Does Your Business Need Hosted or Managed Access Control?

Access control is one of the most crucial elements for ensuring the security of any facility. Establishing who has access, when they are allowed to access, and most importantly, where they can get access are the primary considerations that every security system needs to focus on.

These security considerations aren’t just limited to external third parties but also extend to your employees. For example, accessing a certain part of your facility may not be safe for them, or there may be sensitive data that you need to protect from entry-level office personnel. And what if you need to change these rules due to special circumstances or on the weekends?

This is where the different types of access controls come into play: hosted or managed access control. Several technology services prefer the use of one type of access control over the other, while some may use a hybrid system, though you should be careful with hybrid systems, as they can become overly complex or costly.

Do You Need a Hosted or Managed Access Control?

What is a Hosted Access Control?

This is where your selected security service provider hosts the servers and security database of the entire system while you have access at all times. The security system is hosted via the web, and you can access it at any time via your browser.

For all intents and purposes, hosted access control systems are online and run the risk of getting hacked. However, they do provide you with a much higher degree of control. You can add, delete, or schedule access both as needed and when needed.

What is a Managed Access Control?

Managed access control reduces the burden on your team as your security service hosts the servers and database and manages your security system, as requested. Think of it like hiring a new security firm but dedicated to access control only.

There are two ways to do this:

1. You may submit a request indicating that you want to change the access control settings, either via a schedule shift or personnel shift. You can do this via call or a website portal.
2. Or you may send an email to your security service provider with the necessary changes and asking for any management advice in the process as well. You can make your email as extensive as possible.

In House Access Control

If you manage your access control system in-house and any of the below scenarios apply to you, it might be time to go either partially (hosted) or fully (managed) hands-free.

Managed access control is slower than hosted access control, but it offers more control to you and your team. Since you aren’t hosting it, you won’t have to bear the server costs, and limiting and responding to cyberattacks may not be your primary concern, but rather these would be your security firm’s primary concerns.

On the other hand, Hosted access control is much faster to respond to your commands and may therefore be more convenient. As mentioned above, though, the entire system is present online and therefore presents the risk of cyberattacks.

If you would like to learn more or are ready to get a hosted or managed access control system implemented, get in touch with Americom’s security services today and let us help!