Page 108 - Security Today, November/December 2018

ACCESS CONTROL
SEAMLESS SOLUTION
Cloud platforms for access control are set to transform campus life By Hilding Arrehed
The use of cloud technologies for campus access control has enabled university students, faculty and staff to employ their mobile devices for valuable new experi- ences that range from entering dorm rooms to making cafeteria purchases with a simple tap or twist of their phones. The next step is to make campuses smarter and safer as mobile IDs on smartphones are augmented by other technologies in solutions that can recognize people and customize their work and learning envi- ronment on a more connected campus.
While these other capabilities can be achieved now, they must be implemented on a building-by-building or, at most, campus-by-cam- pus basis, without the full benefit of cloud technologies that have touched so many other aspects of university operations. This all chang- es as mobile identities move towards greater adoption, and when today’s installed base of millions of physical access control system (PACS) readers, controllers, panels and locks, worldwide, are connect- ed to the cloud and IoT, and are married with location services capa- bilities. This will unleash an avalanche of innovation as developers take advantage of a common cloud platform to create data-driven trusted identity solutions that give administrators many exciting new options for improving the campus experience.
PHYSICAL ACCESS CONTROL TRANSFORMATION
The move to cloud-based platforms will ensure identity-aware, seam- less and more consistent campus service delivery and user experiences while improving how identity solutions are delivered. For example, bridging biometrics and access control has been challenging in the past, because it requires a trusted platform designed to meet the con-
cerns of accessibility and data protection in a connected environment. These barriers can be addressed through a secured and connected cloud architecture that can remotely manage all readers and users (including onboarding, template loading and enrollment activities for supported authentication modes).
Cloud platforms will also provide the backbone for universities to more quickly and easily add complementary applications to their access control infrastructure, like secure print, virtual photo ID, and vending, as well as other access control use cases and emerging per- mission-based transaction capabilities yet to be developed. Universi- ties will have greater flexibility to upgrade their security infrastructure, scale it as they grow, improve maintenance and efficiency, and get the most out of their investments. Key to many new cloud-based capabili- ties is a location services platform that delivers high-value data for a host of applications and capabilities.
One of the most valuable benefits of cloud platforms for universities is that they can adopt new, more flexible subscription models which, for instance, enable more easy replenishment of mobile IDs when smartphones get lost or need replacement. These models have the potential to further streamline forecasting, budgeting and reporting while pushing campus mobile credentials from a product-based model to more of a service-based approach. Mobile ID subscription licenses can be transferred across campus users and provide administrators with an opportunity to register multiple mobile IDs across multiple devices without incurring additional cost.
Many universities have already adopted the cloud services model for ID card issuance, giving them the option for hardware, software and other resources to be leased and their costs bundled into a service
24 WWW.CAMPUSLIFESECURITY.COM | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018
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CAMPUS SECURITY & LIFE SAFETY