The COVID-19 disruption has altered how we will handle physical security in 2022 and moving beyond. We’ve compiled the top 5 building access control system trends for the upcoming year based on industry knowledge, analysis, and projections:
- Mobile access management
- Security in the Cloud
- Authentication using many factors
- Utilizing biometrics
- A business model based on subscriptions
There has never been a more crucial time to have strong facilities and a security plan.
Concerns with Access Control Technology:
Access control technology innovation has flourished during the last ten years. Historically, the access control sector has moved slowly, but there has been a significant change as a result of a clear demand from customers and a desire for improved access control experiences.
According to Imperial Capital’s 2019 year-end report, which covers the security industry, the identification and authentication sector outperformed all other security sectors during the third quarters of 2018 and 2019 with a 35.1 percent increase in firm value multiples.
In response to rising security threats, a variety of government and defense programs are increasingly adopting identity and authentication technology, from software to biometric hardware, as evidenced by the growth of cloud-based hosted access and ID systems being installed by integrators for both public and private sector websites.
Trends in access control for 2022:
The Security Industry Association lists cloud computing, face recognition, touchless and frictionless technologies, and a move to service models as the top four security megatrends for 2021.
The top 5 card access system trends for 2022 are shown below based on our predictions.
Mobile access management:
Mobile access control is being quickly used by businesses.
The epidemic, according to 44% of office workers, has made access control an even more crucial problem. According to a 2019 HID poll, 54% of organizations have switched to a mobile access control system or plan to do so over the next three years. We may estimate that, if they haven’t already, well over half of the forecasted firms will be moving away from legacy systems in the next years due to the growing requirement and popularity of mobile access.
The sector of physical security and access control is naturally evolving toward the usage of mobile-based credentials. Nearly everyone in Singapore owns a smartphone, and the majority of them keep it with them at all times. They are without a doubt everywhere. Key cards, on the other hand, are inconvenient and rank as the second most forgotten item. Mobile credentials are also a more secure option because proximity RFID cards that aren’t encrypted are the majority of key cards and are thus readily counterfeit able.
Access Control through the Cloud:
Access control or queue management system via the cloud is becoming more popular among midrange and large businesses.
The cloud has been slow to implement physical security, especially in midsize and large businesses. However, cloud-based technologies now power the majority of business systems. Anything you can think of, including messaging, email, sales CRMs, marketing tools, productivity tools, IT infrastructure, and website hosting, runs on the cloud. It’s just not immediately apparent.
Due to the enormous advantages offered in terms of operational improvements, improved security, and simple multi-site administration of access to enjoy the benefits of infinite scalability, physical security is witnessing a major trend toward cloud-based access control.
Before this, multi-site access management has been a subpar experience. An employee visiting a different branch office, for instance, would need to be informed many days beforehand so that security and access could be set up in advance of their arrival. These manual procedures are not only unpleasant, but they also lead to more credentials being exposed and inconsistent security.
The capacity to handle numerous sites with a single system has made the adoption of cloud-based solutions an increasing trend. All sites’ access levels can be simply controlled.
Benefits of Cloud-Based Access Control:
- Constant security updates that can be turned back instantaneously Scalable system that can grow with the demands of the company
- With no downtime
- Control of access through mobile
- Hundreds of structures under one management site
- Granting or denying access in real-time and from a distance
- Recurring data backups
- Rapid product development
This begs the question of whether edge computing or cloud computing—which, when outsourced to a third party, is known as access control as a service—will be more popular for obtaining, analyzing, and storing access control data in the future.
Cloud computing offers the benefits of power and scalability by collecting and processing data in one location. Additionally, it provides managed service comfort and automated software upgrades.
In edge computing, information is captured and processed directly on the hardware, such as a camera, card reader, alarm panel, etc. The main advantages of edge computing are its adaptability for remote applications and substantially faster processing times, which are crucial, for instance, in determining whether to stop in an autonomous car.
However, cloud and edge computing work best together rather than in direct competition, and they will likely continue to be used in access control technologies for at least the foreseeable future. While edge computing is well suited to distant applications, it also saves on materials and labor expenses (no wire), according to Axis Communications, and makes future upgrades easier. Cloud-based access management has several advantages, including ease and cost-effectiveness.
Authentication with many factors:
The merging of physical identity with digital identity.
Multimodal and multi-factor authentication both make use of mobile credentials. (Multimodal authentication can refer to establishing identification or getting access using at least two different biometrics, or it might imply permitting access by using any one of several different credentials, such as a keycard or PIN. To confirm your identity or acquire access, you must need at least two different ways or credentials, including something you already know, own, or are, such as a fingerprint and a password.
In digital access, multi-factor authentication is now often employed. For instance, a one-time token sent through SMS or another authenticator app is required by the organization when an employee registers into a company email account or another sensitive website.
Access control using biometrics:
In place of fingerprint access, face recognition is being employed for touchless access control.
The facial ID type phone access is quickly being used by many businesses for building and facility access. A contemporary, touchless access experience is offered by access control with facial recognition.
Since the beginning of access control technology, biometrics has been on the perimeter because of challenges with cost, accuracy, privacy, and other factors.
Business Model Based on Subscriptions:
Change from a one-time hardware sales approach to a subscription-based access control model.
It took years to connect, maintain, and upgrade manual CRM software and networks. They were customized to meet the needs of every single business they serviced, which made the system rigid, cumbersome, time-consuming, and astronomically costly.
Concerning access control technology, the same narrative is valid. Access control has often operated on a hardware-driven business model. Readers, key cards, and panels are purchased through distribution, and the on-premise server is assembled and configured by an integrator.
An IT team is required for functioning, and updates must be manually coded. Our culture and the state of security have changed with the times.
Companies will need to gradually entice anxious employees back to the workplace, and safety guarantees, rules, and protocols will play a key role in that process. If low-security doors are removed or pushed open, corridors are changed, and often touched obstacles are reduced, access control could become more granular.
Read More: Important Questions To Ask When Choosing Security Camera Installation Company
