Using Smoke Signals in a Digital Age
Where would the world be without innovation and change? Without it, it’s possible we would still be writing letters or using telegraphs to communicate, instead of having constant access to all of our contacts in a small, yet powerful device. In 2018 this is nearly unimaginable, but over a hundred years ago pigeon post and “snail mail” were the only means to communicate over distances and it almost stayed that way. Why? Because of fear. In 1877, when Alexander Graham Bell first came out with his invention, the telephone, people were afraid to use it. They were wary that other individuals could listen in on their telephone conversations, or that the sound waves from the telephone could make you deaf or crazy. However, once the technology was more widely adopted, people began to exclusively use it, because it made connecting easier, more fluid, and convenient.
Over a century later we now have the greatest by-product of the telephone sitting in our pockets, the smartphone. The original fears people had toward the telephone are nearly analogous to how the security industry and consumers feel about mobile access control technology. The fear isn’t unfounded. It mostly stems from the fact that it’s a relatively new and unfamiliar technology that utilizes complex, web-based applications such as cloud computing and IoT devices. Moreover, it also comes from fears about possible exploits of connected systems.
However, several access control innovators have come to realize that with every bit of fear and skepticism there is toward mobile access control there’s a significantly larger amount of improvement and opportunity of which we’ve only scratched the surface.
Today, only 5% of physical security systems utilize mobile key technology. A majority of the other 95% were founded on limited security architecture and hardware that make upgrading a complicated venture. Most of them maintain their original proprietary hardware and software and are nearly impervious to change; often requiring extensive knowledge and a certain degree of manufacturer know-how to install, maintain and operate. Traditional systems also harbor several potential points of exploitation, many of which can be found in their credentials, which are oftentimes easy to copy, misplace, and/or forget. Whereas with mobile access control’s credential, aka the smartphone, our lives are nearly bound to them as they are our main source of communication, information, and financial management; making them highly guarded items. Not to mention the fact that mobile credentials are far more secure and easily replaceable, as system administrators are able to disable compromised credentials and issue users a new mobile key within minutes of being notified.
Moreover, the industry could be missing out on it’s “telephone,” or the one piece of technology that could ignite the kind of growth that is long overdue in physical security.
With more than 95% of Americans, aged 18–44 owning a smartphone, many security companies are overlooking a credential that a majority of their users already own, know how to operate, and would prefer to use.
Additionally, smartphone technology is full of embedded sensors, strong computing power, and built-in wireless communications. Therefore, it’s capable of leveraging a much wider range of peripheral technologies such as M2M integrations, AI, and big data.
With M2M integrations, mobile access control (whether it be in the home, office, or car) can add value and functionality for users; giving them an ecosystem of automated and personalized experiences that go far beyond the door. Additionally, smartphones have the potential to generate a constant flow of data and connectivity. Through the use of AI, systems can better analyze certain data sets to improve efficiency and decision making to create a safer, more convenient process. These are just a few examples of how mobile key applications can contribute to the development of a sophisticated and personalized system that really works for its users. With the tremendous expansion in today’s technology, coupled with the ubiquitous smartphone, we can deliver the kind of physical access control solutions today’s industry and consumers want and need.
Ultimately, history has shown that we can’t let fear hinder progress. With proper wiring and secure lines, the telephone enabled millions to make private calls and became an indispensable tool for the world. Much like the telephone, mobile access control and web-based applications as a whole will become the norm; going from feared to trusted and providing the backbone to stronger, more intuitive solutions. In doing so, we’ll stop using smoke signals in a digital age and create access control that works for users rather than users working to control access.
