Is your access control system holding you back? As your business grows, so do the demands on security, scalability, and user convenience. Traditional systems, even existing cloud-based access control, struggle to keep up.
Here are five clear signs it’s time to move your access control to the cloud.

Reason #1 - You need access as agile as your space.

From coworking spaces to warehouses and corporate offices, today’s spaces serve multiple user groups, each with different needs. Traditional access control systems struggle to support this diversity. They're rigid, slow to provision, and rarely offer seamless user onboarding.

BioStar Air offers hybrid credentialing that supports multiple user types with different credentials, making it easier to deliver the right access, at the right time, with minimal friction. You can even onboard users before they arrive on-site and assign credentials without needing an app.

A modern cloud solution like BioStar Air supports multi-credentials:

•    World-leading face authentication
•    Mobile credentials (iOS + Android)
•    App-free QR Pass & Link Pass and Apple Wallet
•    RFID and PIN: the classics
•    Fingerprint recognition (coming soon)

BioStar Air is built for:

•    Foodservice warehouses: Employees use facial biometrics to avoid contaminating food, while contracted delivery drivers receive mobile credentials. Vendors use temporary QR codes or Link Pass.
•    Co-working spaces: Visitors receive app-less Link Pass credentials; members use mobile credentials via API in a co-working app; employees use face authentication for secure areas, all enrolled remotely before Day 1.

Why it matters: When users get fast, contactless access without IT headaches, your operation runs smoother. You reduce bottlenecks at the front desk, improve hygiene in sensitive areas, and deliver a modern user experience across all visitor types.

Reason #2 - You’re tired of managing servers and controllers.

No room for an on-site server closet or needing to add new door controllers every time you expand? Every piece of hardware adds cost, complexity, and risk, especially for businesses without dedicated IT staff. Cloud-native access control systems eliminate all of that.

With BioStar Air, there are no servers to set up, no controllers to wire, and no VPNs to access your sites remotely. Just install a smart reader and you’re good to go.

With BioStar Air:

•    Just install a smart reader, connect to the internet, and manage access via the cloud.
•    Smart Readers have built-in relays to open the door, no external controllers needed.
•    System is always up to date with automatic firmware updates.

BioStar Air is built for:

•    Franchise restaurants: Open new locations without hiring IT staff. Just install the reader, connect it, and manage access from HQ or your phone.
•    Multi-family residential buildings: Deliver enterprise-grade community access control with low-maintenance and without requiring an on-site management office. 
•    Retail chains: Store managers can issue, revoke, or update credentials on their own, no tech support, no maintenance calls, no delays.
•    Heritage properties: Install access control without drilling walls, wiring controllers, or creating server space.

Why it matters: Less hardware means fewer points of failure, lower upfront costs, and faster installs. Whether you’re running a boutique retail store or a historic property with no IT closet, BioStar Air keeps things simple and scalable.

Reason #3 - You operate across multiple locations.

If each of your sites runs on its own access system, you're not just creating inefficiencies. You're also limiting your ability to scale, automate, and adopt more profitable business models like centralized subscriptions or seamless multi-site access. Managing credentials, logs, and user access across disconnected systems is one of the most inefficient and easily avoided challenges in modern access control.

BioStar Air gives you centralized access management across all your sites, no matter where they’re located. Credentials sync across locations instantly, and access rights can be controlled down to the individual door. 

BioStar Air enables:

•    Centralized cloud dashboard for all your spaces
•    Multi-branch management and remote user provisioning
•    Multi-credentialing, meaning multiple credential types linked to a single user, usable across all authorized locations
•    Real-time monitoring, from anywhere
•    Partitioned privacy for tenants, shared access to lobbies and amenities

BioStar Air is built for:

•    Multi-Branch co-working operators: Manage 30 locations across five cities. Issue one credential that works across all sites: mobile, face, or RFID.
•    Multi-tenant building: Each tenant gets private access control, while shared areas like lobbies are accessed through cross-site credentials.
•    Remote sites: Pre-register readers. Users authenticate even when the reader is on offline modes with mobile credentials.

Why it matters: Centralizing access saves your team hours each week and ensures consistent security. It also makes it easier to manage access for contractors, mobile employees, and frequent visitors, without IT involvement.

Reason #4 - You plan to grow (without the growing pains).

As your company expands, your access control shouldn’t become a bottleneck. With edge-powered smart readers, BioStar Air lets you deploy door by door, site by site, without needing to overhaul the system.

BioStar Air’s edge architecture makes growth easy:

•    No door controllers to install
•    Readers function independently and scale by adding devices
•    Manage new sites the same way as existing ones

BioStar Air is built for:
•    Phased rollout: Upgrade one door or zone at a time, no complex server reconfiguration.
•    Fast-growing startup: Start small, expand to new offices in weeks, not months.
•    Multi-clinic healthcare network: Add satellite clinics with identical access rules, zero controller setup required.

Why it matters: With BioStar Air, you only pay for what you need today, and scale effortlessly tomorrow. It’s a future-proof solution that adapts as your footprint grows.

Reason #5 - Your business is moving from CAPEX to OPEX.

More companies are moving away from large upfront IT investments toward subscription-based, OPEX-friendly solutions. But many access control systems are still sold like software from the early 2000s: on-premise licenses, servers, maintenance contracts, and hidden costs.

BioStar Air is a cloud-native, OPEX-aligned platform:

•    Subscription pricing with no server or software costs
•    Remote provisioning, unlocking, and troubleshooting
•    Built-in security updates and cloud-based firmware management

BioStar Air is a natural fit for:

•    Retail chains: No IT team? Store managers can onboard staff themselves.
•    Franchises: Open new locations without re-purchasing servers or door controllers.
•    SIs and cloud-preferred clients: Choose BioStar Air as your go-to platform to bundle modern solutions, streamline deployments, and support new recurring revenue models.

Why it matters: An OPEX-friendly platform like BioStar Air helps you reduce operational overhead, accelerate deployment, and improve cash flow, without sacrificing security or features. You’ll get automatic updates, strong encryption, and ISO 27001 compliance, without needing to install a single patch or reboot a server.

Ready to Upgrade?
The future of access control is user-centric, hardware-light, and cloud-smart. If any of these five signs sound familiar, it’s time to leave legacy systems behind.

🔗 Learn more about BioStar Air and see it in action → [BioStar Air Video]