Key Takeaways
- Mobile credentials allow smartphones and wearables to replace plastic cards, offering seamless, touchless access.
- Biometric access control systems, using fingerprints, facial recognition, and iris scans, ensure high security and authentication accuracy.
- Touchless systems are more secure and efficient than traditional methods, reducing the risk of credential theft and improving user experience.
- The adoption of mobile credentials and biometrics is growing rapidly across industries, offering cost savings and reducing security breaches.
- Future advancements in AI and hardware miniaturization will further enhance biometric systems, making them more reliable and accessible.
As technology evolves, security systems are embracing more advanced and convenient solutions. The shift from traditional keys and cards to mobile credentials and biometric access control is transforming the way buildings manage entry. Mobile credentials turn smartphones into digital keys, while biometric systems verify identities through unique physical characteristics like fingerprints and facial geometry. These innovations offer enhanced security, reduced operational costs, and a frictionless user experience. This article explores the rise of mobile credentials and biometrics in access control, examining their benefits, applications, and the future of touchless entry systems.
What Are Mobile Credentials and Biometrics?
Modern security systems have moved beyond keys and cards. Today's touchless access solutions rely on two core technologies: mobile credentials and biometrics. Understanding how each works helps facility managers choose the right approach for their buildings.
How Do Mobile Credentials Work in Access Control Systems?
Mobile credentials turn smartphones and wearables into digital keys, eliminating plastic proximity cards. Two protocols make this possible. Near Field Communication (NFC) delivers instant, tap-based access—just hold your phone near the reader. Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE) enables hands-free "twist-and-go" entry from several feet away.
Security comes built in. Credentials stored in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet use the device's hardware-isolated Secure Element—the same chip protecting your payment cards. This architecture provides multi-factor authentication by default since accessing the credentials requires your PIN, fingerprint, or face. Most HID readers sold since 2018 already support these protocols, making infrastructure upgrades straightforward for existing buildings.
What Are Biometrics and How Do They Improve Security?
Biometric access control verifies identity through unique physical characteristics: fingerprints, facial geometry, or iris patterns. You become the credential—nothing to lose, forget, or share.
Accuracy has reached remarkable levels. The FBI's Next Generation Identification system improved fingerprint matching from 92% to over 99.6%. Iris scanning exceeds 99.9% accuracy. Multimodal facial recognition achieves 98.35% accuracy with a false acceptance rate of just 0.01%. These numbers explain why the global biometric market is projected to grow from $36.57 billion in 2024 to $113.22 billion by 2032—a 15.2% compound annual growth rate.
How Do These Technologies Differ from Traditional Access Methods?
Keyless entry systems outperform traditional methods across every metric that matters. Keys and cards offer low-to-medium security, require constant replacement, and demand physical contact. Mobile credentials deliver very high security, minimal maintenance, and complete touchless operation.
The vulnerability gap is significant. Traditional cards can be cloned, stolen, or shared without detection. Mobile credentials resist these attacks—they're encrypted, biometric-protected, and tied to specific devices. The operational math also favors modern systems. Commercial rekeying still costs $20–$45 per lock in 2025. With mobile credentials, revoking access takes seconds and costs nothing. For facilities managing hundreds of doors and thousands of users, the difference adds up fast.
How Are Mobile Credentials and Biometrics Revolutionizing Access Control?
The shift to touchless access isn't incremental—it's transformational. Organizations across every sector are discovering that mobile credentials and biometrics deliver better security while making daily entry faster and simpler. This combination is reshaping expectations for what access control should feel like.
How Do Touchless and Keyless Systems Enhance User Experience?
Touchless systems remove friction from building entry. No fumbling for cards. No forgotten badges. Just walk up and go.
Class A office buildings now embrace NFC wallet passes as a premium amenity that attracts tenants. Charter Hall demonstrated this at scale, deploying HID Mobile Access for approximately 4,000 tenants and employees across a high-traffic commercial precinct. The result: seamless entry without compromising security. Twenty percent of organizations now view touchless technologies as the most impactful improvement for physical access control. Beyond convenience, keyless entry systems eliminate manual operation and physical barriers—aligning with U.S. Access Board accessibility guidelines (36 CFR 1191) and making buildings more inclusive.
