The smartphone is changing access control and security management at every scale and level, from global corporations to small companies. Making the switch to mobile access control, however, can seem daunting. Questions may arise around cost, practicality and the potential need for new door hardware. Yet going mobile is actually a lot simpler and quicker than many think, as one new guide explains.

Data from the recent Wireless Access Control Report 2021 suggests almost two-thirds of organizations have already adopted mobile access control, or plan to do so within two years. Industry analysts Omdia estimate that downloads of mobile credentials grew by 220% between 2018 and 2019 alone.

Mobile access control

The main benefits of mobile access control, the report suggests, are convenience, cost and security. All three of these advantages apply for any scale of organization. The user convenience of replacing plastic key-cards with secure ‘mobile keys’ on a smartphone is obvious. Identical benefits have already brought a mobile-first ethos to banking, travel booking, food delivery and many more sectors.

The ability to get the job done efficiently from anywhere is becoming essential

From a business perspective, too, the option for facilities managers to use their own smart device to issue, amend or revoke an employee’s mobile key brings added flexibility. It frees security staff from the desk and its dedicated admin PC. As the work patterns become fluid — IBM estimates 1.87 billion people will be mobile workers by 2022 — the ability to get the job done efficiently from anywhere is becoming essential. Access management via smartphone offers this.

Reissuing mobile credential

Secondly, mobile credentials are simpler and quicker to administer than key-cards, which brings significant cost savings. Deploying mobile keys on employee smartphones removes any need to purchase plastic cards or pay for their printing. Any missing plastic credential needs replacing; canceling and reissuing a mobile credential is essentially costless. Mobile access control also enables a business to reduce its use of non-recyclable plastics.

Third, the…