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Visitor Management Systems

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Showing 1 - 20 of 212 products

Honeywell Forge Visitor Management

Honeywell Forge Performance+ for Buildings | Visitor and Contractor Management is a modern visitor management system enabling a streamlined, secure check-in experience for visitors, contractors, and staff. Visitors simply check ... Read more about Honeywell Forge Visitor Management

4.4 ( 593 reviews )

Sign In App

Sign In App is a smart visitor management solution helping businesses and schools keep track of their visitors and employees. As guests and team members sign in, their details are automatically stored in your secure online portal ... Read more about Sign In App

4.9 ( 103 reviews )

SwipedOn is the world's easiest, most loved flexible workplace management system for Apple and Android. Manage your visitors, employees, resources and more. Customize the logo, colors and backgroundto match your branding. Sync m... Read more about SwipedOn

4.7 ( 297 reviews )

Best for mid-market and enterprise companies, Robin Powered is a cloud-based scheduling solution that caters to businesses across various industries such as real estate, consumer electronics, marketing, advertising, finance, infor... Read more about Robin

4.7 ( 55 reviews )

CoReceptionist

CoReceptionist is a cloud-based solution that helps businesses manage and automate visitor check-ins through registration, on-boarding and sign-in/sign-out. Key features include ID scan, watch lists, notifications and badge manage... Read more about CoReceptionist

4.9 ( 14 reviews )

HID Visitor Management Solutions

WorkforceID Visitor Manager is cloud-based software, which helps small and medium businesses in transportation, energy, healthcare, education and other sectors manage physical and digital identity access. The solution enables admi... Read more about HID Visitor Management Solutions

5.0 ( 1 reviews )

Qminder is a cloud-based queue management platform that helps businesses deliver memorable waiting experiences. Manage customer queues via onsite check-in kiosks and real-time status updates. Qminder lets customers queue up remot... Read more about Qminder

4.8 ( 86 reviews )

Cloud-based venue management software that has all the features you’ll need to streamline online bookings, waivers, point of sale (POS), party bookings, payments, customer relationship management (CRM), memberships, advanced repor... Read more about VenueSumo

No reviews yet

iLobby is the global leader in facility and visitor management for complex enterprises and regulated industries. Deployed across more than 6,000 sites worldwide, iLobby's FacilityOS platform powers complex work environments by opt... Read more about iLobby

4.6 ( 122 reviews )

GymMaster is a cloud-based gym and health club member management system designed for gyms, fitness studios and clubs of all sizes. Key features include membership management, administrative task management, automated marketing, re... Read more about GymMaster

4.7 ( 152 reviews )

The Receptionist for iPad

The Receptionist for iPad is a cloud-based visitor management solution that serves businesses of all sizes across all industries. The primary features of The Receptionist are visitor logs, visitor badges, visitor notifications (vi... Read more about The Receptionist for iPad

4.8 ( 315 reviews )

KeepnTrack is a cloud-based visitor management software suitable for institutions such as schools, hospitals, retirement homes and summer camps of all sizes. The key features of this solution include visitor tracking, visitor back... Read more about KeepnTrack

4.2 ( 13 reviews )

Genea Security

Genea Access Control is a cloud-based access control software designed to help small businesses to large enterprises ensure the security of access across building facilities. Key features include attendance reports, credential man... Read more about Genea Security

4.8 ( 20 reviews )

Are you tired of tirelessly navigating through endless options on platforms like Capterra, only to find yourself still searching for the perfect visitor management system? If you're nodding in agreement, you're not alone. Countle... Read more about MyLobby

SphereMail's mailroom solution automates the process of organizing, distributing, and tracking postal mail for corporate employees and their customers. SphereMail's full-stack API allows the adoption of its cutting-edge technolog... Read more about SphereMail

4.6 ( 11 reviews )

TeleSign Platform

TeleSign connects and protects online experiences with sophisticated customer identity and engagement solutions to enables businesses to register accounts, verify phone numbers, identify users, prevent fraud, streamline customer e... Read more about TeleSign Platform

MRI OnLocation

OnLocation is an app that allows you to easily set up mobile check-in for all your employees, visitors, and contractors with just one click. It also allows you to manage desk booking for both internal and external users, so everyo... Read more about MRI OnLocation

4.7 ( 62 reviews )

SchoolPass Visitor Management

SchoolPass is a Visitor Management Solution specifically built for PK-12 schools. Visitors, volunteers, vendors and students sign in and out via an intuitive mobile or web-based app. Different information and terms of entry can be... Read more about SchoolPass Visitor Management

Raptor Visitor Management

More than 52,000 K-12 schools worldwide protect their students and staff with Raptor school safety solutions. Raptor Visitor Management gives you the power to decide who is on your campus. Modern, configurable technology puts... Read more about Raptor Visitor Management

4.6 ( 25 reviews )

SignInSafe provides digital, no-contact, visitor, and guest sign-in. SignInSafe gives you a QR code that can be used anywhere sign-in/out is required. Visitors, customers, or attendees can simply scan the QR code with their device... Read more about SignInSafe

5.0 ( 3 reviews )

What is visitor management software?

Visitor Management Software (VMS) is a tool that helps office administration manage and track the flow of visitors into a business’s facility and allows selective access to buildings. Visitors can sign in using a VMS-loaded kiosk to self-register for a meeting or event. The tool monitors who are on the premises in real time and keeps records of visitor details for future reference or security purposes. 

The tool features include guests’ pre-registration, instant notifications upon arrival, and visitor badge generation with photos for identification purposes. The administration staff or employees are notified when the guest arrives, allowing them to offer guests directions to a room or display the directory on the kiosk. It can also be used to manage assets, such as keys and access cards assigned to visitors. Each asset is individually tagged to avoid unauthorized access due to loss or theft.

