Reports this year showed that almost two-thirds of organisations are using mobile phones to identify people in some way or another. It’s projected that that proportion will rise to 79% within the next five years [1]. As the children who’ve grown up in the world of technology age and enter the working world, a digital-first approach will only become more important.
Access control systems that incorporate mobile phones are revolutionising physical security. In this blog we’ll look at how ATRIUM access control offers more convenience, greater flexibility, and enhanced security through mobile phones.
The evolution of access control
The oldest kind of access control is one most of us are still using today: mechanical keys. These laid down the basic principle of access control: only people with the right key can enter an otherwise locked door. This basic technology remained largely unchanged for many centuries.
Then, in the mid-20th Century, electronic access control emerged. In the beginning, PIN codes and swipe cards embedded with RFID technology were the only options. And while they were revolutionary at the time, these credential types carry some disadvantages. A PIN code can easily be forgotten or disclosed to an unauthorised person. In the same vein, a swipe card can be lost, stolen, or damaged.
For the rest of the century and even some years into the new one, credentials remained fundamentally unchanged. With the emergence and rapid rise to dominance of mobile phones, it’s only a natural progression that access control would expand to handheld devices, too. Much of the technology and functionality of mobile phones lends itself very well to access control. Wireless technology, connectivity, and the form and function of apps are all well-suited to physical security.
How smartphones are transforming physical security
More convenience
For many, if not most people, a smartphone is an utterly essential device. Well over 80% of UK adults aged over 16 now have one [2]. Mobile phones have become an integral part of a huge variety of everyday tasks. How many people do you know that don’t access their banking on their phone? How about: shopping online; reading the news; watching TV; writing notes; managing calendars; tracking health data; and of course communicating with family and friends? Our phones are with us constantly. Why shouldn’t our access control be on them, too?
Access control on your smartphone makes life easier. It’s one less thing to remember when you leave the house in the morning. No more running around looking for wherever you last had your lanyard. You’re highly unlikely to simply forget your mobile phone when it’s so central to so much of your day.
Even for administrators and installers of access control systems, ATRIUM offers greater convenience. You no longer need to be on-site sat at a particular PC to login and manage the access control system. ATRIUM comes with a built-in web server. As long as you have an internet connection, you can log in from anywhere, on any device – including a mobile phone.
Better security
One of the main drawbacks of traditional card or tag credentials is that they can be lost or stolen. Once someone else has hold of one of them, they can legitimately gain access to restricted buildings or areas. And because it’s not an expensive and vital part of daily life (like a mobile phone is), the user might not notice immediately that it’s gone. That opens up some security risks.
Moreover, in the case of ATRIUM, mobile credentials are equipped with our highest level of security. AES encryption protects all signals and system communications from end to end, ensuring interception and cloning are impossible.
Flexibility and scalability
When you can log into your access control system from a mobile phone, it makes operational tasks easier. Someone reports a lost credential but you’re not in the office? No problem. A few clicks on your phone, the credential is invalidated and the building is secure. Real-time updates from anywhere mean you can respond quickly and efficiently to situations as they occur.
In addition, that flexibility extends to the users of the system. In a business with fluctuating staffing needs or multiple locations, mobile credentials make management a breeze. Imagine a retail store that hires a team of temporary workers for the busy Christmas period. Instead of buying a pack of plastic ID cards that will likely need to be thrown away, mobile credentials offer a flexible alternative. The licence is issued as needed, and then revoked as needed, with no waiting around. Plus there’s the added benefit for the planet of no extra plastic.
Smartphones in ATRIUM access control
Overview of ATRIUM
ATRIUM is an online access control system with flexibility at its heart. Equipped with AES encryption from credential to reader, reader to controller, and controller to server, it’s a highly secure and reliable solution. ATRIUM scales to cover up to 10,000 users and 500 doors, with up to 1000 access levels for full visibility and comprehensive control.
Mobile credentials
Mobile-PASS smartphone credentials in ATRIUM deliver flexibility, security, and the ultimate convenience for users. Available through a free app on iOS and Android, Mobile-PASS offers five different methods for validating identity. The user can:
- Utilise their phone’s built-in biometric ID function;
- Hold the phone to the access control reader;
- Click a button within the app;
- Speak the words “open door”;
- Enable automatic opening where the reader detects the phone automatically when in range.
There are no annual subscription fees or cloud storage costs. Issuing credentials is quick and easy, as well as revoking them whenever needed. And when your access credential is just another app on your phone, you’re so much less likely to forget it or lose it. It couldn’t be any more convenient!
Browser-based administration
With a browser-based admin portal, ATRIUM is accessible from anywhere. All you need is a username, a password, and an internet connection. There’s no need to be shackled to a particular desk in a particular building to add or remove users or make minor changes to configuration. That means you can react to incidents and situations rapidly and efficiently. Whether you’re an installer on another site or a system admin working from home, your life is easier.
ATRIUM Finder app
There’s nothing more frustrating as an installer than having everything set up and ready to go, and not knowing the IP address of your controllers. Waiting around for IT support teams to get back to you is a waste of your time and drags projects out unnecessarily. ATRIUM Finder smartphone app directly combats this annoyance. Just connect to the same network as the controller, open up the app, and with a single click you’ll be redirected to the ATRIUM login page. It’s free, easy, and a huge time saver.
The future of smartphones in access control
Smartphones are already extremely important to almost everybody. They’re irretrievably embedded in our day-to-day lives. It was only a matter of time before access control reached them, too. And the possibilities for future development in this area are immense! Further integration with biometric technology, artificial intelligence, and IoT edge computing all offer exciting potential.
As for ATRIUM, you’ll just have to wait and see what comes next!