What Role Does Mobile Technology Play in Modern Access Control?
Mobile credentials have moved from novelty to necessity. The global mobile authentication market hit $3.03 billion in 2025 and is growing at 25.16% annually—one of the fastest expansion rates in physical security.
Adoption numbers tell the story. Thirty-nine percent of organizations actively use mobile identities today, up from 32% in 2022. Sixty-one percent of security leaders identify mobile credential proliferation as a top trend, with nearly two-thirds planning deployment. Higher education leads with up to 50% adoption. Enterprise players are moving too—BNY Mellon implemented employee badges in Apple Wallet for secure global office entry. Modern security systems increasingly treat the smartphone as the default credential.
How Are Biometrics Enhancing Security in Access Control Systems?
Biometric access control solves a fundamental problem: traditional credentials verify what you have, not who you are. Biometrics grant access to the person, offering assurance that keycards simply cannot match.
The market reflects this advantage. Biometric authentication captured 32.70% of the global passwordless authentication market in 2024. Multimodal biometrics—combining multiple identification methods—grew 6% that same year as organizations layered defenses against sophisticated spoofing attacks. Hardware keeps advancing. IDEMIA's MorphoWave XP2 contactless fingerprint scanner identifies four fingerprints in under one second. Facial recognition systems now incorporate 3D mapping, blood flow analysis, and neural networks for liveness detection. These technologies don't just verify identity—they confirm the person is physically present.
What Are the Benefits of Mobile Credentials and Biometrics for Businesses?
Beyond security upgrades, mobile credentials and biometrics deliver measurable business value. Organizations implementing these technologies see reduced breach risk, lower operating costs, and streamlined operations. The ROI case has never been stronger.
How Do These Technologies Reduce Security Risks Like Credential Theft?
Mobile credentials provide multi-factor authentication by default. Accessing the credential requires a PIN, fingerprint, or facial recognition—layers that traditional cards lack entirely.
The security gains are dramatic. Microsoft research shows MFA reduces account compromise risk by 99.2%. Passwordless authentication pushes that figure to 99.9% compared to password-based systems. For physical access specifically, mobile credentials cut security breaches by 65% versus traditional cards. Facial recognition achieves an 80% reduction. Multi-modal biometrics—combining multiple verification methods—deliver 92% fewer breaches. Yet only 1% of MFA users currently rely on biometric methods, signaling massive untapped potential for organizations ready to adopt biometric access control.
What Cost Savings Can Businesses Achieve with Touchless Access Solutions?
Touchless access systems pay for themselves. Premium access control implementations yield annual savings between $14,500 and $45,500 for the average enterprise.
The math works across every technology category. Mobile credentials deliver 30–50% cost savings over five years by eliminating card printing, distribution, and replacement expenses. Facial recognition systems achieve 40–60% savings through loss prevention alone, with ROI timelines of two to three years in retail environments. One 2023 retail case study documented a 50% reduction in theft-related losses with a payback under three years. Fingerprint biometrics offer 25–40% savings with a three-to-four-year ROI. Modern security systems cost more upfront but consistently outperform traditional alternatives over time.
How Do These Systems Improve Efficiency and Productivity?
Operational efficiency multiplies when credential management goes digital. Mobile credentials enable centralized, remote administration across global facilities—no shipping cards, no local programming, no waiting.
The efficiency benefits extend beyond IT. Eliminating plastic cards aligns with Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) policies, satisfying stakeholders and reducing waste. Compliance costs drop when audit trails become automatic. The technology sector leads here with 87% MFA adoption, setting the benchmark other industries are now following. Keyless entry systems don't just secure buildings—they streamline the entire access management workflow.
How Do Mobile Credentials and Biometrics Integrate with Other Security Systems?
