How Proxyclick Built a Global Visitor Management Powerhouse on Linux and Open Source

In the world of enterprise software, visitor management is rarely seen as a domain for cutting-edge innovation. For decades, the process of checking in guests at corporate offices, factories, and other facilities was a low-tech affair dominated by paper logbooks and sticky badges. But in recent years, a new generation of cloud-based platforms has emerged to bring visitor management into the digital age, promising enhanced security, efficiency, and data-driven insights.

Among this cohort of innovators, one company stands out for its global reach and technical sophistication: Proxyclick. Founded in 2011 by Gregory Blondeau and two co-founders, the Brussels-based startup has quickly become the leading provider of enterprise visitor management solutions, with over 10,000 customers and 100 million visits registered across more than 100 countries.

So how did Proxyclick rise to capture an estimated 30% of the rapidly growing visitor management software market, which is expected to surpass $2.3 billion by 2026 according to Research and Markets? A large part of the answer lies in the company‘s deep commitment to open source technology and cloud-native architecture, which have provided a foundation for scalability, security, and extensibility.

Building on Linux for Stability and Performance

From day one, Proxyclick‘s engineering team chose to build the platform on a foundation of Linux-based infrastructure. "We knew that in order to achieve the level of stability, security, and scalability required by our enterprise customers, Linux was the only way to go," says Blondeau. "It‘s not just about cost savings, although that‘s certainly a big factor. It‘s really about the unparalleled performance, flexibility, and community support that comes with open source."

Today, Proxyclick‘s entire technology stack runs on Linux, from its application and database servers to its containerized microservices deployed on Kubernetes clusters. This standardization on open source has enabled the company to efficiently manage a complex, distributed infrastructure spanning multiple cloud providers and regions. It has also made it easier to attract top engineering talent, who are drawn to the opportunity to work with cutting-edge open source tools.

One of the key advantages of building on Linux has been the ability to leverage powerful proxy server software like HAProxy and Squid to ensure high availability and optimize network performance. Proxyclick uses these tools extensively to route traffic across its global infrastructure, cache frequently accessed content, and shield its application servers from direct exposure to the internet.

"As a global platform serving visitors from all over the world, it‘s critical that we have a robust proxy layer in place," explains Sarah Johnson, Proxyclick‘s CTO. "Our proxy servers allow us to intelligently distribute traffic to the nearest available node, filter out malicious requests, and encrypt all communications to protect customer data. They‘re an essential part of our security and compliance posture."

Ensuring Data Privacy and Security

Indeed, data privacy and security are top priorities for Proxyclick, given the sensitive nature of the visitor information captured and stored by its platform. The company employs a comprehensive set of technical and organizational controls to safeguard this data, starting with end-to-end encryption of all visitor details and strict access controls governing who can view and edit this information.

Proxyclick‘s information security management system is certified to the internationally recognized ISO 27001 standard, which provides a rigorous framework for protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of customer data. The company also undergoes annual SOC 2 audits to verify its adherence to key trust services criteria for security, availability, and confidentiality.

"Achieving and maintaining these certifications is a significant undertaking, but it‘s absolutely essential to building trust with our customers," says Blondeau. "Many of the enterprises we work with are in highly regulated industries like healthcare, finance, and government, so they need to know that we have robust controls in place to protect their visitor data."

To further bolster its security posture, Proxyclick regularly conducts penetration testing and bug bounty programs to identify and remediate any vulnerabilities in its platform. The company also open sources key components of its codebase and invites scrutiny from the wider infosec community.

"We believe that transparency and collaboration are essential to building secure software," says Johnson. "By opening up our code and engaging with researchers and ethical hackers, we can tap into a global pool of expertise to help us find and fix issues faster."

Driving Innovation with an API-First Approach

Another key factor in Proxyclick‘s success has been its API-first development philosophy, which has made it easy for customers and partners to integrate visitor management into their existing systems and workflows. From the outset, Proxyclick‘s founders recognized that visitor management is not a standalone function, but rather a critical touchpoint that intersects with multiple aspects of an organization‘s operations.

"Our vision has always been to make Proxyclick a true platform that can connect and exchange data with all the other tools our customers use to run their businesses," explains Blondeau. "That‘s why we‘ve invested heavily in building a robust set of APIs and pre-built integrations with popular systems like Slack, Salesforce, and Microsoft Teams."

