HID Global, Vanderbilt University Pilot Uses Mobile Access Control Featuring Bluetooth Smart Technology

  • Oct 06, 2014

HID Global recently announced completion of an access control pilot at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., that has validated the use of smartphones as a convenient and compelling new way to open doors with a “tap” or using the company’s patented “Twist and Go” gesture technology for opening doors and gates from a distance. The pilot was implemented using the company’s HID Mobile Access solution that supports Bluetooth Smart and includes Mobile IDs, Mobile Apps, mobile-enabled iCLASS SE readers, and its HID Secure Identity Services portal for provisioning and revoking Mobile IDs to a variety of Apple and Android mobile devices.

Vanderbilt University has earned many distinctions including Princeton Review’s top ranking for colleges with the happiest students, and the HID Mobile Access pilot is considered to be ground-breaking and will further enhance the campus experience. There were approximately 15 participants in the pilot that used their smartphones to open doors at one or more of six possible campus entry points, including one parking garage. Entry points were equipped with mobile-enabled iCLASS SE readers that were configured to work with existing iCLASSâ smart cards as well as HID Global’s Mobile IDs.

“A critical element of HID Mobile Access is its ease of issuing, managing and revoking Mobile IDs to smartphones, and the pilot results reflect our achievement in creating a user-friendly experience for customers via our HID Secure Identity Services portal, said Anthony Ball, senior vice president, Identity Access Management with HID Global. “The university provided positive feedback on the Mobile ID issuance process, citing that the portal made it fairly straightforward and provisioning was fast and easy. The university’s system administrators particularly liked how they could see the status of the invitation and each device all the way through the registration and provisioning process.”

Vanderbilt University uses CBORD’s CS Access™ solution with integrated VertX® access control panels from HID Global. CS Access is a fully integrated component of the CS Gold® campus card solution in use on campus. No changes were required to the CBORD system to facilitate the use of Mobile IDs on smartphones for access. Participants used their own smartphones in the pilot to include Apple iPhone 4S, 5, 5C and 5S devices and Android-based Samsung Galaxy S4 and Mini 3S handsets.

“Vanderbilt University is a long-time CBORD client with a very innovative campus card and integrated security program,” said Max Steinhardt, CBORD President. “Bluetooth Smart is a powerful new technology making the student experience more convenient and secure. We’re really pleased to partner with Vanderbilt and HID Global in this exciting pilot program to further demonstrate the value of mobile credentials in the university environment.”

In a survey of Vanderbilt pilot participants, respondents cited convenience as the top attribute of HID Mobile Access, since their smartphones are always with them and they are less likely to lose them as compared to their access card. Respondents further pointed out the benefit of using their phone as a backup in cases where their cards were lost or stolen. Pilot participants indicated they absolutely loved using HID Global’s “Twist and Go” gesture technology to open the garage parking gate as they drove up to the reader, including the convenience of not even having to roll down their window as they approached. In addition, they validated the efficiency and simplicity of installing and registering the HID Mobile App, citing that it required five minutes or less to complete the process, and it was a self-explanatory and intuitive experience. Respondents also stated that HID Mobile Access is an innovative alternative to access cards.

For new buildings, Vanderbilt University will install iCLASS SE readers so they can leverage the valuable new capabilities of mobile access in the future, while still retaining interoperability with legacy card technologies.

Featured

  • Report: 47 Percent of Security Service Providers Are Not Yet Using AI or Automation Tools

    Trackforce, a provider of security workforce management platforms, today announced the launch of its 2025 Physical Security Operations Benchmark Report, an industry-first study that benchmarks both private security service providers and corporate security teams side by side. Based on a survey of over 300 security professionals across the globe, the report provides a comprehensive look at the state of physical security operations. Read Now

    • Guard Services

  • Identity Governance at the Crossroads of Complexity and Scale

    Modern enterprises are grappling with an increasing number of identities, both human and machine, across an ever-growing number of systems. They must also deal with increased operational demands, including faster onboarding, more scalable models, and tighter security enforcement. Navigating these ever-growing challenges with speed and accuracy requires a new approach to identity governance that is built for the future enterprise. Read Now

  • Eagle Eye Networks Launches AI Camera Gun Detection

    Eagle Eye Networks, a provider of cloud video surveillance, recently introduced Eagle Eye Gun Detection, a new layer of protection for schools and businesses that works with existing security cameras and infrastructure. Eagle Eye Networks is the first to build gun detection into its platform. Read Now

  • Report: AI is Supercharging Old-School Cybercriminal Tactics

    AI isn’t just transforming how we work. It’s reshaping how cybercriminals attack, with threat actors exploiting AI to mass produce malicious code loaders, steal browser credentials and accelerate cloud attacks, according to a new report from Elastic. Read Now

  • Pragmatism, Productivity, and the Push for Accountability in 2025-2026

    Every year, the security industry debates whether artificial intelligence is a disruption, an enabler, or a distraction. By 2025, that conversation matured, where AI became a working dimension in physical identity and access management (PIAM) programs. Observations from 2025 highlight this turning point in AI’s role in access control and define how security leaders are being distinguished based on how they apply it. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.