HID - Experts & Thought Leaders

Enhancing enterprise security is high on the list of priorities for businesses across sectors. Within the retail industry, there is an additional focus on enabling new ways of working through management tools. Integrated solutions and applications help to create a robust security landscape and ensure a future-ready posture as organisations look to address emerging risks and create better experiences for next-gen employees. Physical access control (i.e., the readers on the door and the credentials that individuals present to them for authentication) is not only one of the first interactions employees have with security technology but is also the first line of defence in security programs. Good user experience The balance of a good user experience and strong security is critical, though striking that balance has been a challenge historically as security teams are tasked with prioritising safety and protection. Innovative companies who want to go beyond traditional access control have found the balance of a frictionless user experience and strong security in mobile access solutions. Żabka is one of the largest European retail companies with 7000 locations across Poland Żabka is one of the largest European retail companies with 7000 locations across Poland and the Czech Republic. Innovation is in its DNA and the organisation is known as an early adopter. From introducing AI to create an autonomous and checkout-free shopping experience to launching a cloud-based platform to better the franchise management process, Żabka has actively embraced continuous change and improvement. When implementing security for its new headquarters in Poznań, Poland, Żabka returned to its pioneering roots, requiring a highly secure, automated solution that enabled the integration of custom applications and simplified the use of other building-wide office functionalities. Physical security components Żabka’s vision included seamless access starting at building entrances with employees using their mobile phones to ‘badge’ into the building. From there, the same mobile credential would unlock turnstiles, authenticate floor access in elevators, track time and attendance and release documents at shared printers. Most importantly, user data would need to be secured via encryption and authentication through appropriate access keys with the introduction of new users being completely under Żabka’s control. The implementation of an ecosystem with multiple capabilities — including a migration from plastic cards to mobile identities, surveillance tools, access management, and physical security components to underpin the entire solution — also necessitated collaboration between partners who shared Żabka’s spirit of modernisation and vision for a seamless user experience. Traditional plastic credentials Żabka’s comprehensive ecosystem utilises digital access control processes The project team included HID Global who managed the transition from traditional plastic credentials to mobile identities, with Zonifero to develop a custom mobile app, and Cynergy to complete the installation of hardware and embedded components. Żabka’s comprehensive ecosystem utilises digital access control processes and integrated surveillance tools with a security management platform enabling Żabka to migrate completely to the use of mobile identities. The move to HID Mobile Access has changed the experience of employees, visitors, HR, and security administrators by accelerating and automating access control management for the entire building. Integrated surveillance tools Mobile identities, contactless employee onboarding, touchless visitor management, time and attendance, and integration with the security system of the entire building are now aggregated and facilitated within the smartphone app. Security administrators remotely managed a pool of allocated mobile identities The ability to manage the access control system from anywhere with no physical contact was especially valuable. Launched amid the pandemic, the new infrastructure enabled Żabka employees to maintain social distancing and limit contact through automatic and remote activation of access. Security administrators remotely managed a pool of allocated mobile identities and individual access to users’ devices, thereby solving the problem of storing physical cards, facilitating credential transfers, issuing new credentials in the case of lost or damaged ones, and deactivating cards in the event they were lost or stolen. Mobile identity functionalities Żabka implemented mobile access on a large scale with mobile IDs in use by about 800 employees. The retailer also plans to implement further mobile identity functionalities, such as opening parking lot gates, making cafeteria purchases, and seamlessly logging in to computers. Steve is responsible for leading and coordinating demand generation programs and channel marketing activities for HID's Physical Access Control Solutions (PACS) business area in Europe. He has over 20 years of experience working in B2B marketing, 15 of which have been in the safety and security industries.