In the case of emergency evacuation, the administration staff can sign out people off the building premises securely using an electronic verification process. 

What are the core features of visitor management software?

Visitor tracking: Record and monitor visitor information, such as name, photo ID, time of arrival/departure, purpose of visit, and contact person within the organization. The feature offers insight into who is entering or leaving the premises. It simplifies visitor registration processes, prints ID badges for visitors, and provides detailed reports on visitor data to enhance security measures within a facility.

Contact management: Store and organize visitor data as contact profiles within the system for easily retrieving visitor information in real time. The feature allows sending customized messages or notifications directly from the software platform to simplify communication between the host, administration, and visitor.

What are the benefits of using visitor management software?

Automates visitor data collection: Visitor management software automates visitor data collection by digitally capturing and storing visitors' information, including names, contact details, visit times, and the purpose of the visit. This eliminates manual visitor log management, prone to errors and inefficiencies. The tool saves time and ensures accurate record-keeping for security or administrative purposes.

Keeps track of visitor history: Automated visitor data collection and profile management offered by a visitor management system creates historical visitor logs. The tracked data provides insights about frequent guests, duration of visits, or peak visiting times to plan and improve operations. It also assists with security by maintaining a record of all individuals who entered the premises at specific times or days in the case of emergency or unauthorized visitor access.

Enhances security of premises: Visitor management software provides complete control over who enters and exits a building premises. It checks visitor identities, keeps records of visits, and generates instant alerts for suspicious activities or unauthorized access attempts. This ensures that only authorized individuals can enter the facility, enhancing safety measures significantly.

What are the potential issues with visitor management software?

Data privacy concerns: Visitors' personal information, such as names, contact details, and biometrics, is stored and processed in visitor management systems, which could be accessed or misused if not properly protected. If the software lacks strong data protection measures, it may lead to breaches of confidentiality, causing reputational damage and possible legal consequences for businesses.

Limited feature customization: Limited customization may not allow business administration staff to tailor the system per their specific needs, such as branding or unique check-in processes. This could prevent businesses from achieving optimal efficiency, security, or guest experience that aligns with the business’s identity and standards.

Complex check-in process: If the system’s check-in process is not intuitive with activities, such as entering details, generating tags, or uploading biometrics, it can lead to longer visitor queues. This undermines quick access control and security checks, integral aspects of an effective visitor management solution. It can also negatively affect your organization's professionalism and efficiency, affecting business relationships or customer satisfaction levels.

How much does visitor management software cost?

Most visitor management software products are priced “per month” basis, and their entry-level pricing plan ranges from $2.5 to $389+* . An enterprise product priced higher may include additional features such as integrated payments, meal booking, and ghost reservations.

*The pricing included is for the entry-level/lowest-priced offerings found on vendor websites as of Feb. 06, 2024.

What is visitor management software used for?

A visitor management system centralizes visitor information for the administration staff to enhance the security of the premises. However, the software can have multiple use cases based on the data fed into the system and the tool's features leveraged. Some of them are:

Digital signature: A visitor management system lets visitors electronically sign confidentiality agreements or terms of visitation on a touchscreen device, such as a smartphone, tablet, or any other digital screen. This feature enhances security by capturing and storing each visitor's unique signature for repeat visits, future verification, and compliance with policies and procedures. It also minimizes paperwork while providing an eco-friendly solution.

Visitor self-check-in and check-out: The visitor management tool enables visitors to sign in and out without needing a receptionist or security staff. It uses an interactive kiosk or a mobile device that captures information about each visitor, such as name, reason for visit, host's details, and other relevant information, enhancing efficiency while maintaining on-site security.

Registration management: Visitor management software allows visitors or hosts to pre-register for their arrival. They can add the required visitor details, upload identification documents, electronically sign documents, and print badges beforehand. This automates the check-in process and reduces wait time for visitors in queues.

Which software tools integrate with visitor management software?

A visitor management tool integrates with various solutions for data export and import. We looked across thousands of reviews from the software users to identify the products users frequently mentioned they integrated with their tools:

Slack team communication software integrates with a visitor management system to send real-time chat notifications to hosts about their visitors’ arrival and expected wait time. Teams can use the integrated platform to discuss visitor needs, answer questions, and coordinate access or directions directly in the chat thread. 

Microsoft Teams is a meeting software tool that integrates with visitor management software to facilitate virtual and in-office visitor meetings. The integrated system automatically grants visitors temporary access based on their meeting details, allowing quick access to designated meeting rooms. 

Microsoft Outlook email tracking software integration with a visitor management tool captures visitor email addresses during registration and adds them to the email system for marketing or meeting communication. The integrated system reveals the engagement on emails via clicks, helping the administrator or host to personalize follow-ups or offer marketing material tailored to visitors’ interests. 

Okta single sign-on software (SSO) integrates with a visitor management system to strengthen visitation security by providing two-factor authentication instead of a VMS password. This simplifies access control by automatically granting access to visitors based on SSO user roles and pre-approved invitations.

Google Calendar scheduling software integrates with visitor management software to schedule virtual or in-person meetings with visitors. The integrated system sends a link to the expected visitors to pre-register themselves and generate and print access badges. Hosts and administrators can gain insights into visitor trends and patterns based on scheduling data, enhancing future meetings and resource allocation.

*We identified these integrations mentioned most often in verified reviews of visitor management software published on Software Advice within the past two years (as of Feb. 06, 2024).

