Access control has to do with allowing people coming in and out of a building for security purposes. But in the post-pandemic world, electronic access control systems are charged with more tasks, including disease prevention and control. Below we identify key2021 access control technology trends, which we believe will continue to be influenced by the pandemic.
4. A growing focus on mobility and mobile access control
Mobile credentialing, whereby the user uses their mobile device to open doors, has become a more trendy access control technology. A recent survey by HID Global reports the adoption of mobile access has continued to rise, with 25 percent of organizations having them fully or partially deployed. Indeed, with keycards being easily stolen, lost, and more costly to make, it makes sense to use the mobile device, especially in entities such as offices and large campuses where it’s costly to produce and issue cards en masse. The use of mobile credentials will continue to expand within both traditional and new access control solutions; in terms of market segments, higher education and commercial facilities will see significant increases in the adoption of mobile credentials.
And let’s not forget COVID-19, which has driven up demand for contactless access control, and mobile access control suits that trend. The focus on mobility is not going anywhere for a while, so we will continue to see more widespread use of mobile credentials to promote touchless/frictionless access control solutions. Pre-COVID, the standard practice for outside contractors and visitors to many businesses routed visitors to a reception desk or to request access in person. As the pandemic spread and organizations looked to limit the risk to employees (as well as address the shift toward more remote work), the feasibility of mobile credentials took hold.
5. Contactless biometrics
Speaking of contactless, while fingerprint is still the primary biometric for access control, it has certain drawbacks, for example sanitary concerns and slower throughput. Now, with COVID-19 for which the act touching has been cited as a medium of transmission, contactless biometrics are set to become stronger access control technology trends. The need to support touchless experiences for access to, and movement through, physical spaces will cause the industry to adopt existing and new technologies and solutions. Seamless, touchless and frictionless are the primary descriptions of what experiences the market will demand going forward.
Needless to say, contactless access control has been one of the buzzwords in 2020. We have already witnessed plethora of new vendors to enter this space for the simple reason of supply and demand. We have seen the market steadily grow due to increased accuracy and comfort in which users are identified. We don’t believe contactless access control market was created all of a sudden but ‘acceptance’ of the technology has pulled in significantly in time due to the pandemic.
As example, it is interesting how a contactless visitor management experience can require no human-to-human interaction throughout the whole process of requesting a visit, self-check-in and entry. This sequence is, in fact, very similar to what is required in a ‘contactless’ access control system where everything is preferably done online. This could mean enrolling users or visitors online (for example face enrollment) and getting approval through their mobile devices then later getting access through the main entrance or different areas in the facilities.So, with these similarities, the integration of these systems will become more necessary for the non-human interaction.
Further, facial recognition can now integrate with different technologies to more effectively combat COVID. We’re even seeing facial recognition readers that leverage intelligence that can identify whether a person is wearing a mask or sensing technology that can identify someone who has an elevated temperature and restrict access until they can receive more screening.
The demand in these areas will grow into 2021 as the pandemic continues to be a big concern around the globe.
6. Cloud-based access control demand to continue, post-pandemic
Like video surveillance-as-a-service (VSaaS), access control-as-a-service (ACaaS) has already been on the rise. COVID-19 is expected to even further accelerate this access control technology trend due to its various benefits. First, as opposed to on-premises electronic access control systems which require servers, wiring and license fees, ACaaS requires less upfront cost and instead charges a subscription fee based on the user needs – this can be appealing to end user entities that are financially constrained in the wake of COVID. Then, given data is hosted centrally in the cloud instead of in on-premises devices, there’s less need to schedule onsite repairs and maintenance which require onsite visits and may go against pandemic control guidelines. Finally, with cloud, certain operations such as credential issuance and revocation can be done remotely instead of onsite, and this is constructive towards social distancing guidelines.
7. Cybersecurity and identity management
Cybersecurity also emerges as a key access control technology trend that will continue in 2021. Two factors are driving this trend. First, devices in electronic access control systems are becoming more and more online and are more vulnerable to breaches.
Adapted from a&s Magazine