Standalone access control is no longer enough. Today's modern security systems connect physical access with video surveillance, cybersecurity platforms, and cloud infrastructure. This integration transforms individual components into a unified security ecosystem that's smarter and more responsive.
How Can Integration with Video Surveillance Systems Strengthen Security?
The convergence of Physical Access Control Systems (PACS) and cybersecurity addresses a growing threat: cyber-physical attacks. When access control talks to other systems, security teams see the complete picture.
Cross-referencing access data with cybersecurity logs enables detection of insider threats that either system would miss alone. AI and machine learning take this further—analyzing access patterns, flagging anomalies, and triggering automated responses before incidents escalate. The industry recognizes this direction. Suprema won dual awards in 2025 for its AI-powered solutions, the BioEntry W3 and BioStar Air, validating that intelligent integration represents the future of biometric access control.
What Are the Challenges and Benefits of System Integration?
Integration demands interoperability. The Open Supervised Device Protocol (OSDP) solves this by ensuring readers and controllers from different vendors communicate seamlessly.
OSDP brings security benefits beyond compatibility. It mandates Secure Channel Protocol using AES-128 encryption for all communication between readers and control panels. Bidirectional data flow enables continuous monitoring and instant tamper detection—capabilities older protocols lack entirely. The primary challenge remains transitioning from legacy on-premise solutions to modern architectures. Many organizations run aging infrastructure that predates current standards. Planning migration paths takes time, but the security and operational gains justify the effort for touchless access deployments.
How Do Cloud-Based Solutions Enable Seamless Integration?
Cloud platforms unlock the full potential of mobile credentials and biometrics. They enable flexible, scalable credential provisioning across any number of locations—no on-site servers required.
The market trajectory confirms this shift. Global access control spending will grow from $10.62 billion in 2025 to $15.80 billion by 2030, with cloud solutions capturing increasing share. Emerging technologies accelerate the possibilities. Ultra-Wideband (UWB) is expected to enable high-precision access applications by 2025–2026, offering location accuracy within centimeters. 5G Advanced brings enhanced security and privacy features that strengthen the network backbone for keyless entry systems. Together, these technologies make cloud-based integration not just viable but superior to traditional approaches.
What Are the Challenges and Considerations for Implementing Mobile Credentials and Biometrics?
No technology deployment comes without obstacles. Mobile credentials and biometrics introduce specific challenges around privacy regulations, upfront costs, and user acceptance. Understanding these hurdles upfront enables smarter planning and smoother rollouts.
How Can Businesses Overcome Privacy and Data Security Concerns?
Biometric access control operates in an increasingly complex regulatory environment. Over 20 U.S. states have enacted or proposed biometric privacy laws as of 2025, creating compliance headaches for national organizations managing facilities across multiple jurisdictions.
Illinois BIPA remains the most consequential. The 2023 Cothron v. White Castle ruling determined each biometric scan constitutes a separate violation—triggering a litigation surge that caught many organizations off guard. Amendments in 2024–2025 aimed to make compliance more practical while preserving privacy protections. Healthcare faces additional scrutiny: HIPAA 2025 updates place healthcare facility access controls "center stage," demanding tighter policies on who accesses systems, when, and how. Organizations deploying in Europe must ensure mobile access applications comply with the European Accessibility Act by meeting WCAG 2.2 AA standards. Success requires treating compliance as a design requirement, not an afterthought.
What Are the Potential Costs of Implementing Touchless Systems?
Touchless access requires meaningful upfront investment. Understanding the cost ranges helps organizations budget realistically and select appropriate technologies.
Mobile credential deployments run $50,000–$200,000 for reader upgrades, with annual operating costs of $5,000–$15,000. Fingerprint biometrics offer a mid-range option: $30,000–$150,000 initial investment and $10,000–$25,000 annually. Facial recognition systems cost $100,000–$500,000 upfront with $20,000–$50,000 in yearly expenses. Iris scanning sits at the premium tier—$150,000–$600,000 initial plus $30,000–$70,000 annual costs—though ROI typically arrives within four to six years. Traditional card-based systems appear cheaper at $20,000–$80,000 initial, but annual card replacement and administration costs of $15,000–$40,000 erode that advantage over time.
