Authenticating physical access
The smartphone is also likely to be used increasingly to validate physical access into buildings. Buildings that use card readers to permit or prohibit access often use Near-field communications (NFC) to exchange information between the gate and the card. The first smartphones to incorporate NFC were launched in 2011 and as of 2024,24 this capability is likely to be ubiquitous. As such, smartphones could substitute for access cards. Alternatively, Bluetooth could be used to communicate with the reader. With hardware and software upgrades (of a complexity and cost that varies by company), existing gates could be ready to work with smartphones.
The proportion of businesses whose premises are mobile-ready has been growing steadily. According to one survey of businesses in North America, EMEA, and Asia Pacific, 24% were mobile-capable in 2022, up from 16% in 2020, and a further 42% were planning to upgrade.25
This migration to smartphones could save on operational costs, address risks as well as reduce environmental impacts. Smartphone-based entry passes can be distributed via app downloads. They can also be canceled remotely via over-the-air instruction. Businesses around the world are likely to have teams dedicated to the allocation of physical cards to staff and visitors and temporary cards to replace forgotten cards in 2024. A phone-based approach would still require oversight and could enable some staff to be re-assigned from their current repetitive role of handing out entry cards.
There will likely be debates on the risks of migrating to smartphone-based entry this year. One benefit of the ID card in most buildings is visible identity; however, in some offices ID cards are often pocketed and identity checks are not often commonplace. ID cards may also be stolen, enabling bad actors to gain access to a building if there is lax security. By contrast, a smartphone’s biometric authentication could be used to provide further validation prior to tapping the phone on the reader, like the process for making a payment or entering the subway. Additionally, individuals may leave their ID card at home or elsewhere (including public venues) but may be more vigilant about their smartphones because of their utility.
The sustainability dividend from migrating to mobile may be significant. The traditional, legacy method of validating access to buildings is via photo identity cards housed in lanyards. There are 3.4 billion people in the global workforce.26 If only half of these are issued a lanyard, that implies almost two billion lanyards, some of which may end up landfill. There are also multiple temporary ID cards issued for events. The Fira Barcelona hosts 2.5 million visitors each year;27 the Las Vegas Convention Center has two million visitors.28 Some shows are already migrating to smartphone-based digital access passes, including the Mobile World Congress at the Fira Barcelona, saving on the need to manufacture and subsequently dispose of physical passes and lanyards, and on the need to dedicate staff to issue them.29
Smartphone access passes could also be used for other functions, such as payment at vending machines, access to printing machines, and checking in to events, such as university lectures, or conference sessions. In the United States, there were 53 universities that had adopted smartphone passes as of September 2022.30
As well as authenticating access to commercial premises, over time smartphones may also be used more commonly to permit entry into private homes. One benefit of this would be the ability to send keys to guests on a time-limited basis.31