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Why Property Owners Should Stop Installing Card Readers in Elevators

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The Problem with Yesterday’s Technology

For decades, card readers have been the default way to secure elevator access. The logic was simple: require a card to unlock floor buttons, and you’ve improved security. But the truth is, traditional in-car card readers no longer meet the needs of modern buildings. They’re limited, inflexible, and expensive to maintain in an era where mobility, visitor experience, and smart technology are redefining property value.

  • Today’s property owners face new realities:
  • Tenants expect seamless, touchless, mobile-first experiences.
  • Visitors need secure but frictionless access without escorts or cumbersome check-in processes.
  • Building systems must generate data insights — not just log card swipes.
  • Investors and asset managers demand ROI from every technology purchase.

In this environment, installing another traditional card reader is a sunk cost. Property owners and managers need a forward-looking alternative that delivers security, efficiency, and value.

Why Traditional In-Car Readers Fall Short

Credential Lock-In
Traditional readers typically support prox or mobile cards only. They can’t handle QR codes for visitors, can’t recognize faces, and can’t process voice commands. If you want to support multiple credentials, you need multiple devices — and that drives up cost and complexity.

Visitor Gap
The biggest operational headache is visitors. With card readers, there’s no natural way to let a visitor access only their authorized floor. This means escorts, manual overrides, or unsecured elevators. It’s a liability and a poor first impression.

No Intelligence
A card reader does exactly one thing: reads a card. It doesn’t tell you about ride quality, doesn’t capture video, and doesn’t integrate intercom. You’re left with fragmented systems and no analytics.

Rigid and Outdated
Adding new functionality requires new hardware. Card readers don’t evolve with your building. Once installed, they’re essentially frozen in time.

Enter the In-Car Person Reader

The BluB0X In-Car Person Reader is a modern, all-in-one solution that replaces outdated card readers and brings elevators into the digital age. It’s not just a credential reader — it’s a five-in-one platform:

  1. Access & Credentialing – Supports every credential type: cards, NFC, BLE, QR codes, PINs, facial recognition, and voice commands.
  2. Visitor Enablement – Issue secure QR codes, restrict floors, and track visitor journeys seamlessly.
  3. Emergency Intercom – Voice, video, and text built into the same device.
  4. In-Car Video Surveillance – Local recording, live monitoring, and playback for safety and liability.
  5. Ride-Quality Analytics – Captures performance data to improve service contracts and reduce downtime.

Advantages for Property Owners & Managers

1. Lower Total Cost of Ownership

Instead of paying for separate card readers, intercoms, cameras, QR scanners, and analytics modules, you deploy one device. That means:

  • Lower capital cost per cab
  • Lower installation costs (fewer cutouts, cable runs, devices)
  • Lower maintenance costs (one device, fewer failure points)

2. Better Security

  • Multi-factor options: card + face, voice + mobile.
  • Visitor control: guests can only access their floor.
  • Integrated video: see exactly who’s in the cab, with time-stamped evidence.

3. Tenant Experience as a Differentiator

Tenants today want modern, touchless buildings. Person Readers let people use their choice of credential — phone, wallet, QR, or face. Accessibility improves with voice commands, making buildings more inclusive. This improves tenant satisfaction and retention.

4. Future-Proof Investment

Unlike traditional readers, Person Readers evolve through monthly BluSKY® over-the-air updates. New features, security patches, and integrations roll out without expensive retrofits. Your investment gets better every year.

5. Valuable Data & Insights

  • Card readers give you a log. Person Readers give you intelligence:
  • Usage analytics (who, when, how often).
  • Ride-quality data (smoothness, stops, downtime).

Event correlation (access, video, intercom tied together).
This data empowers owners to negotiate better elevator service contracts, reduce liability, and make smarter operational decisions.

The Visitor Problem Solved

For owners and managers, visitors are a daily friction point. With card readers, the options are limited: escort them, issue temporary cards, or leave elevators insecure. All are inefficient.

With Person Readers:

  • A QR code is sent to the visitor at registration.
  • They use it at the turnstile and again inside the elevator.
  • The system automatically restricts them to their authorized floor.
  • Their journey is logged with video evidence.

No escorts. No manual intervention. No risk of “riding the tower.” Visitors are secure and welcomed, without creating work for staff.

Cost Justification

Let’s look at a simple comparison:

Legacy System Per Elevator Cab:

  • Card Reader: $1,000
  • Intercom: $1,500
  • Camera + Recording: $1,200
  • QR/Visitor Solution: $800
  • Voice/Face Terminal: $2,500
  • Installation & Integration: $1,200

Total: $8,200+ per cab

Person Reader System Per Cab:

  • BluB0X Person Reader: One device
  • Converter/Traveler Networking: $500
  • Installation: $800

Total: ~$3,000 per cab

That’s less than half the cost of piecing together multiple subsystems — and Person Readers do far more.

Real-World Impact

Imagine two buildings:

  • Building A installs traditional card readers. Tenants complain about visitors being stuck in the lobby. Accessibility advocates raise concerns about usability. The property team spends hours managing visitor flow. Within five years, the hardware feels outdated.
  • Building B installs Person Readers. Visitors scan QR codes and ride directly to their floor. Tenants use their phones or faces for seamless, secure rides. Property managers use ride-quality data to negotiate a better elevator maintenance contract. The system keeps improving every month with OTA updates.

Which building will attract and retain tenants? Which will command higher lease rates?

A Future-Proof Standard for Elevators

Card readers had their place in the 1990s and 2000s. But buildings are no longer just real estate; they’re technology platforms. Owners and managers who continue installing traditional readers are investing in obsolescence.

The BluB0X In-Car Person Reader sets a new standard: all-in-one, future-proof, tenant-friendly, and cost-effective. It solves the visitor problem, improves security, and generates actionable data — all while enhancing the tenant experience.

For property owners and managers, the decision is clear:
Stop installing card readers. Start installing Person Readers.