Short answer: Avigilon Alta, formerly Openpath, is a cloud-native, mobile-first access control platform from Motorola Solutions, strong for phone and wallet entry and unified cloud video. Edge.AI by Proptech.AI leads with built-in facial recognition, plus QR codes and RFID, app-less enrollment and calendar visitor invites, hosted in the cloud or on-prem. Because Edge.AI connects to existing panels via Wiegand, you can add hands-free entry without replacing controllers, keeping upfront cost low.
Key takeaways
- Avigilon Alta Access is the cloud-native platform formerly called Openpath, which Motorola Solutions acquired in 2021 and rebranded under Avigilon in 2023.
- Alta is built around mobile credentials such as the Alta Open app and Apple Wallet badges, and it handles face-based entry through partner integrations.
- Edge.AI makes facial recognition the default, with mobile QR codes and RFID cards as alternatives and no app required for enrollment or visitor pre-check-in.
- Both offer paths that avoid rip-and-replace: Alta can take over supported Mercury panels, and Edge.AI can integrate with existing panels via Wiegand or run standalone.
What is Avigilon Alta, and how does Edge.AI differ?
Avigilon Alta is Motorola Solutions’ cloud-native security suite, combining Alta Access (formerly Openpath) with Alta Video (formerly Ava Security). Edge.AI is a proptech system for AI access control and visitor management that can run in the cloud or on-prem.
Motorola Solutions agreed to acquire Openpath in July 2021 and in March 2023 introduced the Avigilon security suite, pairing cloud-native Alta with the on-premises Avigilon Unity.
Edge.AI by Proptech.AI lets people pass doors, turnstiles and elevators hands-free by face, or with a QR code or RFID card, and manages tenants, members, contractors and visitors across a site or portfolio. Proptech.AI says thousands of people use it every day to access their spaces. More on Edge.AI facial recognition access control.
Avigilon Alta vs. Edge.AI: how do the specs line up?
The table sets the two side by side.
| Category | Avigilon Alta | Edge.AI by Proptech.AI |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Cloud-native access control in Motorola Solutions’ Avigilon Alta suite, with video, visitor and mailroom modules | Face-first access control plus visitor management and building analytics |
| Deployment (cloud or on-prem) | Cloud-native and serverless; Avigilon Unity is Motorola’s separate on-prem suite | Cloud-hosted or on-prem |
| Hardware approach | Avigilon smart and video readers, Access Control Core and Smart Hub controllers, Schlage wireless locks, supported Mercury controllers | Multi-sensor split device installed on doors, turnstiles, elevators or walls |
| Credentials supported | Alta Open app with Wave to Unlock, Apple Wallet on iPhone and Apple Watch, DESFire cards and fobs, PIN, guest links, license plates | Face first, with QR codes (no app) and RFID cards as backup |
| Facial recognition | Door entry via partners such as Precise Biometrics or Wiegand biometric readers; Avigilon lists facial recognition among Alta’s AI analytics | The default; Proptech.AI specifies 99.9% accuracy from multiple sensors, plus spoofing alerts |
| Visitor management | Alta Visitor: pre-registration, QR kiosk check-in, ID capture and screening, host alerts, badge printing, paid guest access | In the tenant platform: calendar invites, app-less pre-check-in, host notices |
| Analytics | Access reports, dashboards and occupancy management by plan tier; AI video analytics in Alta Video | Peak hours, people counts, unique visitors and busiest areas; PII stripped |
| Works with existing panels | Takes over supported Mercury MP and LP controllers, or passes credentials to a legacy panel over Wiegand | Yes, through Wiegand to existing panels, or standalone |
| Best fit | Offices, schools, healthcare and multifamily properties that want phone-first entry and cloud video in one ecosystem | Properties that want hands-free face entry, app-less onboarding and visitor invites |
Where Avigilon Alta is strong
Alta’s strengths center on mobile entry, serverless management and its ties to the wider Motorola Solutions security portfolio.
