Smartphones have revolutionized key usage and security management

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Mobile access is impacting the way we interact with buildings and manage their security. For users, a device they already carry with them digitally unlocks doors and other entry points. For facility managers, this device makes it possible to more securely manage access to multiple sites if needed. Businesses can benefit from time-saving security management at a lower overall cost.

Nearly two-thirds of organizations have already adopted mobile access control or plan to do so within two years. According to Omdia analysts, mobile credential downloads grew 220% between 2018 and 2019. By 2023, an estimated 120 million downloads will be made on mobile phones worldwide. This growth will continue, driven by convenience, cost, and security.

Security has improved with mobile credentials on smart cards and key fobs. Almost all modern smartphones have biometrics built in through fingerprint and face ID unlocking. Human behavior is also on the smartphone side. Students or employees often find lost plastic access cards, and everyone is more cautious about their phones.

Safer and more convenient

For users, the benefits of convenience are clear and have already sparked a mobile revolution in banking, travel booking, food delivery, and many other areas. However, not all solutions are created equal, especially in an area as sensitive as security: user experience and privacy are both critical considerations.

For example, mobile access through the battery-powered Aperio lock is built on Seos, a platform with best-in-class encryption and privacy protection. Opening any door access with an Aperio device is easy and intuitive: users simply present their phone to the RFID reader, just like with a smart card. They don’t even need to open the app.

Aperio locks are already compatible with all major RFID credentials and NFC. The Aperio E100 Electronic Escutcheon is also compatible with Bluetooth Low Energy, and more Aperio devices will support Bluetooth in the near future. The user experience at the door is always the same for any credential.

If they wish, businesses can run RFID and mobile devices in parallel. Each technology is always included in the Aperio package: no purchase is required. And because Aperio is built on an open platform for maximum compatibility, the locks integrate seamlessly with more than 100 different security and access control systems.

Manage access efficiently using your smartphone

For facility managers, mobile devices enhance security, cost and convenience. Lost physical credentials are a significant threat to the workplace. More than 17% of respondents in one survey admitted to losing an RFID card or fob in the past 12 months. Mobile credentials can be canceled or modified over the air without the need for a program update. No one is waiting for their access rights to be updated or their old card to be canceled.

For example, at Arkansas State University’s new Mexico campus, the SMARTair Openow mobile access solution manages virtual “keys” within a secure app. Keys can be created and sent from anywhere. With app-based controls, security managers can review and modify access permissions for virtual keys when needed. When a virtual key is canceled, it immediately disappears from the user’s Openow app.

Where smart key credentials are deployed, mobile management saves time and money. CLIQ® Go is an extension of CLIQ’s key-based programmable access solution, tailored specifically for small and medium businesses (SMBs). SMBs often lack the budget for a dedicated security department or manager. The CLIQ Go app makes access management easy even for non-professional business owners. They can manage their locks from virtually any smartphone.

Another CLIQ extension for mobile management, award-winning solution CLIQ Connect simplifies security workflows for off-site employees and contractors. To change keyholder access rights, system administrators can access the CLIQ Web Manager software from anywhere and make updates. Keyholders can establish a secure Bluetooth connection between their CLIQ Connect key and the mobile app to update permissions instantly. For any business where workers are always on the move, it can reduce unnecessary trips, saving time, wasted energy and money.