Why cloud access control beats keys (and beats old keypad systems)
- Issue access in seconds. New hire on Monday morning? Set up their credential before they walk in. No locksmith, no copying keys, no waiting.
- Revoke instantly. Someone leaves? One click. The credential stops working before they're out of the parking lot. No "did we get all the keys back?" anxiety.
- Mobile credentials. Their phone is the key. Most users have their phone in hand at the door already. No fob to lose.
- Real audit trail. Every entry logged with who, what door, what time. Investigations and compliance reports take minutes.
- Schedules. Doors unlock automatically at 7:30 AM, lock at 6:00 PM, all-locked on holidays. The cleaning crew gets after-hours access only on the days they're scheduled.
- Multi-site from one dashboard. One admin can manage doors in New Haven, Hartford, and Stamford from the same browser.
- Integrations. HR systems can auto-create and auto-revoke credentials as employees onboard and offboard.
What we sell
PDK / ProdataKey
Our default access control platform. Cloud-managed, mobile-credential-first, browser-based admin, no on-premise server required. Strong for everything from a 2-door office to a multi-site enterprise.
- Bluetooth and NFC mobile credentials β your phone is the key. iOS and Android.
- Card credentials too for users who don't want to use their phone.
- PoE-powered controllers β runs over your network, no separate power runs needed in most cases.
- Real-time event streaming to the cloud dashboard.
- Hierarchy and roles β multi-site admins, site-level admins, read-only HR access.
- Integration with video β if you've got Digital Watchdog cameras, door events auto-link to camera footage.
- Lockdown mode β one button locks all doors at a site immediately. Critical for education and healthcare.
Grandstream access & intercom
Video intercoms, door stations, and entry callboxes β particularly strong for customers already on Grandstream voice systems. Pairs with PDK for the access control side, or stands alone for entry-call use cases.
What an install includes
- Site walkthrough. Every controlled door surveyed for hinge type, frame, current locking hardware, power availability, and network drop access.
- Door hardware assessment. Existing strikes, magnetic locks, electric latches, exit hardware. We tell you what we can reuse and what needs replacing.
- Network drops. Each controller needs a Cat6 drop. We run cable ourselves or coordinate with our structured cabling team.
- Controller installation. Each controlled door gets a PoE-powered controller, mounted, programmed, tested.
- User and admin setup. Initial user list loaded, mobile credentials issued, admin training delivered.
- Schedule and rules. Door schedules programmed β auto-unlock during business hours, after-hours rules, holiday calendars.
- Ongoing support. Help desk for adds/moves/changes, firmware updates managed, audit log reviews on request.
Use cases we deploy regularly
Front-door access for office buildings
Replace the lobby key + keypad with mobile credentials. Different access levels for tenants, visitors get temporary credentials sent by text. Audit trail satisfies most landlord-required access logs.
After-hours access for distributed teams
Sales reps and field techs who come in at odd hours. They get credentials that work in the building 24/7 but log every entry. No more "I lent my key to..." stories.
Restricted-access rooms
Server rooms, document storage, controlled-substance storage, HR file rooms. Credentialed to a small subset of users, with stricter audit and often two-factor (credential + PIN) for highest-sensitivity areas.
Multi-tenant buildings
Property managers running shared front-door access for multiple sub-tenants, each with their own credential pool, each billed for usage.
Schools and education
Visitor management at entries, lockdown mode for emergencies, bell-schedule integration for door unlock/lock timing, integration with student information systems.
Manufacturing and warehouse
Employee entries, dock doors, restricted production areas. Time-and-attendance integration sometimes layered on top. Lockout-tagout for safety-critical rooms.
What we look at when sizing a new access install
- How many doors need to be controlled β and which doors are "always-open with audit" vs. "always-locked with credential" vs. "scheduled."
- How many users need credentials, and how often the user list changes (high-turnover environments need different licensing tiers).
- Existing door hardware β what's reusable vs. what needs replacing.
- Power and network at each door β PoE drops, conduit paths, existing junction boxes.
- Emergency egress requirements β fire code says everyone must be able to leave freely. We design to that, every time. No exceptions.
- Compliance overlays β HIPAA, PCI, CMMC each have specific physical access requirements we implement.
Linked with video surveillance: Pair access control with cameras and every door event automatically retrieves the camera footage from that moment. "Who used Sarah's credential at 2 AM last Tuesday" β the camera footage is already attached.