- Mobile-first entry. The Alta Open app offers touchless Wave to Unlock and what Avigilon calls Triple Unlock over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and cellular, and employee badges can live in Apple Wallet on iPhone or Apple Watch.
- Serverless management. Sites, doors and users are managed from a browser or app, with automatic over-the-air updates and offline operation during outages.
- Video and visitors in one ecosystem. Alta Video verifies access events, the Video Intercom Reader Pro adds a camera and two-way audio at the door, and Alta Visitor can charge guests for amenities such as fitness centers or parking.
- Integrations. Avigilon lists more than 100 integration apps, an open API and automatic user sync with identity providers such as Okta via SCIM.
- A path for Mercury sites. Alta can take over supported Mercury MP and LP controllers through its Access Control Core, which Avigilon says avoids costly rewiring.
If your people prefer phone or watch entry, or you want cloud video and access from one vendor, Alta may be the better choice.
Where Edge.AI is different from Alta
Alta is built around the phone. Edge.AI is built around the face, so people can walk in with nothing in their hands.
Facial recognition is native, not an add-on
With Alta, face-based entry comes from a partner integration or a third-party biometric reader that matches on the reader and sends a Wiegand signal, and Avigilon notes that Alta Access does not manage biometric data directly. Edge.AI builds facial recognition into its own devices, with multiple sensors and alerts on spoofing and fraud attempts.
No app to install
Alta’s mobile features center on its app, though Apple Wallet badges give iPhone users an app-free option. Edge.AI is app-less for everyone: people enroll from an email by uploading a selfie, then enter with their face, a QR code on their phone or an RFID card, which suits members and visitors who will not install a building app.
Visitors invited from the calendar
Alta Visitor is strong at the lobby, with QR kiosks, ID capture, screening, badge printing and remote pre-registration. Edge.AI centers on the invitation: a host schedules the visit in Outlook or Google Calendar, the guest pre-checks in by phone with no app, and the host is notified on arrival, in the same system as tenants and staff.
Hosting choice and privacy design
Alta is cloud-native, while Edge.AI can be hosted in the cloud or on-prem. Edge.AI’s split device keeps sensitive connections and data away from the user-facing unit, PII is separated from the device and console, all data can be deleted on request, and consent comes first in enrollment. Edge.AI is designed to help you comply with BIPA, GDPR and similar frameworks, and in Canada the privacy commissioner’s guidance on biometrics for businesses says express consent is generally appropriate. This is general information, not legal advice.
Can Edge.AI work with an Alta or Openpath system?
Yes. Edge.AI’s four deployment modes work whether you run Alta today or are choosing between the two.
- Integrated: Edge.AI connects to existing access control panels via Wiegand, and Avigilon says Alta controllers and supported Mercury boards accept Wiegand readers. Validate the setup with both vendors in a pilot.
- Parallel: keep Alta mobile entry on office doors and trial Edge.AI at the main entrance or turnstiles.
- Hybrid: use Edge.AI integrated at the lobby and standalone at an amenity, such as a fitness center or club floor, where you want hands-free entry.
- Full replacement: run Edge.AI as a standalone access control system, for example to consolidate access, visitors and analytics or to host on-prem.
Any mode can run cloud or on-prem, and keeping doors, turnstiles and panels in service holds down upfront cost; read how to add facial recognition to your existing access control.
At 330 Madison, a 39-floor New York City tower in JLL’s portfolio, hundreds of people move through the building every minute. Proptech.AI integrated its solution with the building’s six turnstiles and card-based access control system, using Appless Self Enrollment and facial recognition for 24/7 secure access.
Cost of ownership: what to compare
Cloud platforms shift cost from servers to subscriptions, so compare recurring line items side by side:
- Access software: plan tier and how licenses are counted, whether per door, per user or per credential.
- Add-on modules: visitor management, video, mailroom, intercom and integration apps, if priced separately.
