I’ve seen security integrators lose accounts not because their technology failed, but because they waited too long to have honest conversations with their clients. Outdated proximity (prox) cards are just one example of a vulnerability that goes unaddressed because decision-makers who may be chasing inexpensive credentials today often ignore the bigger security and operational costs down the line.
Legacy prox cards remain deeply embedded in commercial buildings, campuses, healthcare facilities, and multifamily properties. While familiar and inexpensive, they represent a ticking financial and liability time bomb that integrators can no longer afford to side-step.
For security integrators, this risk underscores why access control is more than simply unlocking a door; it is about managing threats, protecting people and assets, and offering solutions that can withstand evolving security demands.
Yet, many facilities still rely on legacy prox cards, which can be easily cloned with low-cost, off-the-shelf tools. Why? Because organizations may prioritize short-term savings over long-term security, leaving integrators to choose these cheap credentials, and in doing so, integrators are inadvertently undermining their own credibility as trusted advisors.
The Prox Card In Your Client’s Pocket Is A Liability
For systems integrators, legacy prox cards are more than a security risk; they directly affect client trust, system integrity and long-term credibility. Offering the cheapest option doesn’t save the client money; it assumes their risk.
Legacy prox cards lack modern encryption, making them easily replicated and enabling unauthorized access. Outdated credentials also create operational constraints and are incompatible with current identity management, mobile access or enterprise security systems. If a breach occurs, the “savings” from inexpensive cards will be eclipsed instantly by legal fees, emergency re-carding costs and reputational damage.
With the convergence of physical security and IT accelerating, physical access control systems are no longer stand-alone systems. In fact, 31% of organizations are already embracing integrated efforts with HR, facilities, supply chain and risk teams and that number is growing.
For security integrators that are still treating physical access as an inexpensive standalone discipline, that should be a wake-up call. Credentials that are not properly integrated introduce vulnerabilities that affect both physical and digital systems.
End-user expectations are also evolving. Mobile credentials and touchless entry have become baseline expectations, particularly among technology-forward users. For today’s younger, more tech-savvy decision-makers, they expect systems that mirror their everyday, seamless digital experiences. Legacy prox cards, by contrast, can appear outdated, inflexible and misaligned with broader IT strategies.
Security integrators who do not anticipate these trends risk positioning their firms as reactive rather than strategic, a perception that can erode client confidence.
The Conversation That Turns Risk Into Trust
The most dangerous pitfall for a security integrator is failing to challenge a client’s preference for a low-cost credential. It may feel easier to stick to the budget but avoiding the conversation for a more secure upgrade does a massive disservice to the client.
Consider this: a client had started to modernize slowly, replacing a few readers at a time, when a breach occurred on their legacy card system and someone had acquired access to their key sets through the dark web. Emergency funds were granted and the client had to replace thousands of readers and re-credential tens of thousands of employees within a few short months.
The integrator who had been proactive in educating this client about these potential problems could help them navigate this process while a less proactive integrator could be caught off-guard.
Providing outdated guidance or disregarding the importance of modernization may expose integrators to a loss of trust between the client and the security firm.
Instead, vulnerability identification should be reframed as an opportunity to deliver strategic value. Targeted discovery questions can quickly surface risk indicators, including:
- How frequently are credentials replaced or audited?
- What processes exist for reporting lost or stolen cards?
- Does the access control system integrate with HR or identity management platforms?
- Are credential technologies aligned with current security policies?
These conversations shift the focus from selling replacement hardware to educating clients on risk, resilience and future-readiness. The integrator can position themselves as advisors to their clients, helping stakeholders grasp the urgency of modernization. When framed responsibly, such discussions build awareness rather than fear.
Phased Modernization Protects and Future-Proofs
Modernizing access control doesn’t have to be a full-scale, disruptive overhaul. Phased strategies allow organizations to manage cost, minimize business disruption and realize incremental security value.
Effective modernization planning includes:
- Determining the appropriate modernization strategy: Understanding the client’s needs and determining the order of priority between credential upgrades, reader replacement or a broader system transformation. Aligning technical decisions with client risk profiles ensures practical, defensible investments.
- Spreading expenses over time: Phasing the implementation of modernization over fiscal years or across budget cycles reduces financial barriers and increases project feasibility.
- Engaging stakeholders early: Share clear risk assessments and phased strategies with key decision-makers, ensuring alignment and securing internal support for successful implementation.
This approach places the integrator as a strategic advisor, assisting clients in eliminating the hidden costs of legacy tech while incrementally developing a future-proof, IT-integrated security infrastructure.
Owning the Advisory Role
Access control is moving towards more digital, mobile and secure credentials that can be interoperable with other technologies and overall enterprise systems. Interoperable credentials can be used to amplify identity verification, network access, reporting and operational processes – opening up new opportunities for the convergence of IT and increased efficiency.
For security integrators, this shift represents more than a tech upgrade cycle. It creates opportunities to help their clients navigate interoperability, cybersecurity implications and lifecycle planning – areas where integrators can differentiate through expertise rather than product selection alone.
Prox Cards vs. Secure Access
Legacy prox cards are no longer just a convenience but a financial liability that threatens security, operations and the integrator’s own reputation. Clinging to legacy technology solely to reduce costs undermines value and erodes long-term trust.
As physical access control systems continue to converge with IT infrastructure, integrating identity management, network security and operational intelligence, integrators who proactively assess risks, educate clients and guide modernization efforts will strengthen both client relationships and competitive positioning.
In this next era, a strong product catalog is table stakes. What will separate the best integrators is the willingness to have honest conversations. The kind that surface risk before it becomes a crisis. That’s what builds lasting client relationships and that’s what defines a trusted advisor.
Jeremy Scott is senior director of global distribution at Wavelynx.
