What you’ll learn: The role of biometric readers in access control and how to evaluate different solutions based on your access point requirements. You’ll also dig into physical access control system (PACS) compatibility and the realities of compliance, enrollment and ongoing management.
Who should read this? Security directors, IT managers, and facilities managers who have researched biometric access control and are ready to evaluate different types of biometric readers.
If you’ve already spent time researching biometric access control, you know it’s a proven solution for verifying someone’s identity before granting them access to a protected space. Maybe you’ve even consulted our Biometric Access Control Buyer’s Checklist to get some ideas for evaluating vendor fit.
Deciding to invest in biometric access control is an important first step, but you also need to determine which biometric readers belong at different access points. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The right readers for your organization depend on many factors, including the environmental conditions they’ll operate in, your daily throughput, and your need to balance convenience with security requirements.
This guide explains how to evaluate biometric readers and provides a practical framework for choosing the right approach for your environment.
Standard access control modalities, like card readers and PIN pads, authenticate a presented credential. Biometric readers compare a person’s physical characteristics, such as facial features, against a securely stored template. By verifying who the person is—not just what they present—facial biometric authentication provides high confidence that only authorized individuals can gain access to certain physical spaces.
Choosing to add biometric readers for access control doesn’t mean getting rid of card or PIN authentication entirely. For example, a bank headquartered in an office tower might require only a card at the perimeter gate for ease of entry. They ask for facial authentication at the building entrance to verify identity while keeping traffic flowing efficiently. But anyone who wants to enter a highly secure area, like a server room, must authenticate using both a card and their face.
At access points where teams require multi-modal authentication, there’s no need to install separate readers. For example, all three BioConnect readers support multiple authentication credentials in a single device:
There are several factors to consider when evaluating different solutions.
There’s no single formula for deploying biometric readers across access points. The examples below show how convenience, throughput, environmental conditions, and security requirements commonly shape the decision.
How Access Point Considerations Define Which Biometric Readers to Deploy
| Access Point | Top Considerations | Typical Reader Approach | Example Best-Fit Solution |
| A high-traffic main lobby | Fast throughput, convenience, touchless access | Facial authentication |
Arc Rex is commonly deployed at primary building entrances, where organizations want a frictionless user experience.
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| Outdoor building entrance | Weather, dust, impact resistance, throughput, convenience, security | Rugged facial authentication + card |
Both Arc Rex and Arc Touch are vandal-resistant and built to withstand dust and water in outdoor or exposed environments.
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| High-security server room or data hall | Strong identity assurance | Facial authentication + card or PIN |
Arc Vision (face + card + PIN) is ideal for higher-security applications:
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| Industrial or critical infrastructure sites, secured operational areas | User positioning, exposure, deliberate authentication | Fingerprint authentication, with the option of adding card depending on security needs |
Arc Touch (fingerprint + card) offers a high degree of identity assurance and accommodates situations where users can’t naturally face the reader.
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Answer 3 quick questions to see which biometric readers are the best fit for your environment.
Not every biometric reader can also read cards. Some must be tethered to a separate card authentication device, adding hardware complexity and a clunky user experience.
Others, like the suite of BioConnect Arc readers, offer multi-modal authentication in one device. This allows a user to present their existing card credential and scan their face or fingerprint in one place.
Adding biometric readers doesn’t require replacing a PACS you already use and trust. Look for a solution that integrates a biometric identity management layer with your existing PACS.
Your existing PACS already supports physical security and audit requirements by controlling permissions and recording events. Adding biometric readers plus the management layer can strengthen those records by tying each event to a verified identity. But collecting personal biometric data also introduces new privacy obligations.
Make sure the solution supports consent, encryption, audit trails, retention, and deletion requirements in every jurisdiction where you operate.
The idea of rolling out biometric readers across your enterprise can trigger admin anxiety. It’s important to look beyond the hardware and consider how the solution you choose helps to simplify deployment and ongoing management.
A biometric access control system is a proven way to ensure only authorized people access your physical spaces. Choosing the right biometric readers is important, but you also need to look beyond the hardware. Keep these questions top of mind when evaluating your options:
BioConnect brings together Arc biometric readers, the BioConnect Enterprise identity management platform, and optional managed services to help organizations address all four considerations. Book a demo to see it in action.
Still not sure which readers fit your environment? Check out our Solution Builder.
FAQs
Q: Which biometric readers are best for which environments?
A: Facial authentication is often preferred at high-traffic entrances where speed, convenience, and touchless access matter. Biometric fingerprint readers provide a more deliberate interaction and are suitable for highly secured areas or those where users may not naturally face a reader. Environmental conditions, like outdoor access points exposed to dust and precipitation, and security requirements should also influence the specific reader and authentication factors you choose.
Q: Which biometric reader specifications matter most?
A: Focus on specifications that reflect the realities of the access point. These may include matching speed for high-traffic areas, IP- and IK-ratings for outdoor locations, liveness detection to help prevent spoofing, supported authentication methods, and performance under different lighting conditions.
Q: How does a biometric reader connect to an existing PACS?
A: A biometric identity management layer connects biometric readers to your PACS. The PACS remains the source of truth for access permissions, while the identity management layer manages biometric identities, templates, enrollment, and readers.
Q: How can I tell whether a biometric access control system will scale?
A: Look for centralized administration, one-time enrollment, automatic synchronization with your PACS, and the ability to add readers and locations without creating separate systems or duplicate user records. Also consider whether the vendor can provide implementation, training, system monitoring, and ongoing support as your deployment grows.