Physical access control technology has been evolving at breakneck speed over the past few years, writes Camilla Kirkham, Director of Sales, Security & AV, at the distributor Nimans.
Much of the innovation in the sector has focused in two areas – on mobile technology and on biometrics, including facial recognition – with leading companies placing bets on which they believe will ultimately come out on top. The growth of mobile credentials is probably unsurprisingly given how ubiquitous smartphones have become, but the growth rates have still been extraordinary. In 2018, growth rates for worldwide annual downloads of mobile credentials surpassed 150 per cent, with nearly 4.1 million downloads. Within just three years, IHS Markit projects that the number of annual downloads will have reached over 120 million.
There are various drivers behind this phenomenon, but the most important is convenience. It is convenient both for the user, who can access their building using their smartphone without needing to carry additional cards/fobs, and for the administrator, who can very easily replace credentials if a phone is lost or stolen. There is also a cost saving associated with not having to supply physical RFID cards to personnel.
Facial recognition: some challenges still
Facial recognition technology initially built its success around identity detection and tracking in high-footfall or public spaces. In recent years, however, we have seen it increasingly used in physical access control, especially in commercial spaces where there may be a high number of users entering and exiting a building throughout the working day. Developments in the technology continue at a brisk pace, so the overall reliability is constantly improving, with less and less false identification or identification bias around race or gender. It is also becoming more and more affordable.
Facial recognition is, however, facing some challenges too, not least regulatory changes governing its use which have recently been made in many territories. Complying with GDPR obligations is a complication too, where people have the right for their personally identifiable information to be deleted or ‘forgotten’.
Is this a battle with only one winner?
Some of the major companies in the sector are focusing their R&D spend on one technology over the other – 2N, for example, in IP access control systems [pictured], has prioritised mobile, with a suite of products in that area – but perhaps the two will continue to thrive, meeting different needs based on their varying strengths. Only time will tell.
