Hilding Arrehed

The new year 2019 is brimming with possibilities for the physical security industry, but will those possibilities prove to be good news or bad news for our market? Inevitably, it will be a combination of good and bad, but how much good and how bad? We wanted to check the temperature of the industry as it relates to expectations for the new year, so we asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How optimistic is your outlook for the physical security industry in 2019? Why?

In many regards, 2018 was a turbulent year for the physical security marketplace, driven by evolving technologies and changing customer needs, among other factors. Year-end is a great time to reflect, so we asked our Expert Panel Roundtable: What caused the most disruption in the physical security marketplace in 2018? 

The concept of how security systems can contribute to the broader business goals of a company is not new. It seems we have been talking about benefits of security systems beyond “just” security for more than a decade. Given the expanding role of technologies in the market, including video and access control, at what point is the term “security” too restrictive to accurately describe what our industry does? We asked the Expert Panel Roundtable for their responses to this premise: Is the description “security technology” too narrow given the broader application possibilities of today’s systems? Why?

Using a smart phone as an access control credential is an idea whose time has come – or has it? The flexible uses of smart phones are transforming our lives in multiple ways, and the devices are replacing everything from our alarm clocks to our wallets to our televisions. However, the transformation from using a card to using a mobile credential for access control is far from a no-brainer for many organizations, which obstacles to a fast or easy transition. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: When will mobile credentials dominate access control, and what are the obstacles to greater adoption?

The physical security industry is embracing the cloud in a big way. Cloud-based systems – which involve accessing a shared pool of information technology resources via the Internet – are much higher-profile in the video and access control markets, and large and small companies are getting on the cloud bandwagon. We asked this week's Expert Panel Roundtable: What factors are contributing to growth in cloud systems in the security market?

Among the cloud’s many impacts on the physical security market is a democratization of access control. Less expensive cloud systems are making electronic access control affordable even to smaller companies. cloud-based access control  With the growing cloud-based access control market, integrators can find more opportunities in small businesses and vertical markets that typically wouldn’t be on the radar of their sales team. Large upfront costs for a server, software and annual licensing previously made a typical electronic card access system cost-prohibitive. With cloud access, integrators can offer less expensive upfront costs with low monthly subscription fees that cover all software updates, database backups, security patches and more. The benefit for the integrator is recurring revenue that increases their profitability The benefit for the integrator is recurring revenue. While helping clients save money on server, software and IT infrastructure costs, integrators secure recurring revenue that increases their profitability. Building recurring revenue not only provides cash flow but also keeps a manufacturer’s name on the top of the minds of customers and leads to additional sales. Mobile Access Continued investment in mobile access and cloud technology is essential to meet the access control needs of the booming multi-family housing and shared office-space markets. Managing access control for end users and residents in these verticals is challenging. Use of mechanical keys in these environments is too expensive and time consuming; it’s necessary to deploy wireless, technologically-advanced solutions. Managing access control for end users in different verticals is challenging, thus it’s necessary to deploy wireless, technologically-advanced solutions While the security industry has traditionally been slow to adopt IT technologies, the cloud is the exception. Large IT industry cloud players such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and Google are being used by security industry professionals to provide systems that are easier to install, maintain, and administer and are far more secure and less expensive than a customer can provide on their own. Advancing cloud technology Cloud technologies give people access through their mobile phones and other devices  Enterprise customers increasingly want to be able to use smartphone apps to open doors, authenticate to enterprise data resources or access a building’s applications and services. They seek to create trusted environments within which they can deliver valuable new user experiences; in effect, there is a demand for “digital cohesion.” Cloud technologies are a key piece of the solution. They give people access through their mobile phones and other devices to many new, high-value experiences. At the same time, they help fuel smarter, more data-driven workplace environments. With the arrival of today’s identity- and location-aware building systems that recognize people and use deep learning analytics to customize their office environment, the workplace is undergoing dramatic change. Application programming interfaces Cloud-based platforms and application programming interfaces (APIs) will help bridge biometrics and access control in the enterprise, overcoming previous integration hurdles while providing a trusted platform that meets the concerns of accessibility and data protection in a connected environment. Cloud-based platforms, APIs will help bridge biometrics and access control in the enterprise “A big growth driver for the cloud is demand from enterprises that no longer look at access control simply for securing doors, data and other assets,” says Hilding Arrehed, Vice President of Cloud Services, HID Global, one of our Expert Panelists. “They want to create trusted environments within which they can deliver valuable new experiences to users. Cloud technologies make this possible by enabling people to use mobile devices for new applications and capabilities.”Cloud-based platforms and application programming interfaces (APIs) will help bridge biometrics and access control in the enterprise Cloud-based platforms For example, cloud-based platforms will provide the backbone for quickly adding complementary applications like biometrics, secure print, virtual photo IDs, and vending as well as other access control use cases and emerging permission-based capabilities yet to be developed. “Cloud-based platforms facilitate new managed service models for mobile IDs and secure issuance and will fuel simplified development environments and easy integration into vertical solutions,” says Arrehed. “They have the potential to give organizations greater flexibility to upgrade and scale security infrastructure, improve maintenance and efficiency, and accelerate ROI.”

