By Rebecca Gibson |
Mobile credentials integrated into smartphones are rapidly becoming a cornerstone of modern identity and access control strategies, according to The Industry Report: 2025 State of Security and Identity report from HID Global. In fact, 61 per cent of the security leaders surveyed for the report cite mobile identity proliferation as a top trend and nearly two-thirds say they are either deploying or planning to implement such solutions due to benefits such as enhanced convenience, security and operational efficiency.
Troy Johnston, director of strategic alliances for the Americas at HID Global, explains how the concept of access control is changing and how the company works with various technology partners to help people around the world access offices, hospitals and more.
How have organisations’ access control priorities changed and what type of solutions are they looking to implement today?
Historically, organisations focused on deploying physical access control solutions – such as master key systems, door locks, keypad readers and physical credentials to restrict access to buildings or specific areas within their facilities. In 2014, HID launched mobile access and it rapidly gained traction. Companies quickly migrated from physical to digital, allowing employees and tenants to access the building with their mobile phones. These mobile access solutions are still a priority for organisations but they’re looking to evolve them so employees can do more than just open doors; they want staff to be able to access devices and systems inside the building too. For instance, customers now want to use their phone to call an elevator, open a locker, or securely store their bicycle.
In addition, some of our customers are exploring how they can use logical access control solutions to secure their IT operating systems, business applications and confidential data platforms. These solutions prevent breaches by ensuring only authorised employees can interact with sensitive information.
Can you explain how HID works with technology partners to deliver reliable mobile access control solutions for organisations in various industries?
HID has essentially taken the security credentials that were previously stored in physical keycards and created both a software development kit (SDK) and a HID Mobile Access app to embed them into mobile phones and digital wallets.
We provide the SDK, the APIs and the mobile security credentials, then our partners integrate them with their own complementary solutions, which include everything from tenant experience applications to visitor management, workspace booking systems and analytics tools. Together with our partners, we build end-to-end mobile access control solutions for customers.
How has the shift from physical to digital security influenced the types of partners HID collaborates with to provide access control solutions?
We work with a wide range of partners, from small security companies to large software providers, through the HID Technology Partner Program. In the past, we collaborated with the security integrators and technology partners that were installing the physical and mobile access control solutions in the field for banks, commercial real estate providers, industrial businesses, educational institutions and other global organisations. Now that mobile access control solutions have become increasingly integrated with third-party systems, we’re also working with traditional software companies and API specialists that have libraries of hundreds of connectors for all these disparate systems. Software providers are being asked to deliver more value and mobile access is a great way to provide that.
Interestingly, the roles of the customers we’re working with have changed too – we’re now speaking with chief technology officers rather than chief security officers. We’re also more involved with other departments – for example our solutions are helping HR teams to ensure compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation.
Can you share an example of how HID has worked with a partner to help enterprises improve access control and security?
One notable partner is Smart Spaces, which develops smart building software for global commercial real estate businesses and has integrated HID Mobile Access into its Workplace app to help clients centrally manage employee identities, grant them access to buildings and systems, and more.
When the enterprise creates a user in Microsoft Entra ID, the Workplace app is automatically distributed and installed on the user’s device via Microsoft Intune. When the user launches the app, they are already authenticated using Entra ID single sign-on. The Smart Spaces Workplace app then securely retrieves an HID mobile access credential and provisions it into the enterprise access control system, mapping access rights based on the user’s department and group memberships. Once the credential is active, the user can physically access company offices.
If an employee is promoted, changes role or leaves the organisation, their access levels are automatically updated. This allows enterprises to securely manage more than 100,000 users at scale, ensuring individuals only have access to the resources they are authorised to use. As Smart Spaces CEO Dan Drogman says: ‘Modern workplaces should adapt automatically to the people who use them.’
With both enterprise needs and the cybersecurity landscape continually evolving, what is HID prioritising to ensure it can anticipate new market demands and adapt its solutions for the future?
We are focused on developing new and improved methods of connectivity that make it easier to upgrade existing hardware in the field. This approach enables us to quickly add features such as enhanced cybersecurity hardening or implement fixes for upstream vulnerabilities, ensuring our products remain secure and adaptable over time.
Discover more insights like this in the Winter 2025 issue of Technology Record. Don’t miss out – subscribe for free today and get future issues delivered straight to your inbox.