Founded in 2010, Avolon is the third-largest aircraft leasing company in the world with 824 aircraft and 145 customers in 62 countries. Its new global headquarters in Dublin is comprised of 6,967 sq m (75,000 sq ft) of secure office space across six floors that houses its IT, catering, legal, and communications departments. Need for a centralised monitoring solution Avolon’s new premises in the upmarket Ballsbridge area of Dublin provided an opportunity for the company to rethink its approach to building security. Avolon was looking for an innovative, flexible solution that could be personalised to individuals, easily accessed, and managed remotely. Additional requirements included: the need to provide different levels of security clearance in different areas of the building, the ability to manage individual security clearances, the facilitation of access outside of the usual workday, and secure parking lot access for employees and visitors. As a global company, Avolon wanted a solution that could be deployed worldwide to provide a consistent experience for its employees, regardless of their location. HID’s flexible access control solution Powered by Seos® technology, the solution uses BLE and iCLASS® readers to create a secure access control solution Avolon partnered with systems integrator Summit Security Systems Ltd and deployed HID Mobile Access at its Dublin headquarters. Powered by Seos® technology, the solution uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and iCLASS® readers to create a secure, convenient, and flexible access control solution for its headquarters. The building’s security system enables credentials on smartphones via an app rather than on physical access cards and uses iCLASS SE® mobile-enabled readers installed at points of access. Key benefits of a mobile access system include: Employees are less likely to forget smartphones, which they always carry than an access badge Security clearances are more efficient and easily changed because security status is provisioned to an app A cloud-based central control system provides security administrators with easy oversight, access to a complete set of metrics, and the ability to manage a network of premises around the globe Employing various access control measures Avolon has implemented a range of different solutions for different parts of its premises that can vary by time of day. For example, elevators utilise access control measures to ease the flow of people within the building during work hours, while assuring that after-hours access is more controlled. Employees simply twist their iOS or Android™ phones when they approach the parking readers to gain entry The ease-of-use and security also extend to the parking lot, which benefits from HID’s “Twist and Goes” feature. Employees simply twist their iOS or Android™ phones when they approach the parking readers to gain entry. Avolon encourages its employees to cycle to work and has extended mobile access to a secure employee bike parking area that links directly into the shower and changing facilities. Advantages of mobile access solution The HID Mobile Access Solution provides many advantages over the previous card-based system including after-hours access (vital to a 24/7 business like Avolon), ready access to secure rooms, and easy management of security clearances. With HID Mobile Access, fine-grained security access for a global network of offices is controlled centrally through a cloud-based portal. Access levels can be set on an individual basis so they are very flexible and can be modified as needed. “Using a mobile phone is much more convenient than access cards. People forget their access cards, but their mobile phone is with them all the time,” said Allan Dawson, facilities project manager at Avolon. “It’s much more efficient. For example, we now have much lower instances of people leaving the perimeter and having to ask for re-entry because they’ve left their pass in the office.” Worldwide installation of physical access solution In the future, Avolon anticipates expanding its new physical access solution across its global campuses. “As well as deploying in our Dublin head office we have also deployed in our New York, Florida, and Hong Kong offices,” said Dawson. “The benefit of using a global platform means our people can travel between offices with their security status intact and ready to go for each location.”

