As a small business owner, you wear multiple hats. You’re the CEO, the head of HR, the salesperson, and often, the IT department. The last thing you need is another complex, expensive piece of hardware to maintain. Yet securing your property and managing employee access is non-negotiable.
For years, traditional card access systems required a dedicated on-site server. This meant a closet full of expensive hardware, complex software installations, and constant maintenance headaches.
Today, there’s a smarter, more cost-effective solution: cloud-based access control.
This technology delivers enterprise-grade security without the crippling costs and maintenance burdens of legacy systems. Here are the top benefits of moving your access control to the cloud.
1. Eliminate the Server Closet and Its Hidden Costs
The single biggest expense and complication of traditional systems is the on-site server.
No Server Hardware: With a cloud system, the “brain” of your security is hosted in a secure, professionally managed data center. You don’t need to purchase an expensive server, find space for it, ensure proper cooling, or worry about hardware failure.
No Hardware Refresh Cycles: Traditional servers require replacement every 3-5 years as they age and become obsolete. Cloud systems eliminate this expensive capital expenditure cycle entirely, saving you thousands of dollars over the life of your security system.
No Dedicated IT Infrastructure: On-premise systems often require additional networking equipment, uninterruptible power supplies, and climate control. Cloud-based systems require only an internet connection and door controllers—dramatically simplifying your infrastructure.
2. Eliminate IT Maintenance Headaches
An on-site server is a part-time job you didn’t sign up for. It demands constant attention and technical expertise.
No Operating System Management: Traditional servers require endless software patches, Windows updates, and security fixes to remain protected. A missed update can create serious security vulnerabilities. With cloud-based access control, all platform-level security and updates are managed by the provider—not you.
No Application Updates: When new features are released or security patches are issued, you don’t need to schedule downtime, run installers, or troubleshoot compatibility issues. Your platform updates automatically in the background, ensuring you always have the latest, most secure features without lifting a finger.
No Server Monitoring: You won’t need to check if your server is running, monitor disk space, or troubleshoot performance issues. The cloud provider handles all system monitoring and maintenance, freeing you to focus on running your business.
3. Gain Peace of Mind with Automatic, Redundant Backups
What happens if your on-site server crashes, is stolen, or is destroyed in a fire or flood? You lose everything—all your user permissions, access schedules, audit logs, and event history.
With a cloud-based system, your data isn’t stored on a single vulnerable machine. It is automatically backed up across redundant, geographically distributed data centers. Even if your entire building loses power or connectivity, your data remains safe, secure, and immediately accessible when you’re back online.
This level of data protection would cost thousands to replicate with an on-premise system. With cloud access control, it’s included as standard.
4. Manage Your Business From Anywhere, Anytime
This is where cloud-based access control truly shines for busy business owners. Because your system is managed via secure web and mobile applications, you have complete control from any device, anywhere in the world.
Real-World Scenarios:
- Employee forgot their badge? Unlock the door for them from your smartphone, whether you’re at home, in a meeting across town, or on vacation.
- Need to grant temporary access to a contractor or delivery driver? Set a specific time-limited schedule for them from your laptop in seconds—no need to issue physical keys or cards.
- Have to let an employee go? Instantly revoke their access from your phone before they’ve even left the building, securing your property immediately and eliminating the risk of unauthorized re-entry.
- Want to check who entered over the weekend? Pull up complete event logs on your tablet, including timestamps, door locations, and user identities.
- Managing multiple locations? Control and monitor all your sites from a single, unified dashboard—no need to travel between properties or manage separate systems.
5. Lower Total Cost of Ownership
When you factor in all costs over a 5-10 year period, cloud-based access control delivers significant savings:
Eliminated Costs:
- Server hardware purchase ($2,000-$5,000+)
- Server replacement every 3-5 years
- Windows Server licenses and CALs
- IT labor for maintenance, updates, and troubleshooting
- Backup hardware and software
- Climate control and power for server equipment
Predictable Monthly Pricing: Cloud systems typically operate on a simple per-door or per-user subscription model. You know exactly what you’ll pay each month, making budgeting straightforward with no surprise capital expenditures.
6. Enhanced Security and Reliability
Cloud-based access control providers invest heavily in security infrastructure that would be prohibitively expensive for individual businesses to replicate.
Enterprise-Grade Security:
- 24/7 system monitoring and threat detection
- Encrypted data transmission and storage
- Regular third-party security audits
- Compliance with industry standards (SOC 2, ISO 27001)
- Professional disaster recovery and business continuity planning
Higher Uptime: Cloud providers typically guarantee 99.9% uptime or better. Your on-premise server? It’s only as reliable as your building’s power, your internet connection, and your ability to troubleshoot hardware failures.
The Smart Choice for Small Business
For a small business, cloud-based access control isn’t just a feature upgrade—it’s a fundamental shift in value. You gain a more secure, more flexible, and more powerful system for a fraction of the cost and with zero maintenance headaches.
Stop investing in depreciating hardware that loses value the moment you install it. Start investing in a service that adds value, scales with your business, and frees you to focus on what matters most—growing your company.
Is Cloud Access Control Right for Your Business?
Cloud-based systems are ideal for:
- Small to mid-size businesses with 1-50 doors
- Multi-location businesses needing centralized management
- Organizations without dedicated IT staff
- Businesses seeking predictable monthly costs
- Companies that value remote management capabilities
Ready to see how cloud-based access control can work for your business? Contact Systems Integrations today for a free consultation. We’ll assess your current security setup and show you exactly how much you can save by moving to the cloud.
Call (866) 417-3787 or visit systems-integrations.com/contact