Key considerations when purchasing visitor management software

Determine the customization options for visitor badges. Customization options for visitor badges in visitor management software allow businesses to incorporate their branding logos and visitor details for specific tracking. It enhances security by including additional details, such as visit purpose, access level, or time of entry and exit. Customized badges also ensure a professional image, which may improve visitors' perception of the business.

Check software scalability for large visitor volumes. Scalability in visitor management software is crucial to handle large volumes of visitors as the business expands. If a business has peak visit periods, the system should be able to cope with increased demand by reducing wait time without compromising performance or affecting the visitor experience.

Assess integration capabilities with existing systems. Integration capabilities with existing business administration systems ensure smooth data flow and reduce error-prone manual data entry. It enables seamless sharing of visitor information across security teams, thus improving efficiency while maintaining high accuracy.

Products evaluated for the pricing calculation were taken from Software Advice’s visitor management software . The pricing ranges exclude freemium versions of the products. The features highlighted were identified based on their relevance and the percentage of products in Software Advice's directory that offer them. 

This visitor management software buyers guide was authored by Software Advice’s content team. We develop our guides using the author's expertise, insights from 2M+ unique user reviews, and our proprietary data science algorithms to identify trends in user sentiment, preferences, and priorities. Some text was generated with assistance from artificial intelligence tools.

The visitor management system that impresses guests while keeping everyone safe

Welcome guests with reliable visitor management system that keeps your workplace safe, compliant, and productive.

Everything you need to welcome visitors

Keep your workplace safe.

Your front desk is your first line of defense against unwanted or unapproved visitors, so it’s important to always know who is onsite, when, and why. With a secure visitor management system, you can allow only approved and healthy guests in your workplace so everyone inside stays safe.

Save your team time

You no longer need to print and file paper documents, handwrite badges, or track down employees when their guests arrive. Automatically send details and verify or sign documents ahead of time, then alert hosts when visitors arrive. 96% of customers say Envoy’s visitor management system saves their teams time.

Impress guests

Upgrade your front desk with a modern, digital visitor management system and leave your guests with a polished, delightful first impression. Nail the visitor experience from the moment guests are invited. Wow them with custom branding, sleek iPad or touchless sign-in, and everything they need for a great visit.

Streamline approvals and denials

Set specific criteria for guests to meet before they are approved to enter your space. Customize what level of building access they can receive directly in Envoy and we’ll automatically grant them the right permissions to your space.

Scale operations globally

Centralized visitor management helps you monitor locations, deploy to new sites, and standardize your processes. Provide consistently exceptional first impressions across locations while personalizing each visitor’s experience.

Let your brand shine

You’ve worked hard to build your brand—and Envoy makes it easy to bring that brand experience to life in your lobby. Display your brand logo directly on the tablet on your front desk, on visitor badges, and in all visitor emails.

Meet complex compliance needs with a secure visitor management system

There’s a lot to focus on when you’re working to stay compliant. That’s why you should rely on Envoy’s visitor management system to take care of all the visitor-related requirements for you. Capture and store all of the visitor data you need to keep your workplace in compliance. Handle audits without the hassle by easily exporting data right when you need it.

“Envoy has become a crucial piece of our business and give us rock solid, irrefutable evidence of visitor records we can use for audits.”

The features you need most in your visitor management sytem

Envoy Visitors has features that work for your workplace—from sign-in to security, compliance, and beyond.

• Registration
• Customizable sign-in
• Host notifications
• Visitor screening
• Block lists and ID scanning
• Analytics and reporting
• Photo capture
• Digital document signing
• Badge printing
• Access control integrations
• Capacity limits
• Customized branding

What is a visitor management system?

A visitor management system keeps track of the people that come and go from your workplaces. With a visitor management system, not only can you record who the person is, but also what type of visitor they are, when they arrived, and how often they visit. You can also collect all the information you need ahead of time and easily capture, store, and export visitor data for audits. As companies realize the value of visitor management systems, many are upgrading from the old school paper and pen sign-in sheet to a digital visitor management system that can help them do much more. A visitor management system reduces tedious, manual tasks by automating them for your front desk and security staff. This allows you to focus more time and energy on creating a great workplace experience for everyone onsite.

How does a visitor management system work?

The beauty of a digital visitor management system is that it makes your workplace work better and saves your team time. When you adopt a visitor management system, you’ll streamline your visitor sign-in process, both on the front end for your guests and on the back end for your front desk admins. Here’s how a visitor management system works:

Step 1: Invite your visitor

Your visitor management system will automatically notify them and send an email with the information they need ahead of their visit. This might include directions to your workplace, a link to submit health verification details, or detailed safety requirements for being onsite.

Step 2: Your visitor signs-in when they arrive

They can do this either on an app on their phone or on a tablet at your front desk. When they arrives, they enter their name and details, snap a photo, and digitally sign documents.

Step 3: Security happens discreetly in the background

Your visitor management system will automatically screen visitors against block lists, watchlists, and invalid IDs, so you can rest assured that everyone onsite is supposed to be there.

Step 4: Hosts get notified about their guest

The visitor management system automatically alerts the correct employee that their guest has arrived.

Step 5: Greet your guest

The employee knows who to greet in the lobby, making awkward meetings a thing of the past.

The leading visitor management system

Don't just take our word for it. Hear why G2 and customersvoted Envoy the leading visitor management system.

“Envoy strikes a good balance between the high level of security we need and the open personality we’ve worked hard to create.”

Visitor management tips and best practices

All you need to know to impress these 5 common visitor types

A custom experience can help your visitors feel special and welcome in your workplace. Here are 5 common visitor types and what they expect out of their visit.

6 best practices for creating a great visitor experience

Get six helpful tips to ensure your visitors have a memorable and positive experience at your workplace.

Driving RTO success: IT’s role in workplace optimization

Discover how IT leaders can navigate return-to-office challenges with workplace data.

