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Organizations today are rethinking how people access buildings. Traditional access control systems were designed around credentials such as badges and cards, not identities. While these systems helped digitize security, they also introduced new risks. Credentials can be lost, shared, or stolen, and security teams are left managing fragmented systems while dealing with challenges like tailgating and unauthorized entry.
At the same time, organizations are rapidly adopting cloud-based technologies to modernize building operations and simplify how access control is managed.
This is where the collaboration between Alcatraz and Genea comes in. Together, the companies are helping organizations explore a more modern approach to access control by combining cloud-based access management with AI-powered facial authentication.
By bringing identity verification closer to the door, organizations can strengthen security while creating a more seamless experience for employees and visitors.
Why Traditional Access Control Needs to Evolve
For decades, physical security systems have relied on credentials to grant entry. While effective in many ways, credential-based systems have clear limitations.
Credentials can be lost, stolen, or shared. Badge-based systems verify the credential rather than the person. Tailgating remains a persistent risk in many facilities. Security teams must manage multiple systems and infrastructures.
As buildings become smarter and more connected, security leaders are increasingly looking for solutions that verify identity rather than simply scanning a credential.
A Shared Vision for Modern Access Control
Both Alcatraz and Genea are focused on modernizing how people interact with buildings.
Genea delivers a cloud-native access control platform that allows organizations to manage doors, permissions, and building access policies through a centralized system.
Alcatraz provides Rock X, a facial authentication solution designed to verify identity at the entry point while enabling a fast and frictionless user experience.
Kasia Hanson, VP of Strategic Partnerships at Alcatraz, explains the value of this approach.
“Organizations are increasingly looking for identity-first approaches to access control. Working alongside Genea allows us to demonstrate how facial authentication with Rock X can complement modern cloud-based access control platforms while improving both security and user experience.”
How Genea and Alcatraz Work Together
When deployed in the same environment, the Genea platform manages access permissions, building policies, and door control, while Rock X verifies the identity of individuals approaching the entry point.
This approach allows organizations to combine the strengths of both solutions. Genea manages access rights and building access policies, while Rock X verifies identity at the door using facial authentication. Security teams gain stronger assurance that the authorized person entering the building is the correct individual.
Michael Wong, CEO of Genea, highlights the opportunity to modernize access control.
“Organizations expect their building technology to be as seamless and intelligent as the rest of their digital infrastructure. Working with innovative companies like Alcatraz allows us to explore how identity-driven technologies can improve both building security and user experience.”
The Advantages of Combining Cloud Access Control and Facial Authentication
Verify the person, not just the credential
With Rock X from Alcatraz, organizations can verify the actual person entering the building rather than relying only on a badge or credential. This helps reduce risks associated with lost, stolen, or shared badges while strengthening identity assurance at the door.
Create a frictionless entry experience
Rock X enables employees and authorized users to move through entry points quickly and naturally without needing to present a badge. The experience becomes seamless and touchless while maintaining strong security.
Improve visibility into building access
When combined with the cloud-based access management capabilities of Genea, organizations gain greater visibility into building entry events and stronger awareness of who is accessing their facilities.
Simplify access management with the cloud
Genea’s cloud platform allows security teams to manage access permissions across buildings and locations through a centralized system, while Rock X adds identity verification at the door to strengthen overall security.
Moving Toward the Future of Identity-Based Access
Security teams today are looking for solutions that combine strong identity verification with modern building management systems. The collaboration between Alcatraz and Genea reflects a shared vision of how access control can evolve.
By bringing together cloud-based access control and advanced authentication technologies, organizations can begin transitioning toward identity-first access environments that improve security while maintaining a seamless experience for employees and visitors.
Book a demo to learn how Alcatraz can help modernize access control and strengthen identity verification across your facilities. https://www.alcatraz.ai/book-a-demo
