 "HID Tests NFC Smartphones With Digital Keys For Access Control")
HID Global, the secure identity solution providers, have announced a pilot project that showcases the benefits of using NFC smartphones for opening doors at universities and other campus environments. The trial is underway at Arizona State University (ASU),where a group of students and staff are accessing a campus residence hall and selected resident’s rooms using HID Global’s new iCLASS SE credentials embedded into a variety of popular smartphones connected to all major mobile networks.
ASU manages on-campus housing for approximately 13,000 students living in 34 residence halls. To implement the pilot, HID Global deployed iCLASS SE readers on secured doors to ASU’s Palo Verde Main hall, and HID technology-enabled Sargent Profile Series electromechanical locks from ASSA ABLOY on selected resident room doors. Participants were given NFC smartphones carrying next-generation iCLASS SE technology that enables new levels of security, convenience, portability and performance.
To open door locks, participants present the phones to a door reader just like they do with their existing Sun Cards, which are iCLASS-based campus credentials. All participants are using their phones for residence hall access, and some are also using them with a unique additional digital key and PIN to open individual room doors. The technology also supports over-the-air provisioning and management of digital keys, which simplifies administration of the access control system.
“This project highlights the promise of taking NFC technology beyond cashless payment into new, complementary physical access control applications,” said Denis Hébert, HID Global president and CEO. “ASU is a leading innovator and long-time iCLASS user, and now the university is helping us validate how bringing mobility to access control improves security while enhancing the user experience by making it easier to deploy and manage keys and more convenient to carry them. With this technology, any door that’s opened with a key or Sun Card has the potential to now be opened with a phone.”