Like many (arguably, most) other security processes, visitor management is increasingly seen as part of a larger operational ecosystem. End users want visitor workflows integrated with access control, building security, identity management, communication systems and other operational tools and user experiences throughout their facility. “When these systems operate together, organizations can streamline workflows and reduce the complexity that often comes with managing multiple disconnected technologies,” says Matthew Lewis, director of product marketing for IAMS, HID, Austin, Texas.

“For security integrators, this means understanding a site’s broader operational needs rather than simply deploying a single technology platform,” says Leroy Garza, regional director – digital access solutions, ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions, New Haven, Conn. “Successful deployments depend on evaluating the customer’s environment, workflows and goals before recommending a solution.”

According to HID’s 2026 State of Security and Identity report, identity management has become a top strategic priority for many security leaders, meaning organizations recognize that managing who enters their facilities extends beyond employees. “If you’re still thinking of the old PC that was under the desk of the receptionist and the laborious process, and the only output of that system was a little badge that did nothing, then you’re not thinking about visitor management the right way,” says Steve Van Till, founder and president, Brivo, Bethesda, Md.

Visitor management is no longer a standalone function. It’s now a key part of overall security and compliance. “The most effective solutions let integrators adapt to evolving facility requirements, configure one-time or recurring visitor access, track necessary documentation and ensure all requirements are met before a visitor arrives, improving security while keeping the visitor experience smooth,” says Dan Simon, technical director, Connected Technologies LLC, Monument, Colo.

In this article, we’ll explore the most recent developments in visitor management and advice for selling these systems to end users.

If you’re still thinking of the old PC that was under the desk of the receptionist and the laborious process, and the only output of that system was a little badge that did nothing, then you’re not thinking about visitor management the right way.

New Capabilities on the Market

ALCEA’s ALWIN is a unified, fully integrated security management solution that ensures end-to-end coordination with access control, video, intrusion and key management within its broader security management platform. New capabilities include an expanded kiosk/reception solution, an expansion of credential types and an ongoing platform evolution of new features.

AMAG Technology’s Symmetry Guest is a web-hosted, policy-driven visitor management system. The company recently launched Connect 2.0, its hosted identity management system that tracks and manages known identities through the cardholder lifecycle, change requests and offboarding, as well as how audits, recertification and compliance are tied in.

ASSA ABLOY approaches visitor management as part of a broader access control ecosystem rather than as a standalone product. The company just added new indoor stations to its DoorBird family of IP video intercoms, addressing one of the most common pain points in visitor management systems: communication beyond the front door. DoorBird enables room-to-room interaction between indoor stations while still connecting to the front door or gate intercom.

Brivo’s integration with Envoy increases the value of access control for the end user and improves the overall visitor experience. Brivo replaced an existing, in-house visitor management solution with the Envoy integration around the COVID-19 pandemic because many customers wanted visitor management integrated with existing platforms. With respect to new products, Brivo deployed AI-powered natural language in its Brivo Genius Moble Agent so clients can do anything in the app just by speaking to it — i.e. verbally adding a visitor’s information and setting the amount of time they have access to the building. In the case of emergency, administrators can use a voice command to a activate a lockdown or other emergency access control protocols.  

Connected Technologies’ Connect ONE is a unified, cloud-hosted security management platform that allows organizations to manage visitor access, compliance requirements and credential permissions across facilities within one system. Connect ONE’s new Safe Passage feature can be used to track waivers, training certifications, compliance requirements, NDAs and other documents which may be required before visitors are granted access.

dormakaba’s approach to visitor management is best understood as an integrated access management strategy that pairs two products: E-Plex 7900 electronic locks with Keyscan Aurora Control Software. Recent developments include the dormakaba Keyscan KC series next-generation access control panels, designed to work with Keyscan Aurora software to manage credentials and door permissions across a facility.

HID also approaches visitor management as part of the broader identity ecosystem. HID Visitor Manager provides a scalable platform that supports everything from small businesses to large enterprises. The company recently introduced HID Visitor Manager for Healthcare, which is designed specifically for hospitals. Recent updates to the HID portfolio focus on expanding integration capabilities and supporting organizations that want visitor management to operate within a broader identity and access management framework.