Do more with your visitor management system

Manage workplace capacity.

Set capacity limits and keep count of how many people are onsite at any given time to prevent overcrowding.

Create a great candidate experience

Give candidates all the details they need for a seamless onsite interview experience. Automatically notify your host or recruiters so they’re never left waiting in the lobby.

“Envoy's visitor management system and automatic host notifications have given us 30% of our time back.”

Connect disconnected data with a visitor management system

A visitor management system is a central system for all of your data, connecting and storing it securely in the cloud. This means that when you need to complete an audit, find information, or provide any kind of report, you can locate the data you need to with ease. What’s more, as you collect more data in one location, your visitor management system will offer visibility on trends. This helps you to analyze and make more informed decisions about the future.

“We have so many artists and visitors sign in. Envoy is a cool experience for them as it makes them feel special. It gives them that VIP feel.”

Still have questions about visitor management systems?

‍ why should my company use a visitor management system, ‍ can a visitor management system replace a sign-in app or pen and paper logbooks.

Unlike a sign-in app or manual logbook, a visitor management system is a comprehensive, digital solution. Visitor management systems include every aspect of welcoming visitors into the workplace. With your digital visitor management system, you can invite and screen visitors, grant them building access, check them in, notify hosts, log all visit details, and more.

How can a visitor management system modernize our operations?

A digital visitor management system will take your operations from old-school and manual to a sleek, modern, and automated process. It will automate your operations by reducing tedious, manual tasks that your front desk or security team typically does during the visitor management process. A visitor management system will streamline your paperwork process by digitizing it into one, easy sign-in flow. No more scrambling for documents or forgetting to ask visitors to sign-in when they reach the site. Using a visitor management system means you’ve covered everything you need to ahead of time, making the visitor experience more streamlined and efficient when they arrive.

‍ Will a visitor management system improve our physical security?

Visitor management systems can enhance a building’s existing security system. When you require visitors to sign in, scan their ID, screen them against blocklists, and notify the necessary party when someone enters and exits the office, you are improving your overall physical security. Envoy also integrates with third party watch lists, emergency alert software, and access control systems so you are always in control of who is allowed onsite.

Is a visitor management system customizable?

Envoy’s visitor management system is flexible and customizable. You can add your company branding to your sign-in flow, tailor the registration questions to collect the information you need, and create different sign-in flows for different visitor types or locations. You can also leverage custom or out-of-the-box integrations to plug Envoy into your existing visitor management workflows.

‍ Can I create different sign-in flows for different types of visitors?

The mark of a best-in-class visitor management system is the ability to customize. After all, you probably welcome candidates differently than you would business partners or vendors. Note which visitor types are most common and think through the end-to-end experience for each. Using your visitor management system, you can create different sign-in flows tailored toward every type of visitor who enters any workplace. You can standardize this globally, or customize it for each location.

What type of companies use visitor management systems?

Companies of all sizes and industries benefit from using a visitor management system. No matter if you have one visitor a day at a small office or hundreds around the world. No matter if you are a manufacturing facility with strict regulations or a tech company that prioritizes the workplace experience for important guests. A visitor management system is able to scale to the size and needs of your specific business.

How do visitor management systems improve the visitor experience?

A visitor management system communicates to your guests that your company is modern and uses the latest and greatest workplace technology. This sends the message that you care about your visitors’ time, health, and safety. It also creates a warm welcome and great first impression for every visitor who comes through your front door. With a digital visitor management system, guests are never left waiting and their host can confidently greet them when they arrive.

Do more with Envoy’s workplace platform

Save time and design a workplace where you and your team want to be with Envoy’s workplace platform—Visitors, Protect, Deliveries, Rooms, and Desks.

Empower employees to reserve a desk near coworkers to collaborate. Monitor space usage to adapt your workplace to work better for your team.

Easily book the right room for the task on hand either in advance or right outside the meeting room door. Free up unused space so more people can collaborate onsite.

Save time and hassle to ensure incoming deliveries reach their rightful owners with automated mailroom software.

Rely on a single app for your entire workplace. Find where coworkers are sitting, book rooms and desks, see visitor details, and get notified of deliveries.

Integrations

Connect with the tools you already use—or build your own. Envoy plugs and plays with over 100 workplace apps that improves the visitor management process.

The visitor experience begins in the building lobby, not just the front door

Envoy’s multi-tenant visitor management system keeps the entire building secure and provides an exceptional experience for guests—no matter what floor they’re going to.

VisitForm Intro

VisitForm Get Started

Start managing your community with excellence.

 Intro Video

Visitor and Access Management Software

VisitForm is the ultimate Visitor and Access Management Software solution specialized in managing Gated Communities, Gatehouses, Gates, Front Desks and Entrances. A straightforward, powerful and complete cloud software solution, VisitForm enables you and your staff to manage and communicate with your community efficiently and securely.  Software Overview Get Started Contact Us

Visitors, Residents and Vendors

The foundation of VisitForm is the streamlined Gatehouse check-in process and its Access Control. With VisitForm the Gatehouse operation runs smoothly, enabling your staff to welcome visitors and at the same time collect all required information. VisitForm works for both manned and unmanned entries.

Secure, Personal and Automated

With the well-thought out interface, the Gatehouse staff can instantly access information such as resident contact information, permanent visitor lists and notes. As well as admit visitors and vendors quickly. In the VisitForm Resident App residents can edit their visitors lists, schedule visits, away status and contact details which will automatically notify the gatehouse staff, reducing the workload of the gatehouse staff but still keeping the staff to have full control over the admit lists. No more Excel-sheets and notes with outdated phone numbers.

