ISONAS Access Control Review, Pricing and Comparison

Colorado-based ISONAS is a part of Allegion’s  (ALLE NYSE) portfolio of brands. Founded in 1999, ISONAS is the first company to design and manufacture a convenient IP-to-door access control solution. The Company’s combo reader controllers eliminate the need to connect each door to both a reader and a controller or a system hub. ISONAS also manufactures IP bridges, proximity badges and fobs, weatherproofing kits, cables, and connectors.

Table of contents

• Features of ISONAS Access Control System
• Pros of ISONAS Pure IP Access Control System
• Cons of ISONAS Pure IP Access Control System
• Is ISONAS Access Control Right for Your Needs?
• Comparison of ISONAS with Swiftlane Touchless Access Control

Also, read

• Guide to Access Control
• IP Door Access Control Systems
• The Best Access Control Systems
• Top Mobile Access Control Readers & Systems

Product Overview of ISONAS Pure IP Access Control

Easy installation and low cost are ISONAS’ strongest selling points. The Reader-Controller combo installs on existing Cat-5 networks, so you can automate any door without laying down unnecessary cables. 

Each Reader-Controller independently connects with the cloud and can be used with legacy entry methods such as PINs, key cards, badges, and fobs. The Reader-Controllers can be configured to enable mobile access.

Features of ISONAS Access Control System

ISONAS Pure Access Software

Pure Access, ISONAS access control software, is available as a cloud-based and an on-premise version. Both Pure Access Cloud and Pure Access Manager allow users to easily manage an unlimited number of access points through a mobile device, tablet or browser.

Reader-Controllers and Readers for Card, Badge, FOB and PIN based Entry

ISONAS Access Control provides a choice between Pure IP Reader-Controller keypads, Wiegand Reader-Controllers, and Weigand Readers. The Readers and Reader-Controllers come in wall mount and mullion mount form factors.

Mobile Credentials and Proximity Unlock

Pure IP RC-04 Reader-Controllers feature Bluetooth Low Energy and allow your mobile device to act as a proximity card. The RC-1 Weigand Readers also support BLE and can be configured to read mobile credentials.

Easily Connect Legacy Systems with ISONAS Readers

Simply unplug existing control panels and attach existing Weigand readers with ISONAS Pure Access software through PowerNet IP Bridge.

Video Management through Third-Party Integrations

ISONAS access control can integrate with Milestone, VideoInsight, OnSSI and other video management systems to deliver video monitoring capability. ISNONAS-Milestone IMACX provides users with a single interface to monitor real-time video and respond to access events by locking or unlocking specific doors or triggering a shutdown.

Integration with Other Access Control Software

ISONAS hardware can work with third party access control software. Integration partners include Open Options, Doorflow, Happydesk and Blueaccess.

Pricing 

The price of a single RC-04-PRX-W Reader-Controller is $817. The software price depends on the number of doors. ISONAS offers 1 to 3 years licenses for different numbers of doors. A one-year 1 to 5 door license for Pure Access Cloud costs $412, while a 251+ door license is priced at $4120.

Pros of ISONAS Pure IP Access Control System

• Easy installation on existing Cat-5 cables
• Plug-and-play integration with legacy systems
• A single Reader-Controller is all you need to automate a door (other than the locking hardware)
• Affordable pricing for small offices as well as multi tenant buildings
• Integration with video monitoring, visitor management, and other cloud based systems

Cons of ISONAS Pure IP Access Control System

• Combo readers are a physical security risk because anyone can just remove the reader and open the lock by short-circuiting the wires
• ISONAS doesn’t integrate with fire and alarm systems
• No COVID safety tools as of Sep 2020
• No built-in video intercom feature
• No built-in face recognition access

Is ISONAS Access Control Right for Your Needs?

ISONAS is focused on providing simple and economical access control solutions to small and very small businesses. It may be a good choice for micro businesses that are price sensitive and are already using cards or PIN based entry systems. Companies that need more robust security across bigger applications may prefer modern systems with more inbuilt features, such as video intercom systems, programmable access, COVID safety features and more.

Comparison of ISONAS with Swiftlane Touchless Access Control

ISONAS

• Convenience is ISONAS’ main selling point. Its readers come preconfigured to the cloud and only need a network connection to start working.
• While it’s convenient and low cost, the combo Reader-Controller has a known physical vulnerability. Anyone can pull out the Reader-Controller and short the exposed wire to unlock the door.
• ISONAS’ cloud-based system offers most of the commonly needed access control features including card, PIN and mobile-based access and centralized management.
• ISONAS needs additional hardware and software applications to enable video management and monitoring and video intercom systems.

Swiftlane Touchless Access Control

• Swiftlane also installs easily on existing Cat-5 cabling, but users need to install a separate controller for security reasons.
• Swiftlane Access Control uses a separate controller to operate doors, which means an intruder cannot unlock the door from the outside.
• Swiftlane offers card, mobile, face-recognition, and video-intercom credentials in a single state-of-the-art Access Point.
• The face recognition HD camera is an integral part of the high tech Access Point. Users don’t need to buy a separate camera and software to monitor the entry. The face recognition feature is built-in but optional.
• Additionally, Swiftlane Health Check offers health screening, workplace capacity planning, and  staggered scheduling tools for creating a safer working environment for all.

Conclusion

ISONAS Access Control can fulfill the basic access control needs of small and very small businesses. It has decent features for its affordable pricing, but its access control hardware is not tamper proof. The inherent security flaw can make the system unsuitable for medium and large sized facilities. Some clients may consider ISONAS’ dependence on third-party video management systems a handicap compared to a fully integrated system like Swiftlane.