The Guide to Keyless Access Control Systems
In today’s security landscape, businesses can no longer rely on traditional lock-and-key systems to protect their facilities. The prevalence of unauthorized key duplication and the logistical challenge of managing physical credentials have made manual access control outdated and inefficient. To keep pace with modern security demands, organizations are turning to keyless access control systems - a more secure, flexible, and scalable way to manage entry.
From mobile credentials to biometric authentication, keyless entry systems offer businesses the ability to streamline security, improve user convenience, and gain real-time access insights. In this guide, we’ll walk through the different types of keyless door access systems, their benefits, and what to consider when upgrading your access control system.
What Is Keyless Access Control?
Keyless access control is a modern approach to securing doors and restricted areas without relying on physical keys. Instead, access is granted using secure credentials such as key cards, mobile devices, biometrics, or PIN codes. These systems are designed to minimize security risks associated with lost or stolen keys while providing businesses with greater control over who enters their facilities and when.
By adopting keyless access, organizations can remotely manage entry permissions, track real-time access logs, and integrate access control with other security technologies to enhance protection and efficiency.
What Are the Types of Keyless Entry Systems?
Keyless entry systems come in various forms, each offering unique security and operational advantages. The right choice depends on your business’s needs, the level of security required, and the convenience factor for users. Below are the most common types of keyless building entry solutions.
Proximity Card Credentials
Proximity cards were once the standard for keyless access control, using low-frequency radio signals to communicate with readers. However, this technology is now considered outdated and vulnerable. Proximity credentials are easy to clone — even consumer-grade devices can duplicate them, posing a security risk to businesses.
While some organizations still use proximity cards due to legacy infrastructure, the industry is shifting toward more secure alternatives, such as smart cards and mobile credentials. Businesses that rely on proximity technology should consider upgrading to dual-technology readers, like BlueDiamond Multi-Tech Readers, which support both proximity and modern smart cards, allowing for a seamless transition.
Smart Card Credentials
Smart cards offer a more secure, modern approach to access control, using high-frequency communication — the same technology found in contactless credit cards and mobile wallets. Unlike proximity cards, smart cards encrypt credential data, making them far more resistant to cloning and unauthorized duplication.
Many organizations are making the transition to smart card access control systems to improve security while maintaining ease of use. BlueDiamond Multi-Tech Readers support both proximity and smart card technologies, allowing businesses to phase out older credentials without an immediate overhaul of their infrastructure.
Mobile Credentials
As businesses look for even greater security and flexibility, many are shifting beyond physical cards entirely. Mobile credentials turn smartphones into secure access tools, allowing users to unlock doors via an app, Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. This eliminates the need for plastic keycards while adding another layer of protection, as mobile devices support multi-factor authentication and biometric verification.
LenelS2’s mobile credential solutions integrate seamlessly with existing access control infrastructure, making it easier for organizations to adopt touchless, secure entry without disrupting daily operations.
Biometric Credentials
Biometric access control allows users to verify their identity using fingerprints, facial recognition, or iris scans. These credentials provide an alternative to key cards, PIN codes, and mobile entry eliminating the need for users to carry a physical credential or mobile device.
Many access control systems, including LenelS2’s OnGuard-compatible biometric readers, support biometric authentication as a standalone credential or in combination with other security methods.
For high-security applications, businesses may require multi-factor authentication — for example, a user might need to scan their fingerprint and present a smart card to gain access. This layered approach enhances security while maintaining convenience for authorized personnel.
Intercom Systems
By integrating keyless access control with intercom systems, businesses can add an extra layer of visitor verification. LenelS2’s solutions support intercom integrations, allowing security personnel to grant or deny access based on real-time communication.
Hybrid Keyless Entry
A hybrid keyless door access system combines multiple authentication methods, such as mobile credentials, PIN codes, and biometrics, creating a layered security approach. This is ideal for businesses transitioning from traditional access control to more advanced solutions.
Video-Enabled Keyless Entry
By integrating video surveillance with access control, businesses can visually verify users before granting access. LenelS2’s video management solutions and Honeywell cameras enhance security by providing real-time monitoring and analysis of entry events.
6 Benefits of Keyless Entry Systems
Switching to a keyless access control system offers significant advantages beyond eliminating physical keys. From enhanced security to better operational efficiency, here are six key benefits businesses can expect.