Gated Community Management

VisitForm Access Screen used by the Attendant/Guard can used on a regular tablet or desktop PC. The Attendant can also use a mobile version of VisitForm Access primarily used for QR-code scanning.

VisitForm Resident App (available on both Android and iOS)

Happy and Comfortable Residents

With VisitForm the gatehouse staff can send both automatic and manual text messages when visitors, auto-admitted persons and vendors check-in and other events. Keeping the residents happy and updated what is happening in the gatehouse.

Automatic Gate Access

VisitForm can be integrated with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) / License Plate Recognition (LPR) Cameras, Barcode Access Readers, RFID and Transponder Access Systems. Enable visitors & residents access the community using plate number, transponder, card or sticker. Manage vehicles with VisitForm's Vehicle Management via auto-admits. With the VisitForm Edge Software, the Gate will function both online and offline in case of network outages.

Admit Passes

With VisitForm, visitors and guests can also check-in with gate passes. Scannable with an ordinary smartphone. Greatly reducing queues and gatehouse staff workload without compromising on the security of the premises. Visitor can also enter the community with a PIN or by plate number. Either supplied by the gatehouse or the resident.

Gatehouse Staff

With VisitForm your staff will admit visitors with ease and utmost security. The gatehouse staff can also use the VisitForm App to admit visitors without having to use the desktop. Enable your gatehouse staff to reach their full potential by eliminating tedious tasks with the help of VisitForm. No more filling out endless forms or searching for post-it notes.

Some Metrics Communities Who Implement VisitForm Have Reported:

Decreased complaints.

With increased security and peace-of-mind for the residents. The amount of complaints to the gatehouse decreased drastically. With all information easily accessable, backtracking events and alarms is much easier.

Reduced Queues

Our users report a major improvement in reducing entrance queues due to faster check-ins. No more backed up vehicles in the roadway. Some of our users report a staggering halving in queue time after starting using VisitForm.

Less Phone Calls

VisitForm helps reduce the phone calls to the Gatehouse, especially when using the Residents portal. A 50-75% decrease in the amount of phone calls to the gatehouse has been reported only weeks after implementing VisitForm.

Lower Expenditure

With VisitForm our users have lowered their expenditure on expensive IT equipment and hardware, as well as better planning of maintenance, service and tasks.

Solution Overview

VisitForm is a cloud and web based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). All your data is securely stored in the cloud and there is no need to invest in expensive equipment or servers. No more IT maintenance or complex setups and updates.

See what’s possible with visitform..

Mail & Parcel Management

Manage mail and parcels with VisitForm. Keep track of important deliveries and perishables. With our attendant app the staff can quickly process parcels and letters by OCR or Barcode scanning.

Vacation Handling

With VisitForm's Away tab feature the gatehouse staff can manage out-of-town residents for increased security, couriers, mail requests and package holds.

Complete Overview

Plan shifts, community events and maintenance. With VisitForm you will get a complete overview of your community and the daily operation. Manage vendors and recurring vendors in an efficient way, define recurring vendors such as landscapers, delivery companies, couriers, nannies and much more.

Easy Guardhouse Management

Use VisitForm to manage daily tasks and share information between shifts. With the virtual bulletin board, staff can easily and quickly get the information needed from management and previous shifts. Manage property manager contact lists and let your residents fill out maintenance service requests. Create checklists and assign, and easily manage guardhouse tasks in one place.

Reviews From Our Users

Forefront of digital solutions.

In the ever-changing world of security, you can never be too secure. Our partnership with VisitForm has not only benefited our security guards but our trusted clients as well.

MCI Security — New York

VisitForm is easy to use!

VisitForm is very easy to use and carefully stores data in a way that enhances the way we protect our residents and their families.

Dolores Rorech , — Security Guard

Easy check-in!

VisitForm's fully customizable screen for security guards makes checking in visitors easy!

Scott Ingegno , — Security Guard

Well thought out features

Many of the well thought out VisitForm features are helpful for the continuity of shifts and the way we transfer information from one security guard to another.

Mark Wright , — Security Guard

VisitForm is easy to get started with, we offer a streamlined process for data input and configuration.

Get your quote

Visit & ID Badges

Print beautiful and respectable visitor badges with VisitForm. Let the Gatehouse staff hand out badges for visitors during visits and ID badges for residents access control.

Experiences & Amenities

Display information on community facilities, experiences and amenities. Display staff information such as name, job title and contact information in the residents' portal. Letting the residents know who is working on the premises and who to contact.

Incident Management

A fillable Incident Report form allows attendants to document incidents at your community with ease. The form also allows photos to be attached. And, since it's cloud-based, off-site staff can readily access important information and take necessary actions in real time.

Broadcast Alerts

Alert your residents and hosts instantly with broadcast text messages.

VisitForm is a proud member of Community Associations Institute (CAI)

VisitForm industries

Click on the links below to learn more

Gated communities

Starts publishing your apps.

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Opinion: China’s hostile welcome for Blinken highlights its out-of-control hubris

U .S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has just wrapped up his three-day visit to China. Despite his hopeful words, it does not appear he made substantive progress on core issues.

No surprise for the apparent lack of success. For one thing, Beijing had signaled that talks would be difficult. Earlier in the week, China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy  launched a JL-2 intercontinental ballistic missile  from a nuclear-powered submarine. The JL-2 is designed to deliver a one-megaton nuclear warhead. 

The launch was ostensibly connected to the  Chinese Navy’s 75th anniversary  celebration, but observers saw the event as a warning to the U.S. The launch occurred just  two days before  Blinken touched down in Shanghai for the trip to that city and Beijing, his second visit to China in a year. 

