Latin America. Brivo Inc. launched Mobile Pass, an addition to its OnAir access control system that allows users to gain access simply with their mobile device.
The vast majority of access control systems use cards or an access interface via NFC or Bluetooth, while Mobile Pass uses an application on a smartphone. The user simply activates the app and presses a button, a call goes out to the cloud to validate access and the door opens, explains Steve Van Till, general manager of Brivo. All of that takes about a second.
From a workflow perspective, the Brivo OnAir administrator selects a user and creates an invitation with a Brivo Mobile Pass that is delivered via email. The user clicks the "Add" button in the e-mail to activate the Brivo Mobile Pass on their phone. Then the user can open doors as they would with a key card. As in the case of key cards, the administrator can revoke mobile passes at any time.
The Brivo Mobile Pass app is designed to be more convenient and secure for users than traditional key cards. They go with them wherever they take their phones and are protected by a passcode and by the biometric capabilities built into the smartphone. When the user wants to open the door, open the Brivo Mobile Pass app. It communicates with the cloud using the capabilities of the smartphone and requests that the door be opened. No key card required.
Future versions of Mobile Pass will have to offer additional features, Van Till says. For businesses that want greater security, the system asks users to enter biometric data or a PIN for access to specific doors. And for those who want to decrease friction, a future version will use geofencing, so that the door will automatically open when the user is at a certain distance.
Mobile Pass also works in multiple unaffiliated facilities that are equipped with Brivo, such as offices, gyms and parking lots. Users can add Brivo Mobile passes by e-mail from an unlimited number of accounts.
The Mobile Pass app, now available on both iOS and Android, allows companies to distribute credentials to the entire population without any equipment changes on the premises. Companies using Brivo's OnAir system will automatically receive five mobile passes for free, and additional passes can be ordered through distribution channels, Van Till says.
