Read an interview with Jaroslav Barton, Director of Product Marketing, Physical Access Control for Global Regions at HID Global.

What will be the impact of Apple Wallet employee badge adoption? How can you use mobile phones to increase building utilization and corporate efficiency? How does the right choice of access control solution affect your ESG ranking?

To find the answers to these questions, we've turned to Jaroslav Barton who leads the global team of regional product marketing managers at HID Global.

We have entered a new year. What do you think will be the prevailing access control technology that people will use to enter their offices in 2023?

Generally speaking, people will use the technology they have installed over the last few years. Organisations don't like to replace existing security solutions very often unless there is a major security threat. In recent years, many companies have replaced unencrypted 125 kHz cards and readers with smart cards.

Similarly, organisations have been moving away from smart card serial number (UID) reading, which doesn't provide security today. For new installations or migration projects, mobile access, where cards are replaced by personal smart devices, has become the predominant paradigm shift.

Do you see Apple Wallet as a game-changer for the access market? What are the advantages when you compare it to other mobile credentials?

Employee badge in Apple Wallet takes mobile access to a new level. It fully integrates the benefits of mobile access with Apple smart device technology. It's highly reliable, secure and provides a seamless user and management experience. Mobile credentials can be added to Apple Wallet directly from the corporate app.

If an iPhone or Apple Watch is misplaced or lost, the access credential is suspended as soon as the device is marked as 'lost' in the Find My app. If the iPhone needs to be charged, the employee credential in Apple Wallet will continue to work for up to five hours with Power Reserve.

How do you think the adoption of hybrid work with a lot of people working remotely will impact the way that companies approach access control in the coming years?

Hybrid working is a trend that companies need to address also in the way they manage access control. Mobile access plays an instrumental role in hybrid working. Not only does it give you the flexibility to issue access control rights remotely, but you can also manage access rights for multiple locations.

Mobile phones can be used not only for door access but also to provide important data on how buildings and individual offices are being used. This leads to better analysis of building utilisation and increased efficiency for organisations that have adopted hybrid working.

You already mentioned data. How property or tenant managers could use it to improve workplace experience?

When we talk about access control data, it can be used for different purposes. Firstly, of course, access data is used for security purposes, and not just physical access, but also access to IT systems, which could be dependent on entering the office for increased security. Door opening data is also typically used for time and attendance and HR systems.

Smart building solutions use mobile access data to increase user convenience. The lift can take the employee directly to the right floor, and the building automation can adjust the office temperature and turn on the lights. At the same time, access and mobile data analytics can significantly improve the efficiency of building management.

In what ways can companies use access control systems to support their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives?

To many, access control may seem less important to ESG initiatives, but the opposite is true. For large buildings, the right choice of access control readers and credentials has a significant impact on sustainability efforts.

HID is committed to providing products and services that are environmentally responsible throughout the manufacturing process and product lifecycle. HID readers are Green Circle certified for energy savings and we provide Environmental Product Declarations to help customers select environmentally preferable door solutions. Even plastic RFID cards have a huge impact when you consider the volume used globally. Replacing plastic cards with virtual cards in smartphones has a massive impact on the planet.

How can companies ensure the security and privacy of employee data when using mobile badges instead of plastic ones?

Protecting personal information is extremely important today. Customers should choose a trustworthy supplier that can clearly demonstrate that it correctly protects all personal information in accordance with legal requirements, such as GDPR, and best practices. HID Global is committed to protecting our customers' personal information. Personal data collected is limited to what is absolutely necessary for our customers to use HID Mobile Access services, which is typically only technical and usage information. The HID Mobile Identities cloud portal is SOC2 Type 1 assessed not only for security but also for privacy.

VIDEO: Skanska Deploys HID Mobile Access

Sharry is excited to collaborate with HID Global and Skanska to improve user experience through smart workplace platform called Connected by Skanska.

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Are you looking for the first-class mobile access solution provided by the joint and close collaboration between HID Global and Sharry?

Let us know and schedule an appointment, we'd love to talk to you!