Honeywell’s Sine is a full-feature visitor, contractor and vendor management platform, which manages the full visitor lifecycle from pre-registration and arrival to on-site access and departure, all within a single system. Its most recent feature, Site geofencing for Sine, establishes a virtual perimeter designed to enable guests to automatically check in and out based on their proximity to the building. Honeywell has also expanded other integrations, including with LenelS2 Elements cloud-based access control, to enable digital guest passes.

Luminys approaches visitor management through integrated access control and entry communication solutions rather than standalone registration kiosks. The company’s portfolio includes web-based controllers, Bluetooth-enabled readers, facial recognition terminals and a video doorbell kit designed specifically for controlled visitor entry. The company is expanding its access portfolio with a new video doorbell kit designed to support controlled visitor entry, enabling real-time video communication and remote unlocking.

Motorola Solutions offers visitor management through Avigilon Alta Visitor, part of the Alta cloud security suite. Last year, the company acquired visitor management provider InVisit to accelerate its ability to deliver enterprise-grade security. Motorola also introduced automated background screening capabilities in the U.S. market, enabling organizations such as schools and high-security facilities to perform real-time checks during the visitor check-in process.

ZKTeco’s MySmartGuardPlus is a flexible, scalable solution designed for modern facilities of all sizes. Its core capability is digital visitor intake and tracking, but it also supports a suite of other access solutions. Recent enhancements include a mobile host app, an AI identity verification engine, a pre-registration portal, advanced analytics and a cloud API marketplace.

It Starts With a Conversation

The biggest gap in visitor management is integrators not having conversations about it. Jonathan Dupont, vice president, North American sales, AMAG Technology, Hawthorne, Calif., points out the total miss when integrators visit a customer site and observe a stark lack of a check-in process but say nothing about it. “They don’t see visitor management as part of the access control system,” he says. “To me, I think it’s one of the most integral parts of an access control system because your known identities, you’re concerned about, sure, but I’m a lot more concerned about who’s getting access that we haven’t vetted.”

From a life safety perspective, having no real process for visitors is a mistake. “If there’s a fire, nobody’s grabbing that clipboard,” Dupont says. “From a visitor management system, I can pull up my phone and know who I need to be looking for in the parking lot.”

Additionally, many end users hesitate to extend access control beyond the front door, which is another missed opportunity for a broader access control system with visitor management conveniently tied in. “In many cases, perimeter security is implemented while interior spaces remain less controlled,” says Jeff Bransfield, regional director – digital access solutions, Central, ASSA ABLOY Door Security Solutions, New Haven, Conn. “Expanding access control further into facilities, especially with modern wireless technologies, can close that gap and allow visitors to move independently within authorized areas without needing constant escort.”

For end users, privacy is a major concern. Organizations are paying closer attention to how visitor data is collected, stored and retained, especially with the rising popularity of cloud adoption. “Modern visitor management solutions support configurable data retention policies and allow organizations to limit which information is collected during check-in,” Lewis says. “This helps reduce privacy risks while still maintaining the visibility security teams need.”

Steven Kim, director of product engineering, Motorola Solutions, Chicago, Ill., adds, “Visitor data often contains personally identifiable information, so it is important that solutions support regionalized data storage and flexible data retention policies.”

For integrators, making a visitor management system competitive can be difficult. There are a few key differentiators to consider: adhering to regulations, having a strong cybersecurity posture and being flexible. “Visitor data is increasingly regulated (GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA in healthcare settings),” says Manish Dalal, president, ZKTeco USA, Alpharetta, Ga. Systems that adhere to these regulations, and take the burden off of end users, will do the best in the market.

Additionally, Dalal notes that buyers are scrutinizing cybersecurity posture, from encryption to role separation and audit logs.

Experts from Luminys Systems Corporation, Irvine, Calif., agree, “Cybersecurity, interoperability and infrastructure compatibility are critical considerations, particularly in multi-site deployments. Integrators are seeing a growing demand for unified platforms that reduce long-term operational complexity, while supporting future expansion.”