HID Global, a global provider of trusted identity solutions, announced the availability of its HID Origo cloud platform that opens a brand-new world of opportunities for partners to create more seamless and intuitive workplace experiences that are built on HID’s proven access control infrastructure. The platform combines HID’s technologies for mobile IDs (and location services in the future) with its expansive access control architecture to bring together physical security and a wide range of building applications, services and IoT use cases via a unified cloud experience. Cloud-Based Access Control Technologies “HID Origo lays the foundation for a broad ecosystem of cloud-based access control technologies, products, services and business models that will accelerate workplace innovation; it dramatically increases our partners’ capabilities to create more connected and seamless building experiences for end users,” said Hilding Arrehed, Vice President of Cloud Services, Physical Access Control, with HID Global. “The platform will remove integration barriers between access control systems and smart building applications, and we will continue to expand its value with capabilities that further improve how people securely move through a facility and interact with its services.” Embedding Cloud Connections And IoT Functionality The HID Origo platform embeds cloud connections and IoT functionality as app extensions into mobile devices, HID readers and controllersThe new platform provides an app-based innovation model that delivers a comprehensive suite of integration, enablement, developer tools and services geared towards simplifying how partners and a growing community of new developers and resellers bring access control solutions to market. Rather than requiring that entire solutions be developed and enabled one customer or site at a time, HID Origo will make it possible to develop new applications and integrated solutions for HID’s complete installed base of millions of access control devices and system—all at once. The HID Origo platform embeds cloud connections and IoT functionality as app extensions into mobile devices, HID readers and controllers, and gives developers direct access to this hardware via HID Origo application programming interfaces (APIs) and software developer kits (SDK) already proven through HID’s mobile access solution. Predictive Access Control System Maintenance The subscription billing model offered through HID Origo makes it easier for the company to order and manage mobile IDsThe platform also enables data analytics to be used for new capabilities, including remote reader configuration, predictive access control system maintenance and intent detection for more seamless and personalized workplace experiences. Today, the platform enables subscription-based services, with customers already taking advantage of the model’s simplicity. Examples include a deployment by a world-leading biotechnology company who has been an early adopter of HID Origo subscription services for ordering and managing mobile ID replenishment over the air when employees lose or must replace their smartphones. The company has replaced its traditional access control readers with 2,300 Bluetooth-enabled iCLASS SE readers to support their mixed environment of 12,000 mobile IDs and 40,000 Seos ID cards. The subscription billing model offered through HID Origo makes it easier for the company to order and manage mobile IDs while improving forecasting, budgeting and reporting. It also streamlines transferring mobile ID subscription licenses across employees and registering multiple mobile IDs across multiple devices without any additional cost. 

HID Global, a worldwide provider of trusted identity solutions, was selected by Skanska, one of the world’s project development and construction groups with operations in Europe and North America, to incorporate HID’s mobile solution for secure access to its new office complex in Warsaw. Powered by Seos, HID Mobile Access improves the user experience and increases security throughout the entire building – from the parking lot and elevators to areas with limited access to the public. Located at 173 Solidarności Avenue in Warsaw, the new Spark office complex is not only the new headquarters of Skanska, but a large part of the 70,000 square-meter office building has also been set aside for other tenants. Because the building is intended to be a mixed-tenant space, it was crucial to restrict access to secure areas from unauthorized visitors. Using Smartphones For Access The Spark building was designed to enable mobile access so that employees can now use their smartphones to open doors and enter secure areas. Skanska, with help from system integrator Sharry Europe, created a new system for building occupants that integrates numerous building applications, including HID Mobile Access. As a result, all building applications have been incorporated into an integrated mobile app, which marked an advancement in creating a more streamlined and convenient experience for the users. HID Mobile Access enhances the security for accessing our entire building"   Both Spark building employees and their guests can now move throughout the building with nothing more than a smartphone, without the risk of them gaining access to restricted areas – unless the proper access rights are granted. When users arrive at the door, they simply tap their iOS and Android devices to an iCLASS SE reader using Near-Field Communications (NFC) or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and HID’s ‘twist and go’ feature to gain access from a distance. Any changes to the user’s access rights are remotely managed by the administrator through a cloud-based portal.  Integrating All Building Applications Into One “HID Mobile Access enhances the security for accessing our entire building. In one application, we have integrated all building applications, such as parking, virtual reception and other Internet of Things functionality, bringing the whole user experience to a new level,” said Renata Nowakowska, Innovation Manager at Skanska. “One of the most pressing objectives for facility managers in smart buildings is to crack the code on how to enable as many building applications and services on mobile devices as possible in order to simplify how occupants move through a facility and interact with building services,” said Hilding Arrehed, Vice President of Cloud Services, Physical Access Control. “Skanska’s integration of HID Mobile Access into their mobile platform is a perfect example of how organizations are leveraging the power of mobile credentials and the cloud to realize the full potential of creating a connected and more intuitive experience for their users, while increasing security at the same time.”  

HID Global, worldwide supplier of trusted identity solutions has announced that its award-winning HID Mobile Access solution is one of the industry’s first mobile access offerings to be ISO 27001 certified. A widely-known and accepted international security standard, ISO 27001 serves as an information security management systems framework that specifies security best practices, establishes controls to manage risk and protects data.  HID Mobile Access “Being a pioneer of ISO 27001 certification for using mobile devices to open doors is part of the move towards mainstream adoption of HID Mobile Access,” said Hilding Arrehed, Vice President of Cloud Services, Physical Access Control Solutions with HID Global. “This prestigious certification is evidence of HID’s ongoing commitment to achieving the high standards of information security for our cloud-based services.” HID has already been leading the industry in technology development and deployments for mobile access, powered by Seos credential technology. With the ISO certification, HID is at the forefront in standards compliance, too. Integrate Access Control Users can rely on HID Mobile Access to securely access doors, gates, enterprise resources and more with their smartphone, tablet, wearable or other mobile device. Plus, the solution is a linchpin for organizations seeking to integrate access control into smart building technologies and services in order to create more convenient, intuitive experiences for users. ISO 27001 is performed by independent third-party auditors. Achieving the accredited certification provides independent, expert validation that HID maintains the confidentiality, integrity and availability of customers data in accordance with international, industry-leading security practices. ISO 27001 is supported by its code of practice for information security management, ISO/IEC 27002:2013.