Beijing prominently displays these missiles, carried in rows of flat-bed trucks, in military parades, even going so far as to adorn them with “JL-2” markings that appear to be for parade purposes only. 

The missile was not the only unfriendly sign, however. At the moment, Beijing does not appear to be in any mood to have meaningful conversations with Washington, even America’s top diplomat. 

For one thing, the Chinese regime is exceedingly full of itself. Xi Jinping, for years, has been promoting the notion that “ the East is rising, the West is declining .” Recently, he has even been propagating the line that he’s already in charge of the world. 

“Change is coming that hasn’t happened in 100 years,” the Chinese leader said  to Vladimir Putin  in March 2023. “And we are driving this change together.” 

Unfortunately, the Biden administration’s policies have reinforced this perception of Chinese strength because America’s repeated attempts to promote dialogue feed Beijing’s already inflated sense of self-importance.  A Monday report  by the Global Times noted that visits from Blinken and other U.S. officials “indicate that Washington is unable to solve domestic and global issues without cooperation from China.” 

What Biden intends as friendly gestures are interpreted in the Chinese capital as signs of America’s perception of its weakness, which means Chinese officials think they have a veto over at least some of Washington’s policies. Reciprocity, unfortunately, does not work with China’s Communists, who look like they are becoming even more arrogant. 

Moreover, Beijing sees the Western democracies as feeble because they are divided, especially on Ukraine, a focus of Blinken’s visit that he highlighted before his latest China visit. 

“We see China sharing machine tools, semiconductors, other dual-use items that have helped Russia rebuild the defense industrial base that sanctions and export controls had done so much to degrade,” Blinken  said in Italy on the 19th . 

“China can’t have it both ways,” he continued. “It can’t purport to want to have positive, friendly relations with countries in Europe and at the same time be fueling the biggest threat to European security since the end of the Cold War.” 

But Beijing undoubtedly thinks it can have both. Steve Yates, chair of the America First Policy Institute’s China Policy Initiative, told me German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s  visit to Beijing  “gravely undermined any notion Blinken hopes to sell that the West will stand unified in imposing sanctions should China continue to aid Russia’s military assault on Ukraine.” 

“After significantly expanding trade with Russia since the invasion, blunting the impact of sanctions and helping replenish military capabilities, Europe’s anchor state warmly embraced China’s leader with unchanged hopes for expanded trade and economic opportunities,” Yates added. 

Unfortunately, the Biden administration has also been undermining Blinken.  Reuters reported  Tuesday that the U.S. has “no plan to roll out sanctions on China’s banks in the near-term,” which would be the most effective measures at Washington’s disposal. 

An anonymous Biden administration source said, “Officials hope that diplomacy will avert the need for such action.” 

Biden has been warning Beijing about providing “ lethal aid ” to Russia since almost the beginning of the conflict, but, as Blinken’s comments indicate, China has persisted. And now Washington has reportedly signaled it does not intend to do anything meaningful about the Chinese support. 

Why the reluctance? Because there is still hope that America can work with China.  

That’s not realistic, however. Administration officials and other Americans have not wanted to acknowledge that China and Russia are acting together to destabilize the international system. Yet neither Beijing nor Moscow has been bashful about the nature of the relationship, for instance declaring their “no-limits” partnership in their 5,300-word  joint statement  just 20 days before Russia invaded Ukraine. 

Beijing, in anticipation of Blinken’s visit, ha d  been telling Washington that its support for the Russian war effort was none of America’s business. 

“The Ukrainian issue is not an issue between China and the United States, and the United States should not turn it into an issue between China and the United States,”  a Chinese foreign ministry official said  on Tuesday. 

A comment on social media by  Hu Xijin, the former  Global Times  editor  is a stronger indication of China’s dismissive attitude toward Blinken. On Wednesday, Hu called Blinken’s visit to China “imploring.” 

Blinken received a cold welcome in Shanghai. There was no red carpet, Hu pointed out. No senior Chinese official bothered to go to the airport to greet him. 

And then there was an unmistakable sign of disrespect for Secretary Blinken and the country he represents: The launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile. 

Gordon G. Chang is the author of “The Coming Collapse of China” and “China Is Going to War.” Follow him on X, formerly Twitter,  @GordonGChang .   

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US poised to ease restrictions on marijuana in historic shift, but it’ll remain controlled substance

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a historic shift to generations of American drug policy that could have wide ripple effects across the country.

FILE - In this Friday, March 22, 2019, file photo, a marijuana plant is visible at Compassionate Care Foundation’s medical marijuana dispensary in Egg Harbor Township, N.J. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, a historic shift to generations of American drug policy that could have wide ripple-effects across the country. The DEA’s proposal still must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, The Associated Press has learned, a historic shift to generations of American drug policy that could have wide ripple effects across the country.

The proposal, which still must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, would recognize the medical uses of cannabis and acknowledge it has less potential for abuse than some of the nation’s most dangerous drugs. However, it would not legalize marijuana outright for recreational use.

The agency’s move, confirmed to the AP on Tuesday by five people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive regulatory review, clears the last significant regulatory hurdle before the agency’s biggest policy change in more than 50 years can take effect.

Once OMB signs off, the DEA will take public comment on the plan to move marijuana from its current classification as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD. It moves pot to Schedule III, alongside ketamine and some anabolic steroids, following a recommendation from the federal Health and Human Services Department. After the public comment period and a review by an administrative judge, the agency would eventually publish the final rule.

“Today, the Attorney General circulated a proposal to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III,” Justice Department director of public affairs Xochitl Hinojosa said in a statement. The DEA is a component of the Department of Justice. “Once published by the Federal Register, it will initiate a formal rulemaking process as prescribed by Congress in the Controlled Substances Act.”