1. Improved Security
Keyless access control systems can help reduce security risks, but not all credential types offer the same level of protection. For example, proximity cards lack encryption and can be easily duplicated, making them a less secure option compared to newer technologies.
More advanced solutions — such as mobile credentials, biometric authentication, and NFC access control — add extra layers of security. Mobile credentials, for instance, leverage the security features of smartphones, requiring users to authenticate their identity before they can present their credentials. Whether through a device passcode, fingerprint scan, or facial recognition, this built-in verification step makes it more difficult for unauthorized users to gain access.
2. Support for Remote Access
Administrators can grant or revoke access remotely, ensuring only authorized personnel can enter a building. This is particularly useful for businesses with multiple locations or hybrid work environments.
3. Streamlined Security Management
Keyless entry systems centralize access management, allowing businesses to set permissions, track entry logs, and monitor security events from a single platform. This simplifies security operations by eliminating the need to issue or replace physical keys, reducing administrative overhead while enhancing overall control.
4. Increased Control and Visibility
Real-time access logs provide insights into who enters and exits a building, improving security monitoring and compliance tracking. Businesses can quickly respond to suspicious activity, set customized access levels for different users, and maintain a clear record of entry events for audits or investigations.
5. Better Data Insights
Access control systems generate data that helps businesses optimize security policies and identify potential vulnerabilities before they become security threats. Over time, this data can reveal usage patterns, such as peak entry times or high-traffic areas, allowing organizations to make informed decisions about staffing, facility security, and resource allocation.
6. Touchless Access Control
With touchless access control solutions like mobile credentials and biometrics, businesses can minimize touchpoints, reducing the spread of germs and improving workplace hygiene. Contactless entry also enhances user convenience — employees and visitors can gain access quickly without needing to fumble for keycards or touch shared surfaces.
When to Upgrade Your Keyless Access Control System
Technology is constantly evolving, and so are security threats. If your current access control system struggles to keep up with compliance regulations, workforce changes, or new security challenges, it may be time to upgrade.
Many businesses opt for a hybrid keyless entry system to gradually enhance security without overhauling their entire infrastructure. This approach allows for a phased transition, minimizing downtime and costs.
How Much Does Keyless Entry System Installation Cost?
The cost of a keyless building entry system depends on several factors, including facility size, the number of access points, and the authentication methods used. Basic systems using proximity key cards tend to be more affordable, while solutions incorporating biometrics or mobile credentials require a larger investment.
Businesses should also consider integration costs, as connecting access control to video surveillance, intercoms, or cloud-based platforms can add long-term security value.
Which Keyless Access Control System Is Best for Businesses?
The best keyless entry system depends on your security priorities and operational needs — there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. For example, high-security environments like data centers, healthcare facilities, or government buildings may require biometric authentication, while businesses with multiple locations would benefit from cloud-based mobile credentials for seamless remote access management.
Integration is also key — systems that work with video surveillance, intercoms, and analytics tools offer better security coverage and operational efficiency. LenelS2 provides scalable, customizable access control solutions tailored to a variety of industries.
How LenelS2 Can Advance Your Keyless Entry System
As security threats evolve, your business needs an access control system that can keep up. LenelS2’s industry-leading keyless access control solutions offer the flexibility, scalability, and advanced security features needed to protect your facilities — now and in the future. Whether you’re implementing mobile credentials, biometric authentication, or video-enabled access, LenelS2 provides solutions that integrate seamlessly with your existing infrastructure.
Ready to upgrade your keyless building entry system? Request a demo today to explore a customized security solution designed to meet your organization’s unique needs.
A keyless entry fob uses wireless communication technology to transmit a credential to a reader, granting access if the credential is recognized. While some legacy fobs operate on outdated low-frequency signals, modern systems support encrypted smart credentials for improved security.
A keyless access control system is managed through software that authenticates users, logs access events, and enforces security policies. Depending on the system, administrators can configure permissions, monitor real-time access, and integrate the platform with other security solutions like video surveillance or alarm systems.
Keyless access reduces security risks, eliminates the need for physical keys, and enables remote access management. It also enhances operational efficiency, allowing businesses to remotely manage access, automate permissions, and track entry logs without the hassle of manual key distribution.
Both systems provide keyless access, but card access systems rely on physical key cards, which must be tapped or swiped at a reader. In contrast, keyless entry systems include a broader range of authentication methods — such as smart cards, mobile credentials, and biometrics — offering businesses more flexibility and advanced security options.
