Latin America. HID Global announced the launch of its HID Mobile Access solution, which offers a safer and more convenient way to open doors and gates, while introducing a simple process for managing secure IDs.
The solution includes everything organizations need to immediately start using smartphones with Bluetooth Smart and NFC (Near Field Communication) and other mobile devices, as alternatives to smart keys and credentials in the increasingly popular BYOD environment (bring your own device, in English) of today. The solution also allows users to unlock and open doors remotely with the company's patented "Twist and Go" gesture recognition technology.
HID Mobile Access is used with the mobile-enabled iCLASS SE® platform and/or the company's multiCLASS SE® readers, and includes mobile IDs, HID Mobile Access applications, and access to the HID Secure Identity Services™ portal to manage users and issue or revoke mobile IDs. Readers for mobile technology are also interoperable with 125 kHz HID Prox technology and with high-frequency technologies, such as iCLASS Seos®, iCLASS SE, iCLASS® standard, MIFARE®, and MIFARE® DESFire® EV1, thanks to which it is possible to use credentials and mobile devices.
"HID Mobile Access, powered by our award-winning Seos technology, marks a new chapter in the creation and management of digital IDs for mobile access, making it possible to open doors using the widest range of smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices, no need for additional sleeves or other accessories," said Selva Selvaratnam, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, HID Global.
"Our HID Mobile Access solution, which has already been tested in several pilots at major universities and enterprises, offers more secure, convenient and flexible access control, along with a world-class mobile ID delivery process, as easy to use and as simple as downloading music."
One of these pilots was conducted at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where "Twist and Go" gesture technology was used to both open doors and lift barriers in car parks. There, the HID Mobile Access solution was implemented, including Mobile IDs and Mobile Apps, mobile-friendly iCLASS SE readers, and the HID Secure Identity Services credential self-management portal. This entire system is ready to be used on Apple and Android devices.
With its user-friendly HID Secure Identity Service portal, administrators simply send an invitation to users to download a HID Mobile Access app directly to their Bluetooth or NFC-enabled phones. Mobile IDs can immediately be issued, delivered or revoked wirelessly. The portal was designed for greater convenience and efficiency for administrators, who can manage individual or batch users for rapid provisioning and permanent credential management.
During the pilot test, 15 people participated, who used their smartphones in one or more of the six entrance doors to the University and an entrance to the parking lot. As a result, "system administrators at the University highlighted the ability to view the status of each invitation that was sent to each smart device, during the registration and activation process," said Anthony Ball, senior vice president of HID Global's Identity Management division.
Thus, one of the keys to success in the coming years will be to have an offer that goes beyond readers, panels, credentials and conventional access control software and "take advantage of the new moment that the industry is experiencing, in which functions such as remote management, credentials with mobile and fixed functionality, and wireless technology are executed," said Blake Kozak, who works for the research firm IHS Inc.
The HID Mobile Access solution works with Seos technology, which turns smartphones and other mobile devices into trusted credentials. With Seos technology at the base of HID Mobile Access, this solution will allow the use of phones and other smart devices in future applications, such as logging into a PC, controlling attendance and working time, implementing biometrics or charging electric vehicles, all in a unified system of secure identity.