How Can Organizations Ensure Smooth User Adoption of These Systems?
Technology only works if people use it. Keyless entry systems require thoughtful change management to achieve full adoption.
Some assumptions deserve scrutiny. Mobile phones used by healthcare workers show bacterial contamination rates of 81.13%—meaning smartphones can themselves become contamination vectors, partially contradicting hygiene benefit claims for modern security systems. Organizations must weigh these nuances honestly. User convenience and cost often take priority over maximum security, which isn't necessarily wrong—it's a business decision. The most successful implementations balance technological capability with regulatory compliance and genuine user needs. Training, clear communication, and phased rollouts help smooth the transition from familiar systems to new ones.
What Does the Future Hold for Mobile Credentials and Biometrics in Access Control?
The trajectory is clear: touchless access will become the default, not the exception. Artificial intelligence, hardware miniaturization, and regulatory momentum are accelerating adoption across every sector. Organizations planning security investments today must anticipate where these technologies are heading.
How Will Advancements in AI and Machine Learning Influence These Technologies?
AI is transforming biometric access control from static verification to dynamic, intelligent security. AI agents are rapidly being adopted to enhance operations across access control, identity management, and video surveillance platforms simultaneously.
The practical benefits are already visible. AI and machine learning improve biometric data processing in touchless fingerprint systems, overcoming persistent challenges with distortion and variable lighting. Healthcare leads in demonstrating what's possible—2025 workforce solutions showcase biometric-enabled Identity and Access Management (IAM 2.0) that combines continuous authentication with Zero Trust policy enforcement. Users aren't verified once at the door; they're validated throughout their session. Modern security systems in 2025 offer enhanced protection, greater efficiency, and improved user convenience—all driven by AI working behind the scenes.
What Innovations Are on the Horizon for Mobile Credentials and Biometrics?
Hardware advances are making keyless entry systems faster, smaller, and more reliable. Qualcomm's 3D Sonic Sensor Gen 3 promises quicker unlock times and improved accuracy for ultrasonic fingerprint readers. The broader shift toward ultrasonic and touchless fingerprint systems addresses longstanding concerns about sensor contamination and latent print interference.
Market projections reflect the momentum. The global touchless sensing market will grow from $9.55 billion in 2025 to $33.08 billion by 2033—a 16.8% CAGR. Contactless biometrics specifically are projected at a 17.1% CAGR through 2030. Iris recognition, once limited to high-security government applications, is trending toward hardware miniaturization as the market approaches $5–6 billion with 15–20% annual growth. These technologies are moving from specialized deployments to mainstream adoption.
How Will These Technologies Shape the Future of Building Security?
Mobile credentials and biometrics are becoming infrastructure standards, not optional upgrades. The physical access control market will grow from $15.1 billion in 2024 to $21.3 billion by 2030. Smart locks alone will reach $4.04 billion by 2026.
Government adoption signals where commercial security is heading. The DHS Final Rule, effective December 26, 2025, advances the Biometric Entry/Exit Program, authorizing broader biometric use at borders. U.S. Customs and Border Protection continues expanding its iris recognition deployment. The FIDO Alliance released updated guidance in March 2025 for federal agency deployment of passwordless authentication. The government biometrics market reached $20.8 billion in 2024. When federal agencies standardize on these technologies, enterprise and commercial adoption accelerate. Touchless access isn't the future of building security—it's becoming the present.
The Future of Secure Access is Now
Mobile credentials and biometric access control are rapidly becoming the standard in modern security systems, offering unparalleled convenience, security, and cost efficiency. As businesses continue to adopt these touchless solutions, the future of building access is evolving towards seamless and frictionless experiences.
At Action 1st, we are committed to helping organizations integrate these cutting-edge systems into their facilities. Reach out to us today to explore how we can enhance your security solutions with mobile credentials and biometric access control systems.
