Proprietary Access Control Systems Are Holding Businesses Back

Discover how vendor lock-in in access control systems increases costs and risk – and how open standards like PKOC offer a smarter, scalable alternative.

By John Tepley, CEO, EMS Integrators

Proprietary vendor lock-in in access control doesn’t look like a big deal – until your system starts running your business instead of supporting it.

What starts as a low volume proprietary credential running on a few readers quietly grows into a full-stack commitment: locked hardware, software, firmware, and support. Before long, every upgrade, integration, or expansion must go through the same vendor – on their terms, at their price.

That’s not just inconvenient. It’s a commercial liability.

This blog breaks down how vendor lock-in creeps into physical access control – and what it really costs over time. It also shows how PKOC, the first open standard in access control, and the right integration partner can help you avoid the trap – or break out of it – while staying in control. This includes introducing smartphone-based access control for the first time using mobile credentials.

Locked in, locked out

When we talk about vendor lock-in for physical access control systems (PACS) we refer to proprietary systems where hardware, firmware, and software are designed to function exclusively within a single vendor’s ecosystem.

Let’s imagine a vendor called ACME Systems. The vendor offers a competent solution with access cards and readers – all controlled by an ACME Systems credential management platform and secured with ACME Systems encryption. Yet, none of it is interoperable with other IT systems:

• The proprietary hardware (cards and readers) and firmware only work with the ACME platform

  
  

• Credentials must be provisioned through ACME’s software, with a significant ongoing fee

  
  

• There’s little support for cross-platform integration or third-party compatibility

  
  

• Upgrades are expensive, and licensing or re-certification is difficult

  
  

• Issuing and replacing physical cards creates a recurring cost – and the larger your business, the larger the cost.

Buy a PACS from ACME Systems, and you’re stuck with their hardware and software – whether it’s the best fit or not. You can’t swap in a tougher reader from Beta Security, and Zulu Alpha’s smarter control software won’t connect. And forget about smartphone access – none of it supports that either.

You’re locked into ACME Systems and whatever they offer – whether it’s the best fit for your business or not.

Worse, if ACME Access Control does not offer a solution for your particular use case, you’ll be hunting for a workaround or doubling up by buying a second PACS from another vendor.

Lock-in costs and risks are higher than they look

Vendor lock-in usually starts with a simple buying decision – chasing a low upfront cost, a quick install, or a persuasive sales pitch. But what looks easy at the start often leads to high maintenance bills, limited scalability, and drawn-out projects down the line.

The longer you stay locked in, the harder it becomes to leave.

It’s not just about overpaying. The real issue is speed – vendor lock-in ties you to someone else’s roadmap, makes it harder to adapt, and drives up the cost of every change you need to make.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Opportunity cost – Lock-in kills flexibility. You can’t adapt, scale, or take advantage of new tech when you’re stuck in someone else’s closed ecosystem.

  
  

• Security risks – Legacy systems often have outdated encryption. Lock-in means you can’t swap weak components for better ones.

  
  

• Forced upgrades – If your vendor drops support, you're forced into costly system-wide upgrades – whether you need them or not.

  
  

• No smartphone access – Many closed systems still don’t support mobile credentials, limiting convenience and holding back progress.

  
  

• Fragmentation – Without interoperability, you’re stuck duct-taping systems together. That leads to silos, inefficiencies, and gaps – the kind of weak spots hackers love to find.

  
  

• Vendor lock-in is a riskier, higher cost, straitjacket that keeps you locked into how things have always been done. Even if there are more efficient, secure, and lower cost PACS vendor alternatives like PKOC.

  
  

How does vendor lock-in happen?

Most companies don’t choose vendor lock-in – they fall into it. Big players design their systems to keep you coming back to them. It protects their margins, sure – but it leaves you boxed in with fewer options.

So why not just switch to a better system? With physical access control, it’s not that simple. Swapping out hardware, migrating data, retraining staff, and reworking infrastructure takes serious time and money – and that’s what keeps most companies stuck.

That resistance builds inertia – especially when procurement teams lean toward what’s familiar and feels 'stable'. The old line, 'if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it', sticks around, even when the system’s outdated, limited, and full of security gaps.

It’s an understandable mindset. But it comes at a cost – sticking with outdated tech limits your options and hurts your long-term strategy.

What vendor lock-in means in practice

The biggest problem with vendor lock-in isn’t technical – it’s commercial. It kills flexibility, slows you down, and forces costly, last-minute decisions. That hands the advantage to your competitors – and to hackers.

How would this play out in practice – how does vendor lock-in hit flexibility, agility – and business outcomes? Let’s look at a few imagined examples:

Scenario 1: Commercial real estate

A property company installs ACME Systems across its high-rise buildings. Looked like a smart move at the time – bundled pricing, one vendor, everything 'just works'. But as the business grows, the cracks show.

They need access control integration with HVAC, elevators, and lighting – but ACME’s closed system won’t play ball. Every improvement means more ACME gear, more cost, more time. Then tenants start asking for mobile access credentials and seamless integration with their corporate IT. Again, ACME can’t deliver.

