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32
Imagine the convenience of being able
to walk into a hotel, bypass check-in,
go straight to the room number texted
to you and open the door by holding a
smartphone to the lock; or the peace
of mind from knowing that as soon as
your teenage child returns home from
school the mobile phone used to open
the front door will automatically send
you a text message confirming his or
her safe arrival.
These two scenarios demonstrate
the huge potential of smartphones and
NFC technology to revolutionise access
control. The combination has already
being used as an alternative to fobs,
proximity cards and barcode badges in a
number of workplace trials conducted by
HID Global, a provider of secure identity
solutions for access control and asset
tracking.
It recently conducted pilot
programmes at enterprise mobility
solutions specialist Good Technology
and internet film subscription company
Netflix, giving participants NFC-enabled
Samsung Galaxy S III handsets equipped
with a door entry app and HID Global
digital keys for opening doors fitted with
NFC-enabled readers.
One of the benefits of the technology
is that users can create and modify
secure identities and digital keys using a
cloud-based portal and distribute them
to smartphones ‘over-the-air’. Removing
the need for physical interaction with
a smartphone makes it a more flexible
electronic key solution than cards and
fobs.
This capability was of particular
interest to Netflix, which saw in it the
potential to improve the staff on-
boarding process by sending digital
keys over-the-air to new employees’
smartphones in time for their first day
at work.
In its trial, Good Technology sought
to assess the technology’s scope for
more sophisticated key management by
adding an NFC-enabled lock to the door
of an executive’s office that colleagues
use for meetings when he is away. This
would allow him to limit access to select
members of his team, restrict the times
it could be used and run reports on who
used it and when.
Broad support
Smartphone-based access control
impressed participants, with 80-
90% considering it more convenient
and secure than access cards. Many
commented that they carry their
smartphones with them at all times,
but often forget cards. They also said
they would notice more quickly if their
smartphone was missing and would
be less likely to lend it to a colleague.
Security is further enhanced by layered
protection (i.e. having to enter a PIN to
unlock the phone before using the door
entry app) and the ability to de-provision
a phone remotely.
For Debra Spitler, VP mobile access
solutions at HID Global, the pilots
also served to highlight areas where
improvements could be made, including
the need to bring more network
operators and handset manufacturers
into the ecosystem.“Netflix is a
proponent of BYOD and has staff using
Andoid devices, iPhones and a couple of
Windows phones. They would have liked
to have stayed with the OS they were
using prior to the pilot, so having choice
is key to user satisfaction,” she said.
“The second lesson concerns ease of
use. Users want to be able to use the
technology in a variety of ways: some
want it to be always on, so they can
present the phone to the reader without
having to do anything; others want
minimal interaction, for example hitting
the activate button to turn the app on
and use it for a set period of time; and
another group prefers to keep the app off
so that when they want to use the app
they must actively turn it on. It’s not a
one size fits all solution.”
Participants also highlighted the
need for solutions that don’t excessively
drain battery; are available even when
Access control
So near, yet so far
Near Field Communication (NFC) is a radio
technology that allows a smartphone to
communicate with another NFC-enabled
device when the two are touched or held
in very close proximity to each other.
The most talked about application is for
contactless payments, but NFC also has
the potential to transform access control.
James Goulding reports.
the battery is dead; don’t interrupt
other tasks; and deliver an intuitive user
interface.
Building the eco-system
For now, HID Global is continuing to
develop the required infrastructure,
working closely with network operators,
handset vendors and hardware
manufacturers so that time and
attendance systems, print release
systems for MFPs and cafeteria vending
can also be controlled by smartphone.
Spitler says that mobile network
operators are positive about NFC-
enabled access control as they hope
greater familiarity with NFC technology
will encourage take-up of contactless
payment, which they hope will be
a money-spinner. Yet, there are still
obstacles.
“The most difficult part is the sheer
size of the eco-system and infrastructure
to support mobile in an NFC
environment.We have to have a way of
pushing our credentials onto the handset,
so we have to talk from the HID system
to a mobile operator or a handset with a
secure SIM or micro SD.We have to put
an applet in the phone in a secure way
to hold the keys and we have to have an
app on the phone for the user interface.
And we have to have the ability to do
over-the-air provisioning to add users and
de-provision keys in case a phone is lost
or stolen,” she said.
Smartphones are already an
indispensable tool for today’s office
workers, so it makes perfect sense to
use them for access control too. The
technology works; the NFC handsets
exist; and the demand is there: all that’s
needed now is the infrastructure to bring
together all the elements in a way that
delivers maximum benefit to end users.
www.hidglobal.com
...users can
create and
modify secure
identities and
digital keys...
Debra Spitler,
VP mobile access
solutions,
HID Global