Safetrust today introduced the Safetrust Aliro 1.0 Migration Credential, a physical credential designed to help enterprises move from proprietary access technologies to the open Aliro standard without replacing their existing reader infrastructure. Enterprises can issue, manage, and update the credential themselves, while one organisation-controlled identity can operate across Aliro-compatible readers from multiple vendors. Organisation-controlled digital trust Traditional credentials often rely on proprietary keys controlled by an access control vendor. Aliro credentials instead use digital certificates the organisation issues and controls. As with the certificates that secure websites and enterprise IT systems, the organisation determines which identities are trusted, where they can be used, and how certificates are issued, updated, and revoked. Organisations can also authorise external partners, including landlords, parking operators, and workplace service providers, to trust the same credential. One badge can therefore provide access to corporate offices, shared buildings, parking facilities, and other approved environments without requiring a separate credential from each provider. For large enterprises, this provides direct control over credential security, less dependence on any single hardware vendor, and alignment across physical access, enterprise PKI, identity and access management, and Zero Trust strategy. The credential implements the Connectivity Standards Alliance's Aliro 1.0 specification and works with Aliro-compatible hardware from multiple vendors. Aliro was developed through collaboration among more than 220 CSA member companies, including Apple, Google, Samsung, and Safetrust. A new model for enterprise identity "Aliro represents the first time customers and vendors outside the government sector have come together around a common standard for organisational identity," said Jason Hart, CEO and co-founder of Safetrust. "For enterprise security leaders, this creates a path to stronger security and greater vendor choice without requiring a disruptive replacement of their existing access infrastructure." Passport model for access As an open, multi-vendor standard, Aliro is becoming the enterprise equivalent of a passport: the issuer establishes a trusted identity, while independent organisations decide whether and where to accept it. Moving beyond proprietary credentials For decades, physical access customers have migrated from one proprietary credential technology to the next, often replacing readers, credentials, and key infrastructure with each generation. While the cryptography improved, the underlying model often did not: the credential vendor continued to control the technology and the critical trust infrastructure. When that vendor-controlled trust infrastructure was compromised, the security of the credentials customers relied upon was compromised with it, restarting the migration cycle all over again. Open migration path Aliro changes that model. Instead of asking customers to migrate to Safetrust's next proprietary credential, Safetrust is providing a migration path to an industry standard that any compliant vendor can implement. The organisation, not Safetrust, generates and controls its keys and establishes its trust relationships, bringing physical access in line with the certificate-based security practices already familiar to enterprise IT. Supporting legacy infrastructure The Safetrust Aliro credential simplifies migration by consolidating multiple legacy credentials onto a single card. Safetrust has independently developed emulation technology that enables interoperability with installed legacy reader ecosystems, including readers configured for HID® Seos® Standard and Elite credentials, LEAF credentials, vendor-specific credentials used with MIFARE® DESFire® data models, and more than 30 low-frequency proximity technologies. Safetrust independently developed these legacy-compatible applications, and they are not HID or other third-party credentials. This allows one physical credential to work with existing legacy readers without modifying the installed infrastructure, while also supporting migration to Aliro. Phased migration without disruption Organisations can therefore migrate to Aliro at their own pace without disrupting day-to-day operations. Existing readers can remain in service while Aliro-capable infrastructure is introduced progressively, starting with the highest-risk areas such as data centers, schools, production and warehouse environments, and other sensitive or unsupervised openings. As reader infrastructure is upgraded, the same credential transitions from legacy compatibility to Aliro's certificate-based trust model without requiring users to change cards again. The credential works with the infrastructure an organisation has today and moves to a stronger trust model as Aliro-capable infrastructure is deployed. Expanding credential capabilities The migration credential is designed to become more capable over time. Beyond physical access, organisations can enable additional applications and services on the same credential, extending their investment without issuing another badge. Extending beyond physical access The same physical credential can also extend beyond the door. An optional full FIDO2 application enables the Safetrust Aliro credential to operate as an NFC FIDO2 authenticator for compatible workstations, applications, services, and mobile devices. NFC tap-to-enroll is also supported, allowing organisations to consolidate physical access and strong digital authentication onto a single employee credential and potentially reduce the need for separate FIDO2 security tokens. Future-proof credential management As security requirements and standards evolve, administrators update credentials in the field by tapping the card on a desktop reader or NFC-enabled phone. Specification updates, digital certificate changes, and support for additional legacy credentials apply without replacing the physical badge, extending its useful life and simplifying credential management. Tap-To-Authenticate workflows Safetrust's patented Tap to Authenticate technology extends the physical credential into digital workflows. By tapping the card to an NFC-enabled phone or computer, an organisation can authenticate the credential and initiate an approved browser-based workflow, including identity verification, support services, emergency assistance, credential self-service, or mobile credential provisioning. For mobile wallet provisioning, organisations control which users are eligible and what identity verification is required before issuing an authorised credential to Apple Wallet, Google Wallet, Samsung Wallet, or Safetrust Wallet. Flexible deployment The credentials are available in multiple form factors and can be ordered preprogrammed, programmed onsite, or provisioned with an NFC-enabled mobile device. They are available today through Safetrust distribution partners and will be available online through retail channels in Q4 2026. Demonstrating Aliro At GSX 2026 Safetrust will demonstrate its Aliro physical credential alongside mobile credentials working across a range of vendors at the Global Security Exchange (GSX), September 14–16, 2026, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Visit Safetrust at Booth 3545 and attend One Credential, Any Reader: How the Aliro Standard Ends Vendor Lock-In on Tuesday, September 15, from 2:45–3:45 p.m. ET in Room B308/B309. Safetrust will also host the webinar Aliro: The Card on Wednesday, September 9, at 11 a.m. 

At mid-year 2026, the broader economy tells a story of resilience under pressure. Conflict in the Middle East has triggered a shock to the energy supply, driving oil prices up and reigniting global inflation. However, a total downturn has been averted. Exceptional, historic levels of business investment and data centre construction are providing a firm floor for growth, offsetting cooler consumer spending and keeping labour markets fundamentally stable. But how are changing economics impacting the physical security market? We asked our Expert Panel Roundtable: How do changes in the broader economic climate impact physical security?

In the simplest terms, technology modernisation accelerates when older systems become too expensive to maintain or fail to support modern standards. Market competition pushes businesses to update their technologies to meet rising customer demands. Additionally, the rapid shift toward cloud-based infrastructures and artificial intelligence creates a fear of missing out, forcing companies to adapt or risk irrelevance. Focusing on the physical security market, we asked our Expert Panel Roundtable: What factors are accelerating technology modernisation in security?

Traditional security models protected a perimeter like a castle moat, assuming anyone inside was safe. Zero trust removes that implicit trust entirely, recognising that threats can exist both outside and inside a facility. Zero trust is a routine and accepted concept in cybersecurity. Given the importance of information technology and the increasing convergence of physical and logical security, the tenet is becoming a dominant principle in physical security, too. We asked our Expert Panel Roundtable: Briefly define zero trust and explain how it impacts physical security.