The traditional access card is facing growing competition from mobile credentials and biometric authentication, as organizations seek more convenient ways to manage entry without compromising security.
The traditional access card is facing growing competition from mobile credentials and biometric authentication, as organizations seek more convenient ways to manage entry without compromising security.
The transition is not simply about replacing plastic cards with smartphones. Access control suppliers are increasingly combining different authentication methods, improving protection for sensitive credentials and connecting identity verification with wider security systems.
Executives from Gallagher Security and Suprema say mobile credentials, facial recognition, fingerprint authentication and multi-factor authentication are becoming important elements of modern access control deployments.
The challenge for systems integrators is determining which technologies are appropriate for different environments, particularly where convenience must be balanced against stringent identity verification and cybersecurity requirements.
Mobile credentials gain momentum
One of the most significant developments in access control is growing interest in mobile credentials that can be stored directly on smartphones.
According to Joe Fan, Regional Marketing Manager at Gallagher Security, solutions supporting Apple Wallet and Google Wallet have been attracting attention from organizations seeking alternatives to conventional access cards.
"Mobile credentials have been one of the most significant developments this year, particularly solutions that allow credentials to be stored natively in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet," Fan said.
Organizations are looking to reduce their reliance on physical cards while improving convenience and security, he added.
The appeal lies in allowing users to carry access credentials on devices they already use, rather than requiring a separate physical card. However, adopting mobile credentials does not necessarily eliminate the need for other authentication methods.
In environments requiring higher levels of security, organizations must also consider how reliably a credential establishes that the person requesting entry is authorized.
This is particularly important where shared, cloned or lost access cards can expose facilities to security risks.
Why biometrics remain important
While mobile credentials provide an alternative to physical cards, biometric technologies address a different aspect of access control: verifying the individual requesting entry.
Hanchul Kim, CEO of Suprema, said customers increasingly expect access control technologies to provide stronger identity assurance while maintaining convenience.
"The most important change is not AI alone, but the convergence of edge AI, multi-factor authentication, and device-level cybersecurity," Kim said.
According to Kim, security-sensitive facilities are increasingly adopting authentication methods that combine biometrics, such as facial or fingerprint recognition, with RFID or mobile credentials.
This allows organizations to establish additional verification requirements rather than relying exclusively on possession of a credential.
A facility might, for example, require a mobile credential for routine entry while applying an additional biometric verification requirement to more sensitive areas.
The advantage of this approach is flexibility. Authentication requirements can be configured according to the security needs of individual locations rather than applying an identical method at every entrance.
For systems integrators, specifying access control increasingly involves understanding these different requirements and determining how authentication methods should be combined.
Edge AI strengthens facial authentication
Advances in edge AI are also influencing the capabilities of biometric access control devices. Rather than relying entirely on external processing infrastructure, AI-enabled devices can perform biometric authentication directly at the reader.
Suprema's BioStation 3 Max illustrates this approach. According to Kim, the device uses an AI processor, or neural processing unit, to support facial authentication through deep learning algorithms.
The company says its technology can detect spoofing attempts involving photographs, videos and masks. The device also supports multiple authentication options, including facial recognition, fingerprints, mobile credentials, RFID cards, QR codes and PINs.
This gives organizations the flexibility to implement different combinations of authentication methods according to their access control policies. The inclusion of multiple credential options is particularly relevant for facilities with different user groups or security classifications.
Rather than deploying separate technologies for every requirement, integrators can specify systems that support multiple authentication approaches. However, selecting the appropriate configuration remains important. The availability of several authentication methods does not automatically mean that all deployments provide the same level of security.
Protecting biometric information becomes critical
As biometric authentication becomes more widely used, protecting the information stored and processed by access control devices is another important consideration.
Unlike a conventional access card, biometric authentication involves information associated with a person's physical characteristics.
Kim said customers are placing greater emphasis on safeguards for biometric templates, credentials, encryption keys and communications between devices.
Suprema has responded to these requirements by incorporating hardware-level security measures into its access control products.
BioStation 3 Max, for example, incorporates a CC EAL6+ certified Secure Element intended to protect sensitive information, including biometric templates and encryption keys, from tampering. The distinction between authentication capabilities and the security of the underlying device is important.
A reader may support facial recognition or multi-factor authentication, but its overall suitability also depends on how sensitive information is protected. For systems integrators, cybersecurity considerations therefore extend beyond network connectivity to the hardware responsible for processing and storing authentication data.
Identity becomes part of a connected security environment
Access control is also becoming more closely connected with video surveillance and other physical security technologies. Kim said customers increasingly want to link identities, access events, locations and video information to understand incidents more effectively.
Suprema's BioStar X platform, for example, combines access control and video surveillance functions while supporting integration with third-party systems.
Security operators can monitor access records, live video, site maps and event alerts through a common interface.
Such integration can provide context that authentication records alone cannot deliver.
When an access event occurs, video can help personnel understand the circumstances surrounding it rather than relying exclusively on the credential information recorded by the access control system.
The broader requirement is to connect identity verification with situational awareness and incident response.
Cloud changes credential management
The adoption of cloud-based access control is introducing further changes to how organizations deploy and administer authentication systems. Kim pointed to Suprema's BioStar Air, a cloud-native platform that allows compatible biometric readers to connect directly to cloud infrastructure without traditional on-premise servers.
The approach enables centralized administration of biometric access control across different locations.
For organizations managing multiple facilities, this can simplify the administration of credentials, policies and access events. It also creates opportunities for systems integrators to focus on configuring authentication policies and delivering ongoing services rather than maintaining traditional server infrastructure.
However, the choice of deployment architecture must still account for customer requirements involving cybersecurity, connectivity and data protection.
A more flexible approach to authentication
The direction of access control suggests that mobile credentials and biometrics are likely to serve complementary roles rather than compete as direct replacements. Mobile credentials address convenience and reduce dependence on physical cards, while biometrics can provide an additional means of verifying identity.
Multi-factor authentication allows these capabilities to be combined according to the security requirements of a facility.
For integrators, the central task is no longer simply selecting a reader or credential technology. It involves determining how different authentication methods, device-level protections and management platforms can work together.
As access control becomes more connected and software-driven, the ability to design these authentication policies could become an increasingly important part of delivering effective security systems.