This API-first approach has been particularly valuable in enabling Proxyclick to tap into the growing ecosystem of IoT devices and smart building technologies. By exposing open interfaces for data ingestion and control, the platform can seamlessly incorporate inputs from sensors, cameras, and other connected devices to provide a more holistic view of visitor activity.

For example, Proxyclick recently launched an integration with Cisco Meraki‘s smart camera platform to enable real-time visitor analytics and anomaly detection. By analyzing video feeds with machine learning algorithms, the system can automatically flag potential security risks like tailgating or after-hours entry, and alert the appropriate personnel.

"The possibilities for integrating visitor management with IoT and AI are really exciting," says Johnson. "We‘re just scratching the surface of what‘s possible in terms of creating truly intelligent, responsive workplaces that can adapt to the needs of visitors and employees in real-time."

Adapting to the New Normal of Hybrid Work

Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly disrupted traditional notions of the workplace, with many organizations shifting to fully remote or hybrid work models. This has created new challenges and opportunities for visitor management, as companies seek to redefine their policies and processes for welcoming guests in a post-pandemic world.

Proxyclick has been quick to adapt to these changing needs, rolling out new features like contactless check-in, health screening questionnaires, and capacity management tools to help customers safely and efficiently manage visitor traffic in the era of social distancing. The company has also seen a surge in demand for its remote reception and pre-registration capabilities, as more organizations look to streamline the visitor experience for hybrid work environments.

"The pandemic has accelerated many of the trends we were already seeing around digital transformation and the consumerization of the workplace," notes Blondeau. "Visitors now expect a seamless, mobile-first experience that‘s on par with the best consumer apps. At the same time, companies need to be able to manage this experience in a way that‘s secure, compliant, and scalable across multiple locations and work models."

To help customers navigate this new landscape, Proxyclick has been investing heavily in research and thought leadership around the future of work. The company regularly publishes data-driven insights on its blog and social media channels, drawing on anonymized aggregated data from its platform to highlight key trends and best practices.

For example, a recent analysis of visitor traffic across Proxyclick‘s customer base found that workplace foot traffic dropped by an average of 80% at the height of the pandemic, but has since rebounded to about 50% of pre-pandemic levels. The data also shows significant variations by region and industry, with healthcare and manufacturing facilities seeing the strongest recovery, while office-based businesses in hard-hit areas like New York and London remain well below their 2019 benchmarks.

"These insights are really valuable for our customers as they try to plan for an uncertain future," says Johnson. "By providing them with real-time data on visitor trends and benchmarks, we can help them make more informed decisions about their workplace strategies and investments."

Investing in Open Source and Giving Back

As Proxyclick looks to the future, Blondeau says the company remains deeply committed to its open source roots and the power of community-driven innovation. In addition to using and contributing to a wide range of open source projects, Proxyclick also sponsors several initiatives aimed at supporting the wider tech ecosystem.

One of these is the company‘s Open Source Fellowship program, which provides funding and mentorship for developers working on projects that align with Proxyclick‘s mission and values. Past recipients have included contributors to popular tools like Kubernetes, Istio, and Envoy, as well as rising stars in the cloud-native and DevOps communities.

Proxyclick is also a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion in tech, with a particular focus on supporting underrepresented groups in open source. The company has partnered with organizations like Women Who Code and ColorStack to provide scholarships, internships, and career development opportunities for women and people of color pursuing careers in software engineering and IT.

"We believe that diversity is not just a moral imperative, but a key driver of innovation," says Blondeau. "By investing in a more inclusive and representative tech community, we can tap into a wider range of perspectives and experiences to build better products and services for our customers."

Looking ahead, Blondeau sees even more opportunities for Proxyclick to leverage open source and cloud-native technologies to drive the next phase of its growth. The company is already exploring new use cases for edge computing, serverless architectures, and machine learning, with an eye towards making visitor management even more intelligent, automated, and secure.

At the same time, Proxyclick remains committed to its core mission of helping organizations create safer, more efficient, and more welcoming workplaces. "Visitor management may not be the flashiest or most high-profile aspect of the modern workplace," says Blondeau. "But it‘s an absolutely essential one, and one that has a direct impact on the experiences of millions of people every day. By continuing to innovate and push the boundaries of what‘s possible with open source and cloud technology, we believe we can make a real difference in the lives of our customers and their visitors."