In recent years, mobile credentials have taken the access control industry by storm, revolutionizing how we secure and manage entry to buildings and facilities. As we increasingly lean on our smartphones for everyday activities, mobile credentials offer big-time advantages, including boosted security, cost savings, and an improved user experience. This article explores a few verticals that stand to benefit the most from mobile credential technology: multi-family residences, school campuses, healthcare facilities, fitness centers, and commercial spaces.
1. Multi-Family Residences
For multi-family residences, mobile credentials offer residents a seamless, secure way to access their homes and shared amenities while streamlining property management. Traditional keys are often lost or stolen, which can pose significant security risks. Mobile credentials address these challenges head-on, allowing property managers to issue and revoke credentials remotely, saving time, cost, and administrative overhead.
According to Dallan Labrum, ProdataKey (PDK) VP of Sales, investing in a mobile-first access control system is especially beneficial for large properties with hundreds of tenants.
“The management aspect alone is a huge benefit. They can send out hundreds of mobile credentials instantaneously, and residents can accept them without even going to the main office,”
Dallan Labrum, VP of Sales at PDK
All residents need is their smartphone for access, allowing instant entry on move-in and immediate deactivation when they move out. Mobile credentials are also helpful in handling guest access and tours, where the property can give temporary access with just a few taps on a mobile app.
2. School and University Campuses
On school and university campuses, managing secured access to residence halls, classrooms, and recreational facilities for thousands of students and staff can be a challenge. Mobile credentials simplify this process, offering a seamless and cost-effective solution. They’re also particularly convenient for younger users already using their mobile devices for all sorts of daily tasks. Institutions can integrate mobile access credentials with various campus services like meal plans and library access for a seamless user experience.
Beyond the convenience factor, Labrum points out the cost-savings of mobile-first systems, “Deploying mobile credentials through a system like PDK, instead of handing out physical credentials alone, is going to save tens of thousands of dollars a year.” Distributing and replacing physical keys, fobs, and cards adds up, especially for massive organizations like universities. Mobile credentials solve that problem. Moreover, mobile credentials are encrypted, providing higher security than traditional low-frequency access cards that are easily duplicated.
3. Healthcare Facilities
Healthcare facilities of all kinds require high-level security measures to protect sensitive information, secure medications and equipment, and ensure the safety of patients and staff. It’s also critical for medical centers to maintain stringent hygiene standards. When combined with touchless access readers, mobile credentials are ideal for medical environments because they reduce physical contact and the risk of contamination. This contrasts with physical badges or keys that are constantly being handled and can be used for years.
Labrum also emphasizes the management aspect for medical offices and hospitals, where staff is always rotating, and new or traveling personnel need quick, secure access to different areas. “Getting people in the same room to give them new credentials is hard. With mobile, you can send it straight to them, and they’ll have access instantly.” Mobile credentials can be programmed with the appropriate access levels and issued on the fly, ensuring that doctors, nurses, and even vendors have access immediately upon arrival.
4. Fitness Centers
Whether a locally-owned studio or corporate giant, fitness centers hinge on providing their members with a seamless, secure experience. Gym-goers often dislike carrying extra items like keys or cards. With mobile credentials, members can use their phone, which they already carry, to access the facility. Fitness centers can control access to different areas, including exterior doors, group class studios, and other premium amenities.
Investing in a mobile-first solution also helps gym owners ensure that only people with memberships have access.
“You know exactly who has access. You don’t have to worry about somebody sharing their credential with someone else.”
Dallan Labrum
Cloud-based access control also gives fitness centers a way to track who accessed the facility and when, ensuring better security and management. Additionally, mobile credentials are a secure, convenient way to instantly give prospective members or guests temporary access whenever they need it.
5. Commercial Enterprises
For commercial enterprises, often with thousands of personnel, mobile credentials offer an efficient, modern solution for managing employee access to office buildings, manufacturing facilities, and other secure areas. Employees, temporary contractors, and vendors can use their smart devices for access, eliminating the hassle of physical credentials and improving security while streamlining management processes.
Mobile credentials are a flexible solution for organizations with multiple locations, allowing teams to manage access permissions across sites remotely from corporate headquarters or on the go. System administrators can also make instant changes to permissions based on varying employee roles, ensuring that users only have access to areas relevant to their role. Moreover, organizations can integrate mobile credentials with other enterprise systems, like time and attendance tracking, to create a comprehensive security and management solution.
The complete adoption of mobile access credentials across verticals still has a long way to go. However, as cloud-based access control systems like ProdataKey (PDK) become more widespread, organizations switching to mobile solutions are certainly expected to grow, especially with the development of NFC technology. As older legacy systems are phased out, the popularity of mobile credentials will, in turn, increase, driving a shift toward modern, flexible solutions.
To conclude, mobile credentials offer serious advantages across diverse verticals, from improved security and hygiene in healthcare to enhanced convenience and cost savings in multi-family residences and educational institutions. As mobile technology continues to evolve, the security industry can expect even more widespread adoption and for organizations across the globe to reap the benefits. Embrace the future of access control with mobile credentials and unlock the potential for enhanced security and convenience in your industry.
Comments