We know who the visitor is; now we want to make sure they’re not a bad actor and they should be here.

5 Pieces of Advice for Integrators

Security leaders provided the following advice, from the first conversation to implementation, for building and maintaining competitive visitor management systems in today’s integrated ecosystem:

1. “Ask early: Do you need an access control tie-in? Contractor workflows? Badge printing? Sell consultatively by discovering health and safety screening needs, NDA or confidentiality requirements and badge retention or logging requirements. Quantify time wasted at manual check-in desks, paper logs or unmanaged visitor records. Bundle implementation, training and optional managed services to increase recurring revenue.” — Manish Dalal, ZKTeco USA
2. “Dealers and integrators should emphasize the value of creating a connected ecosystem that delivers flexibility and a seamless user experience. Customers don’t want to undertake a complete rip-and-replace of their existing systems, so finding manufacturers that enable easy integration and interoperability is critical.” — Chuck O’Leary, general manager, Honeywell’s Sine Group, Charlotte, N.C.
3. “It is important to consider the human side of security. If systems are difficult or disruptive to use, people will often try to bypass them. Successful deployments are those that make security processes easier for employees and visitors, rather than adding friction.” — Matthew Lewis, HID
4. “A larger percentage of product revenue in the security industry is becoming software. If you are not looking at ways to sell software, along with the other security stuff, then you are missing out on the wave of where the product dollars are going.” — Steve Van Till, Brivo
5. “Customers are looking for solutions that can begin with a limited footprint and expand over time without requiring a platform change. Demonstrating AI-driven capabilities such as mobile unlock, video verification and centralized management workflows helps customers understand the long-term flexibility of an integrated approach.” — Jennifer Hackenburg, product marketing director, Luminys Systems Corporation

The Latest Technology

Some of the biggest trends in visitor management span optical character recognition, touchless check-ins (i.e. QR codes), cloud scalability, APIs and data analytics. Mark Pekovitch, product manager, ALCEA North America, New Haven, Conn., says modern physical and virtual ID technologies are particularly important to meet demands for today’s systems. “This includes Bluetooth, barcodes, QR codes and standard badges, therefore enabling touchless and flexible authentication,” Pekovitch says.

Dupont and the AMAG Technology team have observed demand for technology that verifies the ID presented is real and matches the person presenting it. “It’s no longer that we have a log that you came in; we can now confirm it was actually you when you came in,” he says.

In a similar vein, customers are increasingly asking for watch list integrations. “We know who the visitor is; now we want to make sure they’re not a bad actor and they should be here,” Dupont says. “There was always a form of this in schools. You had a lot of visitor management companies that did the offender registry because the last thing we want is somebody in a school that shouldn’t be. But you’re starting to see a lot more lists pop up, like no-fly lists, known bad actor lists, that are getting integrated into visitor management because people want to verify, for compliance and regulatory reasons, the folks coming on site should be on site and there’s not going to be any legal implications or trouble if they do.”

From conversations with K-12 customers — who are looking to quickly and conveniently manage visitors like substitute teachers, building contractors and parents — and security professionals, Amber Jarvis-Wilson, end user consultant, dormakaba North America, Indianapolis, Ind., notes a growth of electronic access control: “As costs fall, more districts than ever are getting away from using keys altogether and instead deploying card access at classroom doors with electronic readers, similar to what is found on a hotel room door. Once considered out of reach at $10,000 per door, newer platforms make digital access more affordable and scalable. This shift underscores the role of security professionals in guiding schools toward digital access solutions that align with Partner Alliance for Safer Schools standards and code compliance, while creating a secure visitor management process, such as card readers, electric strikes, mag locks with required sensors and override functions, and networked lockdown systems.”

The Luminys team also points to a shift toward touchless, remotely managed entry experiences. “We are seeing an increased adoption of mobile credentials, facial authentication and video-based verification across commercial properties,” the Luminys team says. “End users now expect real-time notifications, remote unlock capability and centralized system oversight from a unified interface.”