Considerations and best practices for migrating to an IP-based access control system

Migrating from an existing legacy Access Control System (ACS) to an Internet Protocol (IP) based ACS makes it easier for organisations to operate, expand, and customise their physical access control infrastructure, allows them to leverage new ACS capabilities, including efficient multi-site management and Power over Ethernet (PoE) technologies, and helps them to achieve significant reductions in their Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

Undertaking a successful migration, however, requires planning and careful consideration. First, it is important to have a clear set of goals for a migration to ensure that an organisation chooses an IP ACS system designed to evolve over time and re-uses as much of the existing security infrastructure as possible. Then, before beginning to plan a migration, an organisation must evaluate their existing system in order to determine costs and time required for the migration. Finally, together with a systems integrator, it is important that an organisation follow a number of steps to realise a seamless and successful integration.

Migrating an existing centralised or distributed legacy Access Control System (ACS) to an Internet Protocol- based (IP) ACS has the distinct advantage of making it easier for an organisation to operate, expand, and customise their physical access control infrastructure.