Acre links access control & intrusion in cloud suite

Acre Security has launched a generally available integration between its Acre Intrusion controller family and Acre Access Control, linking the two systems through a single workflow for identity, policy and audit.

The integration covers the EVO, Gen1 and AIC-1200 intrusion controllers alongside Acre Access Control. It connects access rights with intrusion functions, so organisations can manage users and credentials once instead of in separate systems.

Acre Intrusion Controller has an established installed base in Europe, while Acre Access Control has been expanding in North America. Acre is positioning the combined workflow as a response to tighter expectations around offboarding and insider-threat controls, particularly for operators of critical infrastructure.

US guidance has increasingly framed insider threat as a cross-functional operational programme spanning HR, IT and security teams. This model emphasises consistent processes and traceability during employee exits and changes in access. In many organisations, access control and intrusion remain separate systems that can fall out of sync.

The risk is operational rather than theoretical. When permissions live in more than one database, a role change or termination can leave residual door access, alarm codes or panel permissions behind. Security teams then need manual checks across multiple tools and administrative consoles.

Separate histories

Access control and intrusion detection developed as distinct disciplines. Access control focuses on permissive entry rules, while intrusion detection focuses on identifying unauthorised presence and generating alarms.

The markets also evolved around different technology stacks and vendor ecosystems. Access control commonly relies on Wiegand and OSDP protocols for reader-to-controller communications. Intrusion systems often use proprietary panel protocols, along with industry-standard reporting formats for central station monitoring.

Procurement and ownership inside enterprises has often mirrored this split. Facilities teams may manage burglar alarm systems that connect with building management platforms, while security directors or IT teams may own access control because it links to employee credentials and identity systems. That separation can create gaps when precise timing and clear records matter, such as during terminations and access changes.

Cloud link

Acre is using cloud architecture as the basis for the integration. When both systems run on the same cloud infrastructure, they can share a common data layer even when field devices still use different protocols. Edge devices handle protocol translation, while the cloud environment provides centralised logic and record keeping.

Acre also argues that unified event handling helps security operations centres that process large volumes of daily alerts, many of which are false positives. Correlating access and intrusion events can speed verification when an incident involves both a door event and an alarm condition.

"Organisations today face an increasingly complex threat landscape while managing more systems and more data than ever before," said Kumar Sokka, CEO of Acre Security.

"We are not claiming to be first to 'unify' security tools. The difference is what we mean by unification: identity, policy, and audit that hold up during offboarding and incident response. This release is a step in our One Acre journey to give security teams operational clarity by unifying access and intrusion detection on a single, governed platform."

Governed workflow

Some suppliers have pursued "unification" by linking separate products via connectors or partner integrations. Here, both platforms come from the same vendor, supporting a shared governance layer and a single system of record for identity and permissions.

In the integrated setup, a single person profile governs both door-access permissions and intrusion-arming rights. Offboarding becomes one action that revokes both, reducing the chance of delays or orphaned credentials in another system.

The combined configuration also applies exception days, holiday calendars and scheduling rules across access and intrusion from one console. Alarms and event histories appear in one dashboard, so an intrusion alert and a door-forced-open event show in the same application rather than separate tools.

Acre is also highlighting its communications design. The integration uses the company's proprietary FlexC bi-directional encrypted communication protocol, removing the need for on-premises translation servers or integration appliances between access and intrusion components and reducing infrastructure dependencies.

Data centre demand

The launch comes as data centre operators invest heavily in physical security alongside expanding AI infrastructure. These sites have become targets for theft, disruption and sabotage, and are also a focal point for operational resilience and compliance programmes.

Acre cited IBM's 2025 Cost of a Data Breach Report, which put the US average cost of a physical security breach at USD $10.22 million. Operators are increasingly seeking joined-up controls that connect authorisation with detection and produce a single audit trail for changes and incidents.

The AIC-AAC integration is available now in EMEA and APAC, with the release framed as part of a broader programme around a unified security platform.