Employees at Vodafone New Zealand can now physically access the workplace using just their smartphone – thanks to a partnership with HID Global to pilot the company's mobile access solution.
HID Global's mobile access innovation is secure and cost-effective, and lets employees open doors with a simple wave of their smartphone. It is based on ASSA ABLOY's Seos technology for digital keys on smartphones to open doors to commercial buildings, homes, hotels and more.
Using contactless Near Field Communication (NFC) or Bluetooth Smart, the HID Mobile Access® app on the smartphone functions as a swipe card.
Grant Hopkins, Vodafone's New Zealand Head of Enterprise, says 30 employees have tested the app at Vodafone's Viaduct office in Auckland and enjoy being able to open doors with style.
“Mobile access is an easy and secure way for Vodafone to manage staff access and delivers a new level of convenience for employees,” he says. “People are much less likely to forget their phone, and ultimately this reduces the costs around access cards – many of which are lost and can be expensive to replace.
“This forward-looking technology also allows remote provision access for third-party contractors, meaning they don't need a swipe card and we can disable access when it's no longer required. The user needs to know the phone has access capability, the phone's passcode and know how to activate the key – so physical security is better than a traditional swipe card.
“This is a further advance in the industry mobile wallet project – transferring the contents of your wallet and handbag to your smartphone.”
Debra Spitler, HID Global Strategic Alliances Vice President, says: “Our latest mobile access innovation is based on open standards, allowing it to evolve with the mobile industry in response to future trends and user habits.”