Security Sales & Integration February 2022 - 47

friction. And so, we saw an uptake in frictionless
biometrics as well as mobile credentials. "
Businesses were hit hard by the pandemic.
Not only did they see a decline in customers,
but they also had to deal with constantly changing
regulations and protocols. Jeremy Allison,
senior product manager for Paxton, says the
pandemic has put employee and visitor safety
on the radar for all companies. " We've seen a
lot of demand from customers to transition
to touchless credentials and for remote access.
Companies now want to be ready if guidelines
or policies need to change at any time and the
systems they use need to have the features to
provide them with that fl exibility. "
The Rapid Rise of Touchless
Th e industry had been seeing an increased demand
for mobile credentials and the pandemic
has only accelerated their adoption. By utilizing
a smartphone as a credential, the user doesn't
need to worry about coming into contact with
a high-touchpoint surface.
Identiv GM of
Premises Mark Allen adds that another benefi t
is Bluetooth-based mobile credentials can be
more secure than a keycard.
Biometric methods, such as, hand waving,
iris scan and facial recognition readers, are
poised for increased adoption. In fact, OMDIA
says facial recognition readers are expected
to grow by 27% CAGR by 2025. Biometric
access control solutions are quick, accurate
and frictionless.
It is important for integrators to gain an
understanding of their customers' needs and
create awareness of the existence of these
solutions and their benefi ts. Let the customer
know how these solutions can both solve
a current problem and be able to adapt to
changes in the near future.
" Just a simple conversation with the customer
about company policies and how they have
handled the pandemic will help integrators
with which system and features need to be sold.
For example, if the customer states they are now
50% remote/hybrid working. Th is easily opens
up the conversation for mobile credentials and
remote building management, " says Allison.
Utilizing New (and Old) Solutions
Mark Robinton, V.P. IoT services for HID Global,
notes that the pandemic has exacerbated some
already existing challenges in the access control
securitysales.com
market and driven companies to adopt new
technologies sooner than they may have done
without the emergence of the virus. " For example,
organizations have long wanted to know
who and when outside visitors have entered and
exited their facilities for security purposes, but in
the pandemic, it's become increasingly important
to know whom everyone has interacted with
in case of a COVID-19 outbreak. "
Two solutions that have gained attention
over the past two years are people counting and
occupancy monitoring. Th ough these solutions
existed prior to COVID - most commonly
for business intelligence - they are now in demand
to assist in stopping the spread of the virus.
Also gaining more attention and demand is
contact tracing. Let's delve into these solutions.
People Counting/Occupancy Monitoring
When businesses began to reopen following
the initial COVID panic, many were forced
to observe strict occupancy limits. Th ough a
store could assign an employee to stand by the
door with a pen and paper to keep track of how
many people have come and gone, it would be
more effi cient to utilize an automated solution.
Th e right solution can provide peace of mind
for both customers and workers alike. It also
has numerous benefi ts in an offi ce setting.
" People counting and occupancy monitoring
allows end users to better allocate resources,
reduce facility expenses and ensure public
health regulations are being followed by being
able to manage occupancy, understand employee
attendance throughout the facility and
FEBRUARY 2022 Security Sales & Integration 47
Mobile credentials provide
a touch-free access control
experience and can be more
secure than traditional
keycards.
Though innovative
access control
solutions have
seen a swell of
interest due to
the pandemic, it
does not mean
we should expect
that attention
to subside once
things get " back
to normal. "
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