Are you looking into moving from keyfobs or plastic cards to Apple Wallet based employee badges? Here's an uncluttered list of questions we've received most often from our workplace clients and partners.

1) What is an Apple Wallet? How is it related to my company badge?

Apple Wallet is an app on iPhone and Apple Watch that securely and conveniently organizes your credit and debit cards, driver’s license or state ID, transit cards, event tickets, home or hotel keys, and more — all in one place. It’s like a mobile library for all the cards that you were supposed to keep in your wallet before.

Now you can add your company badge to Apple Wallet and smoothly unlock all turnstiles, elevators, or doors at your workplace just with a tap of your iPhone or Apple Watch.

2) What are the benefits of using Apple Wallet?

Imagine arriving at the office in the morning with a cup of coffee in one hand and your mobile phone in the other – how do you open the turnstiles? Now you can just tap your iPhone to the card reader (no need to open an app or tap a button).

And there are more perks:

• Even if the iPhone runs out of battery power, the iPhone's Express Mode provides up to five hours of access.
• Employee Badge in Apple Wallet uses Near Field Communication (NFC) between the user's device and a properly configured reader (eg. one from HID Global). It's the same secured and time-proven technology used by mobile payments. It's faster compared to other mobile technology.
• Try to find your lost or stolen plastic card. It will be like looking for a needle in a haystack. With an Employee Badge in Apple Wallet, you can track it online through the Find my iPhone ecosystem.
• It's more secure. Unlike plastic cards, users almost immediately notice when they lose their phone. And since they are less likely to lend their devices to someone else, Apple Wallet lowers any potential security risks and unauthorized access to the building or workplace.
• In the case that you lose your card, you can easily revoke your employee badge remotely with iCloud.
• Usage of mobile credentials is also beneficial for its remote and instant distribution of Employee Badge in Apple Wallet. It's a touch-free solution that provides the best user experience when accessing any secured area. 

3) As a user I want to convert my plastic card to a mobile one and save it to my Apple Wallet. What are the next steps?

You need a special mobile app, mobile card provider, and integration to your access control system (software managing access). Combining these three parts together is Sharry's job since we are the market leader in developing white-labeled apps for smart buildings and smart offices worldwide.

Once you download the app and register for it, you can quickly generate your Employee Badge and send the Pass to your Apple Wallet. Yeah, that's the whole magic!

And you can start using it immediately – without a need to verify it or visit someone from IT, HR, or security department to activate that card for you. It's a fully remote process.

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4) Can I use my Apple Watch to open my office door?

For sure! You can use your Apple Watch the same way you use your iPhone. Just tap your Watch next to the card reader to unlock the doors of your workplace.

How do you add your Employee Badge to your Apple Watch? If you have your Apple Watch paired with your iPhone, it is fully automatic and you obtain one credential for your iPhone and a second one for your Apple Watch. 

5) I am already using my iPhone to unlock doors? What's new?

While the outcome (opening of the door) stays, the modality and user experience are significantly different. Until now, all iPhone apps with Employee Badges were using Bluetooth (BLE – Bluetooth Low Energy) to connect with a card reader (and you can still keep using them). Employee Badge in Apple Wallet is based on NFC to provide a seamless experience that users are used to with Apple Pay.

6) From the perspective of a building owner or a property manager, what are the benefits of an employee badge in the Apple Wallet?

Can you guess the #1 mobile app feature that would definitely improve the tenant/end-user experience? It's the app-based entry into relevant areas, according to the Deloitte Insights report. Provide your tenants with the latest access technology available and welcome the mobile-first era!

With an Employee Badge in Apple Wallet, onboarding multiple people at once is easy and fast. And it can be done remotely. It also strengthens the building's security, eliminating the amounts of lost or stolen cards.  

And no additional hardware investment is needed. (Note: Based on the current tech installed at your building. Employee Badge in the Apple Wallet requires NFC-enabled card reader from a manufacturer approved by Apple (eg. HID).

7) Is it already working somewhere or is it just a feature proposal?

You bet. You can see it in action every day at 167 Green Street building in Chicago, US. If you want to know more about this tremendous office building developed by Shapack, let us know!

8) I use a smartphone with an Android operating system? What shall I do?

NFC is currently a supported modality for the Android ecosystem. All you need to do is to download the building or workplace mobile app (e.g. the app developed by Sharry) and generate your virtual badge there in a few seconds just with a single tap. 

9) What about privacy? Who's going to see the details of when I came to the office or left?

The Employee Badge in Apple Wallet takes full advantage of the privacy and security features built into iPhone and Apple Watch. An Employee Badge is stored on the user’s device, which means that data is private and secure. 

10) What about security? How is the security of the mobile card ensured?

Employee Badge in Apple Wallet brings enhanced security features and strengthens the physical security of the office building or your workplace. Employee Badge in Apple Wallet is protected by biometrics (Touch ID, Face ID) or a PIN code. If you lose your mobile device, you likely notice the missing device much quicker and you can easily and promptly revoke your Employee Badge remotely with iCloud and remove its entitlements from your Physical Access Control System. 

‍11) And if I change jobs? Will I be able to download a new card for my new office?

You can do it as easily as 1-2-3. Step 1: Revoke your current Employee Badge with one tap. (Or let your previous tenant administrator take care of it.) Step 2: Download the app of your new employer to get a new Employee Badge. Step 3: Generate a brand new Employee Badge and send the Pass to Apple Wallet.

Are you ready to become leading-edge and use the Apple Wallet Employee Badge on your premises to deliver the best workplace experience?

Contact us!