Do I have to replace my Mercury LP controllers now?

No. Mercury lists the LP series as end of sales with a last ship date of 12/31/2024 and sustaining support through 12/31/2028. Existing controllers keep working and remain supported until then. Plan the change over the next couple of years, and replace any EP boards first.

What replaces the LP series?

Mercury maps each LP model to an MP model: LP1501 to MP1501, LP1502 to MP1502, LP2500 to MP2500 and LP4502 to MP4502. Your head-end software must support MP controllers, so check the version you run before ordering replacements.

How do I know whether my system uses Mercury?

Look at the controller boards for LP, MP, EP or MR model numbers, or ask your integrator for the hardware list. Mercury hardware runs under many brands, including LenelS2, Genetec, Avigilon, Acre, Alarm.com, Honeywell, Keri and Brivo, and is sometimes sold under the software vendor's own part numbers.

Can software talk to Mercury controllers directly?

Not through a public interface. Mercury licenses its host protocol only to OEM partners, so integrations go through the head-end software. The exception is Mercury's Embedded Application Environment, launched in March 2026, which runs approved partner apps on MP controllers through an OEM onboarding process.

Systems / Mercury controllers

Mercury LP, MP and EP controllers: generations, end of life and upgrade options

Mercury Security, owned by HID Global (ASSA ABLOY)GateStride: PlannedReviewed October 2026

By Tom Jin

Mercury Security makes door controllers and I/O boards that sit inside many brands of access-control system. Mercury is owned by HID Global, part of ASSA ABLOY. It does not sell its own management software. Instead, the more than twenty software vendors listed on its partner page, called OEM partners, license Mercury hardware and run it from their own head-end software. The generations most offices meet are EP (second generation, now end of life), LP (third generation, now end of sale) and MP (fourth generation, current).

You find Mercury hardware across every size of site, from a single door to an enterprise campus, often without the Mercury name appearing in the software. Mercury's top-tier partners include LenelS2 and Genetec, followed by Avigilon, Acre Security, Alarm.com and Honeywell, among others. Because the LP series stopped shipping at the end of 2024, many offices running Mercury-based systems will face a controller decision before the end of 2028.

How to recognise Mercury controllers

Mercury boards are identified by their model numbers rather than by the software. Open the controller enclosure, or ask your integrator for the hardware list in your access-control software, and look for LP, MP or EP model numbers, MR reader and I/O boards, or older SCP, AP or M5 boards. Some head-ends rebrand Mercury hardware under their own part numbers, so the software may show a vendor model name instead.

Controller model numbers LP1501, LP1502, LP2500 or LP4502 (LP series), MP1501, MP1502, MP2500 or MP4502 (MP series), or EP1501, EP1502, EP2500 or EP4502 (EP series).
Reader and I/O boards named MR50, MR52, MR54, MR16IN, MR16OUT or MR62E, with a series suffix such as S2, S3, S3B or S4.
Head-end software from a Mercury OEM partner, for example LenelS2, Genetec, Avigilon, Acre Security, Alarm.com, Honeywell, Keri or Brivo.
Honeywell PRO4200 modules described as "Mercury Powered", or LenelS2 LNL-M controllers labelled "MP Series" in Honeywell's catalogue.

Still not sure? Follow how to identify your access control system.

Versions and editions

Name	Details	Status	Source
Head-end software (any Mercury OEM)	Mercury hardware is configured and monitored only through an OEM partner's software. Mercury licenses its host protocol and firmware to OEMs through a login-only partner portal.	current	source
Mercury Embedded Application Environment	Launched commercially on 3/18/2026. Lets approved partner apps run on MP controllers with the latest firmware, after a four-step onboarding and security review, distributed through OEM channels.	current	source

Hardware

Name	Details	Status	Source
MP series (MP1501, MP1502, MP2500, MP4502)	Fourth generation, general availability. Announced 6/11/2024 and made available through OEM partners. MP1501 is a single-door PoE+ edge controller.	current	source
LP series (LP1501, LP1502, LP2500, LP4502)	Third generation. End of sales: last ship 12/31/2024; full sustaining support through 12/31/2028. Each model maps to the MP model with the same number.	end of sale	source
EP series (EP1501, EP1502, EP2500, EP4502)	Second generation. End of life 1/1/2019, with no sustaining support.	end of life	source
SCP, AP and M5 / MS bridges	First generation and bridge products. M5-IC and M5-2K end of life 12/31/2020 (sustaining ended 3/31/2022); MS-ICS end of life 12/31/2022 (sustaining ended 12/31/2023). SCP and AP2502 end of life, dates not given.	end of life	source
MR I/O Series 4 (MR50, MR52, MR54, MR16IN, MR16OUT)	New reader and I/O boards for use with MP; launch material dated August and September 2026.	current	source
MR Series 3B and 3 (MR52-S3B, MR50-S3B, MR16IN-S3, MR16OUT-S3)	General availability; Mercury's migration guide says Series 3 and 3B are supported through 2028.	current	source
MR52-S3 and MR50-S3 (non-B)	End of sales; the S3B and S4 boards are current.	end of sale	source
MR Series 2 and MR51E	MR52-S2, MR50-S2, MR16IN-S2 and MR16OUT-S2 end of life 7/1/2019. MR51E Ethernet I/O end of life 1/1/2019; MR62E is current.	end of life	source

What is ending, and when

The date most offices need is the LP series. Mercury lists the LP1501, LP1502, LP2500 and LP4502 as end of sales, with a last ship date of 12/31/2024 and full sustaining support through 12/31/2028. Mercury maps each LP model to the MP model with the same number, and its migration guide covers the move. The EP series has been end of life since 1/1/2019 with no sustaining support, and the M5 and MS bridge products ended in 2020 and 2022. We explain what the LP change means in plain terms on Mercury LP controllers end of sale.

