{"id":9843,"date":"2026-10-29T08:03:26","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T07:03:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.simons-voss.com\/?p=9843"},"modified":"2026-10-28T12:05:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T11:05:49","slug":"access-control-for-lifts-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.simons-voss.com\/en\/technology\/access-control-for-lifts-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Access Control for Lifts"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Lift access control is a system that manages who can call a lift and which floors they’re permitted to reach, ideally with a clear audit trail of who’s been granted access. Lifts provide a direct connection between floors, but they can also create a potential access point for unauthorised people, and lift security often gets less attention than door security as a result. Lifts play a key role in modern buildings, providing fast, convenient connections between reception areas, car parks, offices, residential floors and plant areas, and because they’re heavily used and bring different user groups together, they can quickly become a weak point in a building’s overall security strategy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Even where the main entrance is controlled, a lift without appropriate access controls can let someone reach floors they’re not authorised to enter, simply by stepping into the lift alongside someone else, for example, and this becomes even harder to manage where offices and residential floors share the same lifts. Lift access control addresses precisely these vulnerabilities, and when implemented effectively, it needn’t complicate day-to-day operations; it can genuinely streamline them instead.<\/p>\n

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What Does Lift Access Control Do?<\/h2>\n

Lift access control combines hardware, such as readers, relays and control components, with software to manage access, determining who’s authorised to call a lift and which floors they’re permitted to access. Users identify themselves using a transponder, card or another electronic credential, and the system verifies their access permissions before enabling access to the predefined areas they’re authorised to use.<\/p>\n

In short: lift access control pairs readers and control hardware with software that checks a credential and only unlocks the specific floors that person is allowed to reach.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Requirements and Objectives of Lift Access Control<\/h2>\n

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\u25ba <\/span>Preventing unauthorised access.<\/span><\/h3>\n

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The primary objective is to reliably distinguish between authorised and unauthorised users. Depending on the building, this may mean the lift is locked by default and can only be used following successful authentication, or that users can access certain floors while others remain restricted, which prevents someone who’s reached the lobby from automatically being able to reach other floors in the building.<\/p>\n

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\u25ba <\/span>Managing user access permissions.<\/span><\/h3>\n

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Buildings are dynamic environments: new employees join, existing staff move between departments, contractors need temporary access, and visitors may need short-term permissions. A modern solution needs to accommodate these changing requirements quickly and at a granular level, including floor permissions based on role, such as administration, technical services, storage or tenant areas, time-based access for office hours or specific shifts, and temporary permissions for visitors, contractors and other third parties. Access permissions need to be managed within the system so changes can be implemented quickly and remain traceable.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u25ba Improving overall building security. <\/span><\/h3>\n

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A lift rarely operates as an isolated system. Effective lift access control can improve security throughout a building by restricting unauthorised movement, separating working areas more effectively and protecting sensitive zones such as IT rooms, archives and storage areas. When lifts, doors and day-to-day security processes work together, they create a consistent level of security across the building rather than a collection of disconnected solutions.<\/p>\n

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\u25ba Managing people flow and improving efficiency.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Efficiency matters particularly in large, heavily used buildings. Lift access control helps organise movement by clearly defining who can access which floors and directing visitors more effectively, reducing the administrative burden, and when processes are designed well, they can also help prevent queues at key access points.<\/p>\n

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In short: good lift access control does four jobs at once, keeping out unauthorised users, managing permissions as people and roles change, tying into wider building security, and keeping people moving efficiently.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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SimonsVoss SmartRelay: The Digital Switching and Control Hub for Lifts<\/h2>\n

SimonsVoss SmartRelay units are electronic control devices that only enable technical systems, including barriers, gates, motorised locks and lifts, following successful authentication. Users authenticate with an authorised credential such as a transponder or card, and SmartRelay then enables the relevant function; certain models can also transmit data via virtual networks.<\/p>\n

In practice, there are three possible configurations. An in-car solution installs SmartRelay 1 or 2 inside the lift car, so the user authenticates inside the lift before travel is enabled. A landing solution installs SmartRelay 1 or 2 outside the lift, so the user authenticates in the lobby or landing area before travel is enabled. A floor-specific solution combines SmartRelay 3 Advanced with a SmartOutput Module, so once authenticated, the user can select only the floors they have permission to access.<\/p>\n

In short: SmartRelay only enables a lift, gate or barrier after successful authentication, and can be configured to check that authentication inside the car, at the landing, or per floor.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Who Benefits from Lift Access Control?<\/h2>\n

Lift access control is useful wherever large numbers of people move through a building or where different areas need clear separation, and the specific requirements vary considerably by how the building is used.<\/p>\n

In short: the priority shifts by building type, residents in housing, zoning in mixed-use sites, department-level control in offices, and queue-free throughput in high-footfall venues.<\/strong><\/p>\n