Gated communities and individually gated properties are turning out to be among the safest places to live in most states in America. The high-security features provided by electric smart gates allows the occupiers to rest easy behind the gates while enjoying easy access to the property in general.
In gated communities, residents of the community have a controlled access point. Anything risking the security of the homes within the gate has to go through the access point first. It renders a lot of criminality useless because an electric security gate provides such a barrier to their efforts.
In addition to improved security, gated community residents enjoy the presence of social amenities too. They all vary. Some have pools, others have gyms and large outdoor areas to relax in. It means you and your loved ones can do what you enjoy within the confines of the security gate system. You’ll be able to relax knowing the area is secure and protected. Access control varies within gated communities, but some systems are better than others. Property technology is advancing all of the time but here are some of the most popular access control systems you might find in gated communities.
1. Intercom Systems
An intercom is an intercommunication device that acts as a door phone to communicate within a building. Intercom systems support two-way communication between individuals, typically a resident and their visitors. The intercom is an older bit or proptech and you’ve probably seen it used in apartments. They can be audio alone, or video too.
An intercom provides security because you can see who is at the door or gate before you grant them entry. However, in a larger community this can become a little awkward. If there are a lot of new people coming over, for example during a holiday, it can cause a queue at the gate because each visitor will need to call the home they’re visiting. Not everyone answers right away. The system is also susceptible to vandalism. Fixing the cracked screen isn’t cheap. Then you get the kids who think it’s funny to dial numbers every time they run past the gate…
Intercom system comes with the following features:
- Video Calling – You can see who is at the gate before letting them in.
- Voice controls – You can speak over the phone for the gate to open and allow your guest entry. The issue here is if you wanted to grant someone entrance when nobody else is in the house, you can’t.
- Property managers can add or remove residents accessing the property by issuing or withdrawing virtual keys and access PINs. The ability to give PIN’s out is great but you need to trust the person you’re giving the PIN to otherwise they could end up sharing it. Managing PIN allocation over a whole community isn’t easy.
- Property managers can also use the system to update the tenants’ directory.
2. Doorking Control Systems
Doorking control systems offer customizable access solutions to American homeowners and property managers looking to control community access. Unlike other control systems, Doorking accommodates a wide range of access devices. It’s useful if you’re looking to police the physical number of cars entering the property. However, this can fall flat if the system ends up stopping homeowners entering the community because others have visitors.
The system offers:
- An automated gate system that will control the number of vehicles and people entering the community. It can be useful if the gate leads directly to a parking lot with limited spaces.
- Controlled access to apartment complexes and gated homes.
Doorking control system’s property technology is available in different types:
- Multi-door access controllers
- Telephone entrance controls for large, medium-sized, and small communities
- Vehicle barrier gates, traffic spikes, and signage for controlling vehicle traffic within the community
- Magnetic locks
- Gate operators
- Key switches for your doors
- Gate and door card readers
3. Liftmaster Control Systems
Liftmaster control solution gives you full control of the number and type of people and vehicles accessing your community. The control systems are ideal for a gated community, as well as an apartment or condo. Liftmaster are pioneers of proptech in that they’ve developed an incredibly easy way to use a garage door entry system.
Liftmaster control systems come in different options that allow property managers and owners to manage their access points.
- Battery backup systems that ensure your security control plans are effective even in the absence of electricity
- Gate safety solutions- It ensures that your residents enjoy full protection from intruders and keeps your gate in the whole operation. It comes with fully integrated gate operator devices.
- myQ business Option- This is a cloud-based access managing system suitable for property managers in controlled communities and commercial facilities.
Liftmaster have made strides in access control and entry systems, but their true speciality comes in garage door opening systems. These are super useful if you park in a garage overnight. However, waiting for an electric gate to open, and then a garage to open can be slightly tedious. Better for those who don’t use electric gate entry systems, perhaps.
4. Nimbio Control System
Nimbio is a smartphone enabled access control system offering complete control over access to gated communities, homes, and apartments. It transforms any electronic gate to a smart gate, making it possible to control access to a gated community with any smartphone. People lose keys, forget codes and get annoyed with manual entry…but people don’t often lose their smartphone. Even if they did…it’ll be password protected and easy to lock out by contacting their provider.
Security is the main reason people invest in electric gate entry systems and Nimbio gate security is ensured by elliptic curve cryptography. Nimbio can make any gate a smart gate. With the right installer you can completely overhaul and upgrade your entry system without having to pay for a new gate entirely. Also, you’ll be able to continue using old proptech elements like keyfobs etc. if you want to. However, you might want to disable this element if you’ve lost a couple of keyfobs and want to make sure the property or gated community is properly secured.
Advantages of Using Nimbio
- You can use it remotely. It operates over the internet via the Nimbio app, and thus you can control guest access to your home from any location.
- No internet is required. You do not have to worry if a gate has Wi-Fi or Ethernet access. Every Nimbio device contains a cellular modem that provides a stable internet connection.
- The Nimbio control system continues to operate even if the call box is damaged. As long as the gate operator remains undamaged, it will function as usual.
- It enables creating an unlimited number of keys which makes it perfect for any size gated community. It also means you can share access with family and friends, or with regular maintenance workers.
- Communities do not have to incur an extra cost of installing a new gate to use Nimbio. You can place the Nimbio system on top of your current gate solution. All the other existing systems continue to function normally.
- You can still use gate timers and scheduled hold open.
Remember, Nimbio does require all the users to own a smartphone with the nimbio app installed on it. It’s pretty simple to do, but if you want any clarification just check the features page on the website.
Are There Other Types Of Access Control Systems?
There are other methods of access control for both private residential homes and gated communities but the above are some of the most popular. Remember, property technology (proptech) is advancing all of the time especially with the advancement of smart tech and the internet of things. Smart technology is what makes Nimbio popular because at the moment people live their whole lives around their smartphone. In the future, if new technology is invented which can rival the use of the smartphone, you can bet there will be new proptech and electric gate tech built around that, too.
For now, it seems like being able to control your electric gate right from your cell phone is the most convenient way to enter and leave your property.
Which Access Control System Is Right For You?
You’ll see all kinds of suggestions flying around the internet in regards to what’s right for your own gated community. Only you and those who live in the community know what kind of smart gate system will be best for you. Cellular entry technology is popular because it’s so easy to grant and revoke access. It also means you won’t need to worry about lost keys, misheard codes and missing fobs. With that all said, if a lot of people in your community do not have a smartphone you might want to consider something else. Of course, with 285 million people expected to have a smartphone by 2023, that’s unlikely.
There are other articles about gate entry systems and gated communities on our blog, as well as articles on property technology in general. If you want to know anything else about Nimbio you can check out the FAQs page or see how people have gotten on by viewing their testimonials. Feel free to contact us if your question still hasn’t been answered.
