Access Control with Mobile Phones: The Future with Near Field Communications

Near Field Communications (NFC) is a technology that will accelerate the use of mobile phones as electronic keys for access control. Although the technology already exists, the necessary infrastructure and assistive devices still have a long way to go. In this article, Rachel Sa from ASSA Abloy Future Labs assesses the benefits and applications of mobile contactless credentials for access control system.

Mobile phones have continually offered users more tools and benefits than simply making and receiving calls. Today, our phones serve as calendars, cameras, computers, and mini video game consoles. Thanks to Near Field Communications (NFC), another valuable tool will be able to have digital keys on your mobile phone in the near future.

The Benefits of Near Field Communications

Mobile contactless credentials act as virtual keys or access control cards that can be stored on your mobile phone and used to lock and unlock doors. NFC (Near Field Communication) is a short-range, wireless high-frequency communication technology that enables the exchange of information between electronic devices.

Today's Contactless Access Control Solutions

Contactless credentials already exist in various forms in the access control solutions we find today. One of the most common are key fobs or plastic access control cards. These access cards can be programmed as contactless credentials that provide various levels of access to buildings, rooms, and offices.

The biggest advantage, and one that is unique to mobile contactless credentials, is that the credential can be immediately delivered to a person's mobile phone. However, mobile contactless credentials boast many benefits over current access control systems: Mobile contactless credentials simplify things for users, requiring fewer things than key fobs and cards. For security administrators, they make it easy to accurately keep track of who is entering and leaving monitored access points.

Advantages and applications of mobile contactless credentials

The biggest advantage, and one that is unique to mobile contactless credentials, is that the credential can be immediately delivered to a person's mobile phone - without the need to physically hand it over.

"The most important benefit of mobile contactless credentials for access control is that you can actually hand over the keys digitally, because you will have universal security features on your mobile phone," said Daniel Berg, Vice President and General Manager, Mobile Keys, ASSA ABLOY. "This has never been possible before. With existing contactless access control solutions, you must physically hand over plastic cards or key fobs to users to allow access. And to update credentials, you need physical access to them. again." Thus, the phone becomes more than just a badge holder, as with cards that have an access badge. Rather, the phone can also receive the key digitally.

These mobile contactless credentials have multiple potential applications, such as in private residences, in commercial buildings for employees, and in tourism for hotel guests.

For example, on a trip, many hotels have already changed from traditional keys to electronic cards. But mobile contactless credentials have the potential to simplify the guest experience. With an NFC phone, the contactless mobile credential, and a system to deliver that contactless credential, a hotel guest can check in on their phone and obtain digital keys to their room - all without having to physically perform " check-in "with a hotel representative. Meanwhile, in a residential setting, a homeowner could send a contactless mobile credential to a contractor or housekeeper and specify the time schedules that the access credential would have.

Tracking enhancement with centralized access control system

Where mobile contactless credentials are about to have perhaps the greatest impact is in business environments. With mobile contactless credentials, security administrators can manage all users in a central access control system and instantly deliver credentials with the appropriate level of access to employees and visitors. Although widely used cards and key fobs can also be deactivated in the event they are lost or stolen, the benefits of mobile contactless credentials on devices allow security administrators to more accurately track activities. of the staff. Therefore, if it is essential to know whether a particular credential was used to gain access at a certain time,

But while the benefits of access control applications for contactless mobile credentials are many, the technology to support them is not yet up and running. For example, while NFC phone technology exists, very few NFC phone models are available today. In addition, the infrastructure to deliver contactless mobile credentials also needs to be put in place.

The need for a vertical approach to penetrate the access control market

The hotel, commercial, manufacturing and industrial sectors are the fastest growing vertical sectors for access control system. Together, growth in these vertical markets is estimated to account for 55% of the $ 180 million in sales in the physical access control electronic market; according to a recent study published by IMS Research, entitled "The Latin American market for electronic physical access control equipment."

Report author and senior analyst Blake Kozak comments “Vertical trade sectors such as telecommunications and copper mines present some of the biggest sales opportunities for access control equipment providers. Much of the growth of telecommunications leads to having a greater number of antennas, towers, substations in remote locations. Many of these sites have electronic equipment that must be protected, either by a keyboard or a reader and keyboard combination. In the case of copper mines, these sites are designed similarly to university campuses in the United States. Many of them have large complexes, rooms and high security areas that typically use electromechanical locks to protect against theft. "

“While these three sectors are expected to dominate the access control market for several years, few, if any, industries lack sales opportunities in Latin America. Therefore, by knowing which industries are in first place, and how consumption varies by country, suppliers will be able to use this knowledge as an important competitive advantage.