Reader and I/O boards follow their own timeline. The Series 2 MR boards reached end of life on 7/1/2019. The original MR52-S3 and MR50-S3 are end of sales, while the S3B boards remain available and Mercury says Series 3 and 3B are supported through 2028. Series 4 boards launched in 2026 to pair with MP controllers. Whether your head-end software supports MP controllers, and from which version, is a question for your software vendor or integrator. All dated rows are in the end-of-life tracker.

See every dated notice in the end-of-life tracker.

What offices commonly miss

No record of who left. Mercury panels log card events, but exits usually release through a request-to-exit device without a badge, so the system cannot name who walked out.
You cannot manage Mercury directly. There is no Mercury end-user software or public API; everything runs through the head-end you bought, so features depend on that vendor.
Controller swaps depend on the head-end. Replacing LP with MP only works if your software version supports MP, so the hardware question can turn into a software upgrade.
The Mercury name is often hidden. Vendors may sell Mercury boards under their own part numbers, so offices can miss Mercury lifecycle notices that apply to them.

Integration options

Mercury publishes no end-user API. Each head-end OEM licenses Mercury's host protocol and firmware through Mercury's OEM partner portal, which requires a login. In practice, that means any outside software reaches Mercury hardware through the head-end that runs it: you integrate with LenelS2, Genetec, Honeywell or another OEM's software, not with the controller. Mercury's partner page groups OEMs into tiers: Platinum Premier (LenelS2, Genetec), Platinum Elite (Avigilon, Acre Security, Alarm.com, Honeywell Security), Platinum and Partner. Software House is not on the list, so whether C•CURE 9000 runs Mercury controllers is not confirmed in our sources.

The one new route is the Mercury Embedded Application Environment, launched commercially on 3/18/2026. It lets approved apps from OEMs and technology partners run on MP controllers with the latest firmware. Developers go through a four-step onboarding (proposal, technical collaboration, tools access and security review), and apps are distributed through OEM channels. Mercury has published a developer how-to guide. It applies only to MP controllers, not LP or EP.

Upgrade paths

Keep your LP boards and add features in software

LP controllers are supported through 12/31/2028, so there is no need to replace working boards today. Features such as phone unlock or exit tracking can be added at the head-end software level, if your head-end offers a way to integrate.

Swap LP or EP for MP within the same software

Mercury maps each LP model to an MP model, and its migration guide covers controller and I/O changes. Replace EP boards first, since they have had no support since 2019, and confirm your head-end version supports MP before ordering.

Replace the head-end and hardware

Changing access-control software is a separate decision from the controller change. Because many platforms run Mercury hardware, ask any new vendor whether your current Mercury boards can be reused before you replace hardware that is still supported.

Compare the routes over three years in the savings calculator.

GateStride and Mercury controllers

Planned Mercury-based head-ends are Planned for GateStride. Mercury hardware is reached through the access-control software that runs it, and this work is on our roadmap for Mercury LP and MP controllers (LP1501 to LP4502, MP1501 to MP4502), but it has not started, so GateStride does not work with Mercury-based systems through this route today. Some head-ends that run Mercury have their own GateStride status; for example, LenelS2 OnGuard is In development and NetBox is Not yet scheduled. GateStride is in early access.

Full compatibility list · Tell us you run Mercury controllers

Questions about Mercury controllers

Do I have to replace my Mercury LP controllers now?: No. Mercury lists the LP series as end of sales with a last ship date of 12/31/2024 and sustaining support through 12/31/2028. Existing controllers keep working and remain supported until then. Plan the change over the next couple of years, and replace any EP boards first.
What replaces the LP series?: Mercury maps each LP model to an MP model: LP1501 to MP1501, LP1502 to MP1502, LP2500 to MP2500 and LP4502 to MP4502. Your head-end software must support MP controllers, so check the version you run before ordering replacements.
How do I know whether my system uses Mercury?: Look at the controller boards for LP, MP, EP or MR model numbers, or ask your integrator for the hardware list. Mercury hardware runs under many brands, including LenelS2, Genetec, Avigilon, Acre, Alarm.com, Honeywell, Keri and Brivo, and is sometimes sold under the software vendor's own part numbers.
Can software talk to Mercury controllers directly?: Not through a public interface. Mercury licenses its host protocol only to OEM partners, so integrations go through the head-end software. The exception is Mercury's Embedded Application Environment, launched in March 2026, which runs approved partner apps on MP controllers through an OEM onboarding process.

Related systems: LenelS2 OnGuard · LenelS2 NetBox · Honeywell WIN-PAK

Sources

Last reviewed October 2026. Mercury controllers and other product names are trademarks of their respective owners. GateStride is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by or a dealer for any manufacturer.