The office environment is going to look a lot different than it used to. While some companies are returning to a five-day in-office work week, a larger number are open to a hybrid model — where workers spend some time at a central location and the rest working remote. That's going to upend access control, identity management, and security. Fortunately, the solution is already in most companies' hands, as well as those of their employees.
Mobile access control via smartphones gives managers significantly more control over who is and isn't in the building. Building credentials can be turned off nightly and not reinstated until the worker has met established criteria. And current assumptions of one person/one desk no longer apply in a hybrid world — mobile acts as a way to gather data on who is coming in and ensure there's adequate space.
Mobile access also removes coordination friction from a number of scenarios. A temporary employee no longer needs to find a specific person to receive a physical fob — access rights can be granted on a provisional, limited basis in real time. Visitors can have clearances established in advance. Existing workers benefit too: mobile phones are rarely more than an arm's length away, and if a phone is lost, the person knows immediately — making unauthorized access far harder than with a lost card.
Depending on the security level needed, mobile offers a range of options: hands-free access (hold the phone up to the reader), proximity access (phone and door communicate without the user removing the phone from their pocket), device-unlock required for more sensitive areas, or Face ID and PIN for the most restricted spaces.
Integrating mobile into access control opens up additional tenant amenities: the same platform can book conference rooms, order catered food, and manage dry cleaning. As leases come up and companies reduce their footprint, tenant amenities become increasingly important — mobile access could be the key to a flight to quality that makes tenants willing to pay more per square foot for convenience and capability.