finance (SOX), and education environments, and they are always available for export without needing to access a local server.

Cost Comparison: Cloud vs. Traditional

Cloud access control platforms operate on a subscription model that includes software updates, cloud storage, and technical support. While the monthly cost may appear higher than a traditional system's annual maintenance contract, the total cost of ownership is typically lower when you factor in eliminated server hardware, reduced IT labor for system administration, and avoided truck rolls for remote configuration changes.

For businesses with multiple locations, the cost advantage of cloud access control becomes even more pronounced — one platform replaces separate server installations at each site.

Making the Switch

Migrating from a traditional access control system to a cloud platform can often be done incrementally — replacing readers and controllers at one door or one building at a time. Harris Technology Services helps businesses throughout Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Delaware plan and execute these migrations with minimal disruption to daily operations. Contact us at (877) 877-9080 for a free access control assessment.