It is good to always be on lookout for how the security of your commercial premises can be improved. Utilizing a commercial door lock type that is suitable and up—to—date for the security and control needs of the premises is undoubtedly the most important factor.
Perhaps this has you contemplating whether it is worth it to upgrade your good old traditional locks to the modern keyless entry door locks. The keyless door locks are also known as smart locks, digital locks or electronic locks. But what benefits do they provide and are they really secure and convenient?
Choosing the right lock type for your property is certainly not a small decision, so you have to make a careful and sound decision. It is crucial for the locking system to robustly protect the premises. But at the same time, it should also provide convenience in operating it, as well as meet any management and control needs.
Learn the commercial keyless door locks pros and cons so that you can determine whether they are the perfect security solution for your premises. Remember that a locksmith can provide security consultation and aid in making the choice!
Keep in mind that even among the keyless locks, the features can greatly vary. This article approaches their functionalities holistically. Again, an expert commercial locksmith can help you choose the one with all the features you need!
Pros of Keyless Entry System
When it comes to considering the keyless door locks pros and cons, you would find that keyless door lock systems offer a wide range of features that are an excellent addition to the security system of your commercial premises.
Keyless Operation Modes
Unlike traditional door locks, keyless door locks do not require physical keys as indicated by their name. Thanks to this aspect, they provide convenience, scalability and smoother control.
Having to carry the keys around can be a pain, especially if there are a lot of keys to carry. It is also easy to forget or lose them, or even have them stolen by someone looking to break into the premise. These instances raise the need to issue new keys and rekey the lock as a security measure if the key is suspected to have fallen into malicious hands. Additionally, losing the key can disrupt the keyholder’s access to the property as well.
Commercial keyless locks can be operated through various means. The access modes include:
- Keypads: A digital keypad for inputting a numerical code combination.
- Wi-Fi or Bluetooth: An app installed on a phone.
- Biometric recognition: Fingerprint, facial or retinal recognition reader.
- RFID: Sensors for reading the code on a card or catching the signal from a key fob through radio frequency.
- Physical key: An alternative way to open the lock that acts as a back-up in case of a technological failure.
Most keyless door locks are equipped with a digital keypad, which can have other alternative access modes.
Ease of Distributing Access
Distributing access among the personnel is easy and flexible with keyless locks. The security levels, hierarchy and access authority can be efficiently adapted per the premise needs. This system is much more efficient than the traditional master lock system.
For example, the digital keypad lock codes can be distributed across different individuals or groups. In addition, there can be master codes set up which allow select trusted staff access to the code management.
This saves from the costs of having to issue new keys and having to keep track of them. With traditional systems, it can be hard to keep track of the keys. However, it is much simpler to keep track of who has the code.
Promptly Change the Access
Unlike traditional lock systems, changing access is very simple and bears no cost. With traditional locks, you have to call a locksmith to rekey the lock, which is inconvenient since there are valid reasons why you would promptly want the current keys to no longer operate the lock.
If the key gets lost, then there can be concern if it ends up in wrong hands. And if the key got stolen, then the matter is all the more dire, and it is needed to rekey the lock as soon as possible. And if a personnel leaves, there can be concern if they still have access to the property through getting the keys duplicated, especially if patented keyway locks are not used.
With keyless door locks, on the other hand, as aforementioned, certain staff can have access to adding, changing or deleting the code right away anytime.
Remote Locking and Unlocking
The keyless system can also allow remote locking and unlocking, letting you give or reject access from anywhere. You can receive a notification seeking access permission on your keyless phone and approve or reject it. This facilitates distributing one-time or irregular access without needing to give the entrant a code, e.g. a delivery person.
Monitoring Features
Not only is it easier to monitor who has access with which code through the keyless system, it is also possible to log when the code was used to enter and exit the property. It is also possible to set up to be notified when either event occurs.
No Risk of Many Common Lock Tampering Techniques
There is no such thing as a lock which is 100% tampering-resistant. The same goes with keyless locks. While they are extremely secure, they are still not impossible to be hacked and exploited by tech-savvy thieves.
However, many keyless locks still do eliminate the danger of many common lock tampering techniques, since they do not utilize the pin and tumbler structure. The pin and tumbler structure can be exploited in many ways that the thieves are commonly acquainted with.
This includes lock bumping, which involves using a bump key with sharp teeth and a hammer to manipulate the pins within a lock, lock snapping which uses a heavy tool to snap the cylinder into halves and the infamous lock picking which entails using a screwdriver to manipulate the pins into aligning.
Security Device Integrations
The keyless locks can be integrated with alarm systems. Upon detecting an attempt to break in, they trigger the alarm. They can be integrated with video surveillance as well.
Cons of Keyless Entry Door Locks
With the advantages in mind, we also can not forget to consider the drawbacks when going over keyless door locks pros and cons so that you can determine whether the pros outweigh the cons.
Reliant on Electricity or Batteries
The keyless door locks are reliant on constant power supply. Hence, any power failure due to the battery depletion or power outage will cause issues with the functioning of the locks. However, it is possible to have back-up systems put in place to deal with such cases, e.g. a physical key, panic bar, etc.
Expensive
Based on the features included and the manufacturer, the price notably varies. However, keyless locks generally lean on the significantly pricier side when compared to traditional deadbolt locks, making them an expensive investment. Additionally, repairing them is likely to be heavy on the pocket as well. This can be a big con of keyless door locks, especially if your budget is limited.
However, what also comes with the high price tag is a wide range of features that aid with higher efficiency of control and management.
Additionally, keyless locks can save up in areas in which traditional locks incur costs. For example, you can simply change the code or any other means to access with keyless locks, unlike having to call a locksmith’s services to rekey a traditional lock. You do not have to bear the costs of issuing keys either.
Hacking Risks
While the keyless entry system can eliminate the risk of certain lock tampering attempts, it still has the potential of vulnerability in its own way. For example, it is not impossible for someone to hack the lock to intrude their way in.
However, you can rest assured that the keyless door locks are extremely secure. Hacking them is not completely impossible, but almost impossible.
Ready to Upgrade to a Keyless Lock System? Contact Us for Installing a Keyless Door Lock Systemck system
Commercial keyless lock systems come with various advantages, which include a convenient and flexible access system, efficient control and management and security integrations. The drawbacks on the other hand include a heavy price tag, reliance on constant power supply and hacking risks. However, overall, the countless attractive pros may outweigh the cons and let this solution be an excellent upgrade for your commercial premises.
Ready to switch to upgrade to keyless entry system after considering the pros and cons of keyless door locks? Get in touch with our Oakville locksmiths now! The owners of Oakville commercial premises have entrusted our locksmiths with their security for over 5 years. We provide excellent and robust security solutions for the commercial premises and ensure the satisfaction of our customers with a variety of services.
We can consult you regarding your specific needs and help you choose the best suited lock for your premises. Additionally, we can deliver the lock to your premise and install it, as well as provide maintenance and repair services!