Employees in London Building Can Use Their iPhone or Apple Watch to Gain Office Access

Smart Spaces, a leading global provider of smart building technology, has teamed with HID to introduce an employee badge in Apple Wallet, offering a secure and even more seamless building entry for employees at 22 Bishopsgate in the City of London. By adding their employee badge to Apple Wallet, employees and staff in the building can now safely and easily gain access to offices with just a simple tap of their iPhone or Apple Watch.

Following the initial partnership between Smart Spaces and 22 Bishopsgate utilizing HID Mobile Access in 2020, all occupiers and guests at the landmark office tower have had access to a frictionless arrival-experience. Multi-platform QR access will remain available to those that require it.

Smart Spaces provides a suite of cutting-edge smart technologies for workspaces. By utilizing HID Mobile Access and building management systems, Smart Spaces constantly adapts to deliver best-in-class experiences to make daily work life more efficient for occupiers, employees, property owners and managers alike, while optimizing sustainability and wellness.

The introduction of employee badge in Wallet, which is one of the first to debut in the UK at 22 Bishopsgate, is the next step in transforming the user experience in a modern workplace.

Unlike physical cards, there is no waiting time for obtaining building credentials, making building access for new employees quick and efficient. Once an employee badge has been added and activated within Apple Wallet, users can hold their device near a door’s NFC-enabled reader to immediately access secured areas.

With Express Mode enabled, employees do not need to unlock or even wake up their device to use their employee badge — they can simply tap their device. If an iPhone or Apple Watch needs to be charged, employees can still use their device to access their office or amenity areas for up to five hours with Power Reserve.

Employee badges in Apple Wallet take full advantage of the privacy and security built into iPhone and Apple Watch. When or where a 22 Bishopsgate employee uses their employee badge in Apple Wallet is never shared with Apple or stored on Apple servers. If their iPhone or Apple Watch is misplaced, the owner of the device can promptly use the Find My app to lock the device and help locate it.

Gerald Grattoni, VP and Head of Physical Access Control Systems for Mature Markets at HID said: “We are happy to continue to bring yet another deployment of employee badge in Apple Wallet. The broad reach and daily touchpoints of digital wallets will truly impact the way we interact with the world, particularly in terms of convenience and security." Dan Drogman, CEO at Smart Spaces, said: “We’re excited to bring this new service to occupiers at 22 Bishopsgate and to be using Apple Wallet to deliver cutting edge and truly innovative solutions for our clients. Evolving workplace trends mean that we need to think creatively about occupier needs and what draws them to the office. Having seamless access to a building through a commonly held Apple device is a game changer and we’re delighted to be one of the first to bring this technology to London offices.”

Featured

  • From Surveillance to Intelligence

    Years ago, it would have been significantly more expensive to run an analytic like that — requiring a custom-built solution with burdensome infrastructure demands — but modern edge devices have made it accessible to everyone. It also saves time, which is a critical factor if a missing child is involved. Video compression technology has played a critical role as well. Over the years, significant advancements have been made in video coding standards — including H.263, MPEG formats, and H.264—alongside compression optimization technologies developed by IP video manufacturers to improve efficiency without sacrificing quality. The open-source AV1 codec developed by the Alliance for Open Media—a consortium including Google, Netflix, Microsoft, Amazon and others — is already the preferred decoder for cloud-based applications, and is quickly becoming the standard for video compression of all types. Read Now

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

New Products

  • 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.

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.