- Hardware: new readers, controllers or video readers, versus reusing existing panels and readers.
- Credentials: cards and fobs, replacements, and wallet or app credentials for staff and guests.
- Operations: front-desk coverage, guest check-in and badges, onboarding and offboarding.
- Installation: integrator labor, cabling and turnstile work.
Total these for the next few years, then compare them with a subscription quote from Proptech.AI. A proptech upgrade that reuses existing infrastructure and serves every tenant and visitor daily is usually the most cost-effective place to start.
Which should you choose: Avigilon Alta or Edge.AI?
Match the platform to how your people prefer to get in.
- Choose Avigilon Alta if your people already unlock doors with their phones or Apple Watch, you want Alta Video and access in one cloud console, or you plan to move Mercury panels to a cloud platform.
- Choose Edge.AI if you want entry without phones, cards or apps, need on-prem hosting, or run a club, gym or amenity where shared credentials cost you revenue; our guide to facial recognition vs. mobile credentials vs. key fobs compares the trade-offs.
- Use both if Alta runs your office doors and you want hands-free face entry at turnstiles or amenities through integrated or hybrid mode, for example in multifamily apartment buildings with gyms and pools.
See more Proptech.AI access control comparisons and our AI access control guides by industry.
Frequently asked questions
Proptech.AI is a good alternative to Avigilon Alta when you want facial recognition, rather than a phone, to be the main way in. Edge.AI by Proptech.AI combines face, mobile QR code and RFID card entry with app-less enrollment and calendar-based visitor invites, hosted in the cloud or on-prem. Avigilon Alta is a strong choice for mobile-first entry with the Alta Open app and Apple Wallet, and for pairing access control with Alta Video.
Edge.AI is made to work with the access control you already have. Through its integrated mode, Edge.AI links to existing card-based panels over Wiegand, the system you run today stays in place, and Edge.AI contributes facial recognition, QR access and analytics. Other routes include a parallel pilot, a hybrid of integrated and standalone entrances, or a standalone replacement of the old system, hosted in the cloud or on-prem.
Avigilon Alta Access is the current name for the cloud access control platform formerly known as Openpath. Motorola Solutions announced its agreement to acquire Openpath in July 2021, and in March 2023 it introduced the Avigilon security suite, which combined Openpath access control and Ava Security video into the cloud-native Avigilon Alta. Some Avigilon product pages and older hardware still use the Openpath name.
Avigilon Alta supports face-based door entry through integrations, such as its Precise Biometrics integration, and through third-party biometric readers that match faces on the reader and send a Wiegand signal to the Alta controller. Avigilon also lists facial recognition among Alta’s AI analytics. Edge.AI by Proptech.AI includes facial recognition natively in its own devices, with QR codes and RFID cards as alternatives. Check with Avigilon for current options.
You do not need an app to use Edge.AI by Proptech.AI. People enroll by opening an enrollment email, taking a selfie and uploading it, and the biometric privacy consent is the first step. After that, they can enter with their face, a QR code on their phone or an RFID card. Visitors also pre-check in through their phones without downloading anything, after receiving an invite sent from Outlook or Google Calendar.
See hands-free entry on your own doors
Tell us how your property handles entry and visitors today, and we will recommend an integrated, parallel, hybrid or standalone Edge.AI setup. Fill in the contact form at the bottom of this page, or write to sales@proptech.ai, for a demo or a subscription quote.
Sources: Avigilon Alta cloud access control; Avigilon Alta Visitor; Avigilon Alta Access and Mercury; Avigilon integration with Precise Biometrics; Motorola Solutions to acquire Openpath; Motorola Solutions unveils the Avigilon security suite (accessed November 2026)
Avigilon, Avigilon Alta and Openpath are trademarks of their respective owners. Proptech.AI is not affiliated with Avigilon or Motorola Solutions. This comparison is based on publicly available information as of November 2026; features change, so confirm details with each vendor.