SMART Access & identity 2024

ACCESS & IDENTITY ROUND TABLE

Martin Meltz, Wouter Du Toit, Walter Rautenbach, Kirby Rae Russell, Ilze Blignaut, Tarryn Fortune.

A move to mobile? There are endless promotions and articles around mobile credentials wherever one goes; enough to make you think having access credentials on your phone is the standard globally. Of course, this is not the case, and mobile credentials, while growing, are not threatening the existence of cards or biometrics – not yet, anyway. Mobile credentials have obvious benefits, from having all your access credentials on your smartphone and being able to provision or de-provision access in real-time – which is great for visitor management and allowing contractors access to a site between certain hours for a specific number of days, etc. And, probably, the most significant benefit is that people rarely forget their phone at home, and most of us don’t leave home without being sure our phones have the required battery power for the day. (It’s worth noting that in countries where Google or Apple Wallets are available, credentials stored in the wallets will still open the door, etc., even if the battery is dead. Users must, however, note that Apple Wallet, for example, might not be available globally, and there may be an extra charge to activate the credential in the wallet.) Du Toit warns that many customers expect mobile credential usage to reduce costs and are often disappointed when that doesn’t happen. When it comes to costs, while the initial purchase costs may be higher, Blignaut notes that when comparing the ROI over time, the initial, higher cost and annual fees can pay for itself in three to five years. Another benefit of using mobiles is privacy. Many privacy laws are being enforced or, at the

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same automated routines can be used to power office systems (a printer, for example) when people are there using them, deactivating them when they are not required. These additional integration services offer more to the integrator and vendor and save the customer money while improving the ROI of what used to be just an access control system. While this sounds good (and profitable), Meltz notes that the adoption of solutions like this is slow; very few companies are looking beyond the siloes of functionality, possibly because job descriptions are still siloed, and physical security, IT and facilities management staff have to tiptoe around each other so as not to be seen as intruding. Innovative business processes that incorporate these features are rare. Du Toit agrees, noting that only a few organisations are thinking in this manner, adding that one of the reasons is the lack of knowledge of what can be done and the skills to make it happen. This is where consultants should educate their clients, but most of them have an engineering background and need to be better versed in the possibilities of a digitised world. The migration is, therefore, slow. This raises the question of who will assist companies in leveraging the many benefits of digitisation. There is some movement, however. Rautenbach says IT departments are getting more involved in access control (and physical security in general), and they have a better understanding of the potential of digitisation and have “started asking questions” around integrated solutions – with an eye on improved ROI. Until now, their interest has not evolved into a drive to make it happen as other parts of their organisations are focused on different areas.

there are no weak links in the process, from the reader to the server or cloud systems – and every point in between. Rautenbach adds that we often automatically associate the term ’services’ with the cloud. While the cloud makes many services possible and efficient, it does not always have to be a cloud-based solution. Cloud is available, but many companies in South Africa are still somewhat nervous about keeping their data on ‘someone else’s computer’. Returning to return on investment The services required in digitising companies go beyond physical security and require the ability to design and integrate a variety of products and technologies (there is a big difference, says Blignaut, between integrating and interfacing). This provides integrators and manufacturers with additional value streams but also demands a broader skillset than simply using their own products. Fortune adds that, while Gallagher or any other vendor, wants to differentiate themselves and get customers to use their products, integration beyond security is where they can add value and demonstrate a greater return on investment. So, while one wants to have the access and/or perimeter managed from a single interface, the ability to pull in other systems – HVAC or power consumption, for example – and manage them from the same interface is vital. This leads to an ideal situation where, once a person gains access to the premises, the lights and air-conditioning in their work area will be activated to ensure they are not consuming power when nobody is there. The

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