By  Matt Haynes,

European Channel Sales Direct at HID

The convergence of emerging technologies has changed the way individuals navigate workspaces—opening new opportunities for the Proptech industry.

The physical access control industry has been undergoing a transformative shift, driven by the evolution of contactless solutions such as near field communication (NFC) and Bluetooth. These contactless technologies not only dictate how individuals gain physical entry but also expand the scope of what can be protected and how.

The evolution toward digital identities was a logical outcome. What was once inseparable from physical documents – like a driver’s license presented while buying age-restricted items, a passport at the immigration office or an employee badge – is now being executed digitally, powered by cloud-based systems.

With mobile access solutions, for instance, individuals can use their smartphones or wearable devices as digital keys, enabling seamless access to secured areas without the need for physical keys or badges. This approach not only enhances convenience but also enhances security by reducing the risk of lost or stolen credentials.

The Rise of Mobile Identities

As confirmed in the 2024 State of Security and Identity Report, published annually by HID, customers are increasingly interested in using these digital identities from student IDs, employee badges and other corporate credentials. The survey found that two-thirds of organizations (64%) reported some level of mobile ID deployment, with that number expected to increase to 79% within the next five years. Industry partners, including those in the proptech industry, are optimistic in their outlook, stating that a whopping 94% of their customers will have deployed mobile IDs.

One sector that’s rapidly embracing the adoption of digital IDs and mobile credentials is the commercial real estate (CRE) sector.

Known for being early adopters of technologies to improve building efficiencies and tenant experiences, the CRE landscape encompasses a spectrum ranging from managed, multi-tenant properties to corporate headquarters with an array of satellite operations on a global scale. The fact that tenants and end users increasingly demand touchless and seamless access to doors and elevators, as well as intuitive features and amenities that make their journey to and from the office easier prompts mobile adoption even further. In today’s world, where people handle work and personal matters on their smartphones, these devices have become the obvious and convenient choice.

How Proptech can unlock smarter workspaces

To meet these demands, building managers and owners are looking for modern, digitally ready infrastructure that enables robust experiences, mobile adoption across systems, and future-ready, touchless access control.

Modern tenant experience platforms can be integrated with cloud-based credential management technologies, serving as a “single source of truth” for access control, visitor management, building operations (alerts, maintenance requests, broken elevator, etc.), shared asset management (booking shared rooms or spaces), as well as custom experiences like local dining options, yoga schedules, and café specials.

Employee Credentials Go Mobile

The growing trend among CRE customers is mobile-enabled employee badges. Mobile access simplifies access control to buildings and takes the user experience to new levels. Employees can identify themselves to their employers with their smartphone or smartwatch and then gain access to not just their workplace, but also to enabled corporate applications. To use this simple and digital form of authentication, all businesses need is a mobile-enabled reader.

In addition to access control, there are several other applications that can make use of the digital employee ID card, including laptops and workstations, secure printing, special access to restricted areas, charging stations and even parking.

The result is a superior user experience, heightened security and streamlined access.

Final thoughts

As organisations continue to use mobile technology effectively and new situations come up, more individuals will enjoy the convenience it offers. Integrating employee credentials in a digital wallet, for example, is already providing a more secure and smoother experience for building owners and tenants. And this is just the start of what lies ahead.

Additionally, deploying mobile access and virtual credentials removes the need for plastic cards and so spares the carbon footprint associated with their lifecycle. When integrated with a building management platform, it is possible to maintain continuous adjustment of building resources based on occupancy.