Upgrade / HID & Mercury

Don’t throw out a working HID system. Upgrade it.

Many offices have HID-owned Mercury controllers in the comms room without knowing it, because the name on the screen is a different brand. Then a notice arrives that the LP series is end of sale, a quote follows to replace “the whole system”, and phone unlock gets folded in as the reason to do it now. Before signing, separate the two questions. The hardware may need a planned swap; the features you want are mostly software. Keep what works, and add the modern parts on top.

Tell us you run HID / Mercury

First, which “HID” do you have?

“HID” covers several very different things, and only one of them is what this page is about.

• Mercury controllers. Mercury Security is owned by HID Global, part of ASSA ABLOY. Its intelligent controllers sit behind dozens of access-control platforms. This page is about them.
• HID readers and cards (iCLASS, Signo and others). These are credentials and readers that work with many systems. They usually stay put in an overlay.
• HID Mobile Access / Origo. HID’s own phone-credential platform. Honeywell WIN-PAK and Software House C•CURE both list integrations with it.
• HID VertX and Edge controllers. HID’s own controller lines. We could not confirm their current status from HID’s site, so we make no claims about them here.

Why the software on top is what matters

Mercury does not sell to buildings directly and publishes no end-user API. Each software company that builds on Mercury licenses its host protocol and firmware through an OEM partner portal. In practice that means a Mercury controller is reached through the software that runs it — and so is GateStride. Mercury’s partner page lists many such platforms, including LenelS2, Genetec, Avigilon, Acre Security, Alarm.com, Honeywell, Keri Systems and Brivo.

So the status that actually applies to you depends on that software. If it is LenelS2 OnGuard or Brivo, those integrations are in development. If it is Honeywell, it is planned. For anything else, check the compatibility list and tell us — demand decides the order.

The Mercury lifecycle, in dates

Source: Mercury Security product lifecycle, checked October 2026. Full detail in our Mercury LP end-of-sale guide and the end-of-life tracker.

Should you replace a Mercury-based system?

If you have EP or older boards, they are already past end of life and a controller refresh is overdue. If you have LP boards, they are still supported until the end of 2028, and Mercury maps each one to an MP model with the same number. In both cases the usual first step is a controller swap inside the same software, done by your integrator. Readers, locks and wiring generally stay.

A full platform replacement is a different, much bigger decision. It can be right when the software itself is unsupported or the business has outgrown it. But if the main reason is “we want phones and better exit data”, price an overlay alongside it. Our overlay-vs-replace comparison and savings calculator help frame the conversation.

How it would work

Planned design. GateStride never talks to Mercury boards directly; it works through the software that runs them.

Mercury has also opened a new route: since March 2026 its Embedded Application Environment lets approved technology partners run apps on MP controllers with current firmware, after an onboarding and security review and with distribution through the software companies that sell Mercury. We note it because it is relevant to anyone planning an LP-to-MP refresh; it is not something GateStride offers today.

No rip-out. No per-user mobile fees.

“HID mobile access cost” is a common search for a reason: phone credentials can be licensed per user — for example, a US reseller lists the HID Mobile Identity user licence per user (source; more in who charges per user). Ask your integrator how yours is priced. The GateStride design connects to your software as a single integration and manages your people’s phones itself, so adding staff does not add mobile-credential seats on our side. Pricing is a flat quote with no per-user fees. It also adds what credentials alone generally cannot: who has left, because free-egress exits leave no identity behind.

Full details: Mercury controllers reference (versions, hardware, end-of-life and integration options).

Looking for an HID dealer?

GateStride is independent software. We are not an HID, Mercury or ASSA ABLOY dealer, reseller or partner, and we cannot sell you controllers, cards or HID licences. Mercury hardware is sold through the software companies that build on it and installed by their integrators, so your first call is the integrator who maintains your system. When our integration for your software is supported, that same integrator can install GateStride. Integrators who want to offer it can become a partner and keep the resale margin.

Tell us what is on your screen

The most useful thing you can send us is the name of the software you log into, its version, the controller models if your integrator can confirm them, and a rough door count. That tells us which head-end to prioritise. Not sure? Our guide to identifying your access control system walks through it without opening any enclosure.

Frequently asked questions

Can I add phone unlock to my HID Mercury system without replacing it?

Not with GateStride yet for Mercury-based systems in general; that support is planned and work has not started. Mercury controllers are run by another company’s software, so what matters is that software. If yours is LenelS2 OnGuard or Brivo, those integrations are in development. Tell us what you run.

Is GateStride an HID or Mercury dealer?

No. GateStride is independent software and is not an HID, Mercury or ASSA ABLOY dealer, reseller or partner. Mercury sells its controllers through access-control software companies, so for hardware or service talk to the integrator who maintains your system.

My Mercury LP controllers are end of sale. Do I need a new system?

Not necessarily. Mercury lists the LP series with a last ship date of 12/31/2024 and support through 12/31/2028, and maps each LP model to an MP successor. The usual path is a controller swap within the same software, done by your integrator.

Why can’t GateStride talk to Mercury controllers directly?

Mercury publishes no end-user API. Its host protocol and firmware are licensed to the software companies that build on its hardware, so a Mercury controller is reached through the software that runs it. GateStride works at that software level, never by rewiring your doors.

Does it cut HID mobile credential costs?

That is the design goal. GateStride connects to your access-control software as a single integration and manages phones itself, so adding staff does not add mobile-credential seats on our side. Compare that with how your current mobile credentials are licensed before you decide.

Sources

• Mercury Security — product lifecycle
• Mercury Security — LP1501
• Mercury Security — EP Intelligent controllers
• Mercury Security — MP controller line announcement
• Mercury Security — partners
• Mercury Security — Embedded Application Environment launch
• Honeywell — WIN-PAK (HID Origo 2.0 integration)
• C•CURE 9000 integration with HID Origo Mobile Identities

HID®, Origo™, iCLASS®, Signo™, VertX® and Mercury Security are trademarks of their respective owners (HID Global / ASSA ABLOY). Other product names are trademarks of their owners. GateStride is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by HID Global, Mercury Security or ASSA ABLOY. See also integrations.