Attorney General Merrick Garland’s signature throws the full weight of the Justice Department behind the move and appears to signal its importance to the Biden administration.

It comes after President Joe Biden called for a review of federal marijuana law in October 2022 and moved to pardon thousands of Americans convicted federally of simple possession of the drug. He has also called on governors and local leaders to take similar steps to erase marijuana convictions.

“Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities,” Biden said in December. “Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs.”

The election year announcement could help Biden, a Democrat, boost flagging support, particularly among younger voters .

Biden and a growing number of lawmakers from both major political parties have been pushing for the DEA decision as marijuana has become increasingly decriminalized and accepted, particularly by younger people. A Gallup poll last fall found 70% of adults support legalization, the highest level yet recorded by the polling firm and more than double the roughly 30% who backed it in 2000.

The DEA didn’t respond to repeated requests for comment.

Schedule III drugs are still controlled substances and subject to rules and regulations, and people who traffic in them without permission could still face federal criminal prosecution.

Some critics argue the DEA shouldn’t change course on marijuana, saying rescheduling isn’t necessary and could lead to harmful side effects.

Jack Riley, a former deputy administrator of the DEA, said he had concerns about the proposed change because he thinks marijuana remains a possible “gateway drug,” one that may lead to the use of other drugs.

“But in terms of us getting clear to use our resources to combat other major drugs, that’s a positive,” Riley said, noting that fentanyl alone accounts for more than 100,000 deaths in the U.S. a year.

On the other end of the spectrum, others argue marijuana should be treated the way alcohol is.

“While this rescheduling announcement is a historic step forward, I remain strongly committed to continuing to work on legislation like the SAFER Banking Act as well as the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, which federally deschedules cannabis by removing it from the Controlled Substances Act,” Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York said in a statement. “Congress must do everything we can to end the federal prohibition on cannabis and address longstanding harms caused by the War on Drugs.”

Federal drug policy has lagged behind many states in recent years, with 38 having already legalized medical marijuana and 24 legalizing its recreational use .

That’s helped fuel fast growth in the marijuana industry, with an estimated worth of nearly $30 billion. Easing federal regulations could reduce the tax burden that can be 70% or more for businesses, according to industry groups. It could also make it easier to research marijuana, since it’s very difficult to conduct authorized clinical studies on Schedule I substances.

The immediate effect of rescheduling on the nation’s criminal justice system would likely be more muted, since federal prosecutions for simple possession have been fairly rare in recent years.

But loosening restrictions could carry a host of unintended consequences in the drug war and beyond.

Critics point out that as a Schedule III drug, marijuana would remain regulated by the DEA. That means the roughly 15,000 cannabis dispensaries in the U.S. would have to register with the DEA like regular pharmacies and fulfill strict reporting requirements, something that they are loath to do and that the DEA is ill equipped to handle.

Then there’s the United States’ international treaty obligations, chief among them the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which requires the criminalization of cannabis. In 2016, during the Obama administration, the DEA cited the U.S.’ international obligations and the findings of a federal court of appeals in Washington in denying a similar request to reschedule marijuana.

Goodman reported from Miami, Mustian from New Orleans. AP writer Colleen Long contributed.

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Title: rebel: reinforcement learning via regressing relative rewards.

Abstract: While originally developed for continuous control problems, Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) has emerged as the work-horse of a variety of reinforcement learning (RL) applications including the fine-tuning of generative models. Unfortunately, PPO requires multiple heuristics to enable stable convergence (e.g. value networks, clipping) and is notorious for its sensitivity to the precise implementation of these components. In response, we take a step back and ask what a minimalist RL algorithm for the era of generative models would look like. We propose REBEL, an algorithm that cleanly reduces the problem of policy optimization to regressing the relative rewards via a direct policy parameterization between two completions to a prompt, enabling strikingly lightweight implementation. In theory, we prove that fundamental RL algorithms like Natural Policy Gradient can be seen as variants of REBEL, which allows us to match the strongest known theoretical guarantees in terms of convergence and sample complexity in the RL literature. REBEL can also cleanly incorporate offline data and handle the intransitive preferences we frequently see in practice. Empirically, we find that REBEL provides a unified approach to language modeling and image generation with stronger or similar performance as PPO and DPO, all while being simpler to implement and more computationally tractable than PPO.

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Protesters take over Columbia University building hours after school starts suspending student demonstrators

Protesters at Columbia University broke windows at the Manhattan campus’ Hamilton Hall early Tuesday, hours after the school began suspending students who defied a deadline to leave a pro-Palestinian camp set up to protest the war in Gaza.

NBC News could not confirm how many people were inside Hamilton Hall, but the university’s student newspaper,  the Columbia Spectator , reported that dozens of protesters had occupied the building.

“Let’s finish what they did in 1968,” someone yelled, apparently referring to the famous protest against the Vietnam War in which the same building was occupied .

"Disclose, divest. We will not stop, we will not rest," people were heard chanting.

An NYPD spokesperson said that "we are outside the campus, not on the grounds" just before 2 a.m.

Follow live updates.

The demonstrators hung a banner outside the building, dubbing it “Hind’s Hall,” to recognize a 6-year-old girl,  Hind Rajab, who was found dead in Gaza  days after being trapped under Israeli fire. The protestors said they plan to take over Hamilton Hall in honor of Hind and all the Palestinians killed in the war's violence.

“This building is now being liberated,” someone in the crowd could be heard saying early Tuesday.

A Palestinian flag was also hung from a window of the building to face outward, and trash cans were used in an attempt to make a barrier. "Shut it down!" people chanted by the entrance, video from the scene showed.

