Ask most building managers what their access control system can do, and the answer usually involves a fob, a reader and a server cupboard somewhere on site. That model is changing fast, and Salto Systems is one of the manufacturers leading the shift. This post looks at what cloud access control actually means in practice, and why Smartec installs and maintains Salto across commercial, education and healthcare sites.
What is cloud access control?
Access control where permissions, schedules and audit trails live in a secure cloud environment, managed from a browser or mobile app, from anywhere. Traditional access control is built around physical infrastructure: wired readers at every door, a control panel and an on-site server holding the credential database. It works, but it scales badly. Adding a door means running cable. Managing permissions means being at the machine that holds the software. Auditing who went where means pulling reports from a system that may only be accessible from one PC in one office.
Salto’s SALTO KS (Keys as a Service) platform removes most of that. Their wireless and battery-powered lock ranges mean doors can be brought into the system without structural cabling, a significant advantage in heritage buildings, multi-tenant sites and anywhere disruption needs to be minimised.
What changes day to day?
Permissions can be granted or revoked instantly. A contractor arriving on site can be issued access from a phone, and that access can expire automatically at the end of the day. Lost fobs stop being a security incident: the credential is cancelled remotely in seconds rather than requiring a site visit. Audit trails are available on demand, showing exactly who accessed which door and when, which matters for both security investigations and compliance requirements.
For multi-site portfolios, the case is stronger still. A single dashboard covers every building, every door, every user. Access policies can be standardised across an estate rather than configured door by door, site by site.
Is moving access control to the cloud a security risk?
No. For most organisations it is a security upgrade rather than a compromise. Salto’s platform is built with end-to-end encryption, secure credential technology and certifications appropriate for commercial deployment. A cloud platform maintained by a dedicated manufacturer security team is patched and monitored continuously, which can rarely be said for an ageing on-site access control server that has not seen a firmware update in five years. In many buildings, the legacy server cupboard is the least-maintained and most-forgotten piece of security infrastructure on site.
Where does this fit with Martyn’s Law?
Lockdown is one of the four procedure areas named under Martyn’s Law, expected in force from Spring 2027, and access control is central to making lockdown workable. Qualifying premises must have public protection procedures in place so far as reasonably practicable. The Act mandates no specific technology, and the SIA does not endorse any product, but procedures have to work in practice, and being able to secure entry points quickly can make lockdown procedures far easier to operate. Cloud platforms such as SALTO KS can trigger lockdown across doors from a single point, remotely if necessary. Buildings relying on physically keyed locks or fragmented legacy systems may find it more difficult to implement effective lockdown procedures where these are identified as reasonably practicable.
If your premises falls within scope (reasonably expected to accommodate 200 or more individuals, including staff), your access control system’s role in your lockdown procedures should be part of your gap analysis now, not in 2027.
Why do installation and maintenance matter as much as the platform?
Because the technology is only half the story. Salto systems need to be specified correctly for the building: the right lock types for the right doors, the right credential technology for the user base, and integration with the fire alarm system so that doors fail safe during an evacuation. That last point is critical and frequently overlooked. Access control and life safety systems must work together in an emergency, not against each other. Smartec designs, installs and maintains Salto as part of our integrated approach, meaning the access control on your doors is engineered alongside your fire detection, evacuation systems and CCTV rather than bolted on separately.
The maintenance layer is the other half, and so are its records. Every Salto controller and lock Smartec maintains sits in the Smartec Client Portal alongside your fire and security assets, with attendances, test results and defects logged in its tamper-proof Digital Logbook, defects photo-verified. If you ever need to show an insurer, an inspector or your board that your access control is maintained, and that your lockdown capability is real rather than assumed, the evidence is already in one place.
If you are reviewing your access control, whether for day-to-day management, an ageing legacy system or Martyn’s Law preparation, our team is happy to talk through whether a cloud platform like Salto is the right fit for your buildings.