Access Control in New York

Many Class A commercial buildings in New York City, particularly in Midtown and the Financial District, are subject to building service union agreements that affect which trades can perform security installation work. Ask any installer for the applicable union jurisdiction for your building before they start work. Using a contractor experienced in your specific building type is the single most important factor in avoiding project delays and disputes in New York City.

Cloud-based access control integrates with and manages turnstile hardware. Employees use their phone or credential card at the turnstile instead of a traditional access card reader. Kisi’s hardware can wire directly into standard lobby turnstiles, allowing you to manage them alongside your standard office doors. Visitor management integration replaces paper sign-in sheets with a fully digital, auditable entry record.

Yes, and it is increasingly the standard in New York City's tech and creative sectors. Kisi natively supports advanced Bluetooth and Near Field Communication smartphone credentials on both iPhone and Android, allowing employees to hold their phone near a reader in a turnstile or door frame. The speed of phone-based credentials is fully comparable to traditional keycards and completely eliminates the cost of issuing and replacing lost cards across large employee populations.

Cloud-based access control lets you create a time-limited credential for any contractor or visitor from your browser before they arrive. Using the Kisi dashboard, you can set exactly which floors and doors they can access and precisely how long the window remains open. To manage unscheduled vendors or delivery personnel smoothly, you can layer in a modern video intercom system. This allows your team to visually verify visitors at the entrance and grant remote access with a single click, eliminating the security gaps of traditional paper logbooks.

Professional integrations require the inclusion of local backup battery units installed alongside the main hardware panels. If a localized power failure occurs, these batteries keep the readers and locks working normally for several hours. Because modern commercial door controllers store access rights locally on the device itself, your staff can continue to tap their phone or card to enter the property normally, even if the building completely loses its main electrical power and internet connection.