On Monday, Columbia University began suspending students who failed to leave their pro-Palestinian encampment by the university's 2 p.m. deadline. Earlier in the day, the school's president said the school would not divest from Israel — a demand that has sparked protests on college campuses across the country. 

"We have begun suspending students," Ben Chang, vice president for communications and a spokesperson for the university, said about three hours after the deadline passed.

The university did not say how many students it suspended.

The university had told student demonstrators to vacate by 2 p.m. or else “be suspended pending further investigation” and barred from completing the spring semester.

At the encampment, now in its second week, participants voted nearly unanimously to stay put.

Around 2:45 p.m. — after the 2 p.m. warning time to leave — protesters marched on the quad and chanted “Disclose! Divest! We will not slow, we will not rest!’"

A part of the encampment has been cleared to make space for the upcoming commencement ceremony for graduates, and picketers are largely sticking to the perimeters of the encampment.

David Lederer, a 22-year-old sophomore at Columbia, walked up to the picket line and began waving a large Israeli flag in opposition to the protests.

"I’m here to show we’re here to stay; we’re not going anywhere," Lederer said.

President Minouche Shafik asked the protesters in her statement to voluntarily disperse, saying that the demonstration had created “an unwelcoming environment for many of our Jewish students and faculty,” that “external actors” have contributed to a “hostile environment” around university gates and that it had become a “noisy distraction” for students.

Shafik also cited the May 15 commencement, saying, “We also do not want to deprive thousands of students and their families and friends of a graduation celebration.”

More than 15,000 Columbia students are graduating this spring, the university said.

At the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, the main stage commencement ceremony was canceled after protests.

Columbia was the first institution struck by protests in support of the Palestinian cause, with students demanding that the school divest from investments that support weapons manufacturing and Israel amid the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war, in which more than 34,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip.

Protests spread quickly last week on campuses from coast to coast, resulting in mass arrests and crackdowns.

“While the University will not divest from Israel,” it offered to create an expedited timeline for a review of new proposals from students by the school's Advisory Committee for Socially Responsible Investing,  which explores divestment, Shafik said.

“The University also offered to publish a process for students to access a list of Columbia’s direct investment holdings, and to increase the frequency of updates to that list of holdings,” she added.

Shafik said the university had offered “to make investments in health and education in Gaza, including supporting early childhood development and support for displaced scholars." She urged those in the encampment to voluntarily disperse.

One of those suspended by Columbia for protests is undergraduate student Fadi Shuman, 31, though he was suspended before Monday’s deadline for a previous encampment.

A first-generation American born to Palestinian parents, Shuman says he is low income and may not be able to return to school.

“I don’t know if I’m going to be able to go to school again. I don’t know I’ll be able to afford to go back to another school again,” Shuman said.

“I can’t say it’s like easy, but I know what I’m doing is right and it’s something I’m willing to sacrifice,” he said.

The notices handed out Monday, viewed by NBC News and issued to protest participants that morning, asked protesters to identify themselves to a university official and sign a form agreeing to alternative resolution for the university policy violations that the encampment posed.

Those who sign are eligible to complete the semester in good standing and will not be placed on suspension if they adhere to university policies. 

The university also said in the notice it would offer “an alternative venue for demonstrations after the exam period and commencement have concluded.”

Columbia University Apartheid Divest, the coalition organizing the encampment protest, said in a statement Monday: "These repulsive scare tactics mean nothing compared to the deaths of over 34,000 Palestinians. We will not move until Columbia meets our demands or we are moved by force."

The group criticized the university's "threat to mass suspend, evict and possibly expel students" with just hours' notice as a violation of the school's rules.

The group also condemned paper notices the university issued at the encampment as "reminiscent of the flyers the Israeli army launched from the sky to Gazans."

At a Columbia rally by the coalition around 2 p.m., student organizer Sueda Polat said: “The university has conducted itself with obstinacy and arrogance, refusing to be flexible on some of our most basic points.”

“We were engaging in good faith negotiations until the administration cut them off under threat of suspensions. Where we asked for amnesty, they gave us more discipline,” Polat said.

Protest organizers also criticized Shafik's claim that the university had “constructive dialogue” with protesters, noting Columbia refused to give a commitment that student divestment proposals would be binding, and they described Shafik's offering of childhood education programs for Palestinians as "nothing more than bribery of the student movement."

Unrest and protests continue at colleges around the country. Police at the University of Texas at Austin on Monday made arrests and dismantled an encampment set up to protest the war in Gaza, university officials said. There were also arrests at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Hundreds of protesters marched through the campus of the University of Missouri in Columbia, NBC affiliate KOMU of Columbia reported , but no arrests were reported.

Northwestern University in Illinois said it reached an agreement with demonstrators that will bring an end to tents on Deering Meadow, and the Anti-Defamation League for the Midwest criticized that deal as rewarding bad behavior and it accused the encampment of being a "platform for antisemitism."

At Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, police made arrests after the school said that people refused to gather their belongings and leave, the university said . It's finals week there, it noted. Police used a tear gas-like substance, NBC affiliate WWBT of Richmond reported . Video showed officers with riot shields and helmets as protesters held a makeshift line of wooden pallets.

Shuman, the Columbia protester previously suspended, said it’s hard having Palestinian roots but unable to change the situation.

“My whole life, I feel like growing up as a Palestinian in America you’re always living with this — whether you know it or not — it’s just survivor’s guilt,” Shuman said.

“I’m over here, but not able to, like, actually do something,” he said.

CORRECTION (April 29, 2024, 8:10 pm ET): A previous version of this article misidentified a suspended student. He is Fadi Shuman, not Schuman, and he is an undergraduate student, not a graduate student.

Doha Madani is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News. Pronouns: she/her.

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