What started as a convenient setup turns into a blocker. They can’t offer modern access, can’t meet tenant expectations, which isn't good for keeping tenants happy or maintaining rental yield.

That’s the risk with proprietary systems: you don’t notice the cost until the system stops working for you and starts working against you.

Scenario 2: Hospitals and clinics

A regional hospital group installs a proprietary access control system to secure sensitive areas – labs, pharmacies, patient records. It works well enough, at first. But when they try to connect it to electronic health records or other hospital systems, the problems begin.

Because of vendor lock-in, every integration is a workaround. Every upgrade is slow, expensive, and tied to the vendor’s timeline – not the hospital’s needs. When new healthcare regulations roll in, the system can’t keep up. Compliance gets delayed. Security gaps open up across the network, and it costs more than just time and money.

That’s what happens when you’re stuck on someone else’s roadmap. You can’t move fast, and you can’t move freely – even when lives depend on it.

Scenario 3: Data centers and colocation data facilities

Years ago, a data center provider rolled out what was then a top-tier, proprietary access control system. It handled server room and staff access just fine – at first.

But as compliance and security demands tightened, clients started asking for more: detailed audit trails, granular access logs, tighter integration with CCTV and intrusion detection. The system couldn’t deliver.

There was no easy way to connect it to other security layers, no room to customize, and no path to scale without pouring more money into hardware from the same vendor. The gaps in visibility and reporting became dealbreakers.

That’s the danger with closed systems: what starts out 'advanced' quickly becomes a ceiling you can’t break through – unless you rip everything out and start over.

Interoperability as an alternative

Imagine a world where your PACS ecosystem is as open as your smartphone. Use access control apps from any developer to connect to devices from your choice of hardware manufacturer - and everything just works together.

That’s the essence of open access control systems – built on open standards-based interoperability. In the context of access control, it means that components like readers, cards, and mobile credentials, even if they come from different suppliers, can communicate and function together without any workarounds.

The real-world benefits of interoperability:

• You’re not tied to one vendor or their proprietary tech

  
  

• Your system can scale and adapt as your needs evolve

  
  

• You avoid costly, forced upgrades or replacements

  
  

• Software updates enhance functionality without swapping hardware – making global rollouts easier

  
  

• You can meet niche or complex requirements without patching together workarounds

  
  

A system built on open standards brings in more suppliers, which drives better products, fewer bottlenecks, and more competitive pricing.

In short, open standard interoperability gives your company the freedom and flexibility to design and maintain an access control system that truly meets your requirements.

This is why open standards appear in every area of technology. One prime example is Bluetooth. An open standard governed by the Bluetooth SIG.

How do we ensure interoperability?

True interoperability starts with designing for openness from day one – especially at the connectivity level. That’s where industry-led efforts are finally making real progress.

PKOC, or Public Key Open Credential, is a significant step towards achieving this interoperability in access control. Developed by the Physical Security Interoperability Alliance (PSIA), it is the first open standard designed to support both traditional access cards and modern mobile credentials using Bluetooth-enabled smartphones.

PKOC works like a universal language – letting different access control systems talk to each other. By removing the limits of closed, proprietary formats, it makes true interoperability possible:

• It breaks the proprietary grip many manufacturers still depend on

  
  

• It enables software-defined upgrades – no need to rip out hardware

  
  

• It lightens the load for OEMs, integrators, and end users alike

  
  

It’s a quiet shift – but a powerful one. PKOC gives customers the tools to build access control systems that are flexible, secure, and built to last without driving up costs.

Partnering with open integrators

Choosing open standards like PKOC is only half the solution. Making them work in the real world – across hardware, software, and physical security integration – is where it really counts.

That’s the role of an open integrator.

Rather than just supplying modules or components, a good integrator works with OEMs, product teams, and security providers to ensure the right technology is built in from the start. That means planning for Bluetooth and mobile credentials long before access is even provisioned – and making sure systems are easier to scale, certify, and update down the line.

In many cases, moving to open standards doesn’t mean starting from scratch. A phased approach can run alongside your existing access control system – introducing new functionality without disrupting day-to-day operations. Mobile access, for example, can often be layered in before you fully transition to a standards-based system.

Whether you’re building something new or working within the constraints of legacy infrastructure, open integration offers a path forward – one that keeps your options open and avoids locking you into decisions you’ll have to undo later.

Interoperability supports growth

Closed systems might feel secure – until they start getting in the way. What once seemed like a safe bet quietly becomes a barrier to progress. Costs rise. Innovation stalls. And when it’s time to adapt, you can’t.

That’s the reality of vendor lock-in. It limits your choices right when you need them most.

Interoperability flips that model. It gives you the flexibility to evolve, the freedom to scale, and the tools to respond to change without tearing everything out and starting over. It’s not a luxury – it’s the new baseline.

Some of the world’s most successful technologies are built on open standards. It’s time access control caught up.

In access control, the future is open. The future is PKOC.

Ready to rethink access control?

Open standards like PKOC aren’t just the future – they’re working now. If you're exploring how to bring mobile credentials or flexible integration into your existing setup, we’d be happy to share what we’re seeing on the ground. Contact us now to learn more.