HID Mobile Access Solution provides access control system for CafeX offices globally

CafeX Communications, headquartered in New York City, was founded in 2013 and employs approximately 150 staff. The company develops software that helps enterprises transform real-time digital engagement via the Web and mobile applications.

Many top global banks, insurers and other industry leaders use CafeX’s technology to help employees collaborate with customers, partners and colleagues more easily and effectively. The company has offices in the UK and United States. CafeX was seeking to modernise its existing card-based access control system across multiple sites and offices.

Key selection criteria included

• Centralised mobile access control solution enabled on smartphones and wearables for its international office locations.
• Scalable and easy to install.
• Speedy issuance of employee and visitor digital IDs.
• Mobile access control solution capable of allowing for multiple applications in the future.

HID Global was selected based on these stringent criteria and its best-in-class advanced mobile access control solutions.

HID Mobile Access

In 2016, CafeX implemented HID Mobile Access that has enabled employees to easily and securely open doors using their smartphones or wearable devices, such as the Apple Watch, in their office in the UK in Cardiff and their US offices in New York and Boston.

Employees use HID Global’s patented ‘twist and go’ feature or simply tap their smartphone on the HID Global readers that were already installed, to access the building or other sensitive entrances within the offices. HID Global collaborated with regional experts, Controlsoft, a HID Global platinum partner in the UK and US, to meet CafeX’s requirements.

“HID Global’s mobile access control solution was easy to deploy and to integrate into CafeX’s credentials management platform. The readers are simple to configure, which made it possible for us to provide CafeX with an identity and access management solution very speedily,” said Jonathan Summers, Managing Director with Controlsoft.

Centralised digital ID credential issuance

The installation on the UK site in Cardiff was very quick and took less than a day to complete, with minimal disruption to the day-to-day functions of the CafeX teams. This was followed by installation for their offices in New York and Boston that was also very easy and simple.

With the mobile access control solution centralised in Cardiff, the CafeX IT team can easily issue digital ID credentials to staff in offices both in the UK and US. By downloading the HID Global mobile access app, which holds the digital credential, employee and visitors passes can be issued within minutes.

Convenient mobile access control solution

CafeX is now able to offer its employees and visitors a secure and convenient mobile access control solution that integrates into their everyday lifestyles in the workplace. Today, everyone in the workforce has a smartphone or a smart device. The ability to use this solution instead of card technology has resulted in positive experiences and feedback on how satisfied employees and visitors are with this new innovative, hassle-free access control solution. It has resulted in employees citing the ‘cool factor’ for access control. Being able to use wearables such as the Apple Watch to enter the CafeX offices has bolstered this further.

It has boosted CafeX ’s credibility with its financial customers who visit the offices frequently by issuing visitor passes in a sleek and professional manner with advanced technological capabilities. Furthermore, it has helped CafeX meet compliance requirements of its financial services customers and other Global 2000 companies, which typically require tight security around any sensitive data.

Reduced administration costs

Kevin Glass, Chief Innovation Officer with CafeX said, “Thanks to HID Global, we have been able to offer the very latest mobile access control technology to our employees and visitors. It has resulted in our employees and customers having an enriched customer experience that they are finding very convenient and innovative.”

It has allowed the company to adhere to access control policies globally and streamline its business processes, thereby reducing administration costs and saving money. This is because it is very simple to issue, manage and revoke Mobile IDs to smartphones and wearables.

“HID Global’s secure access control solutions are regarded as the best and most well respected in the industry. Our financial customers are very happy to know we have implemented HID Global’s access control solutions. We have already recommended HID Global to a number of our clients given our high level of satisfaction,” said Kevin Glass, Chief Innovation Officer with CafeX.