SwiftConnect - Experts & Thought Leaders

How do you rethink and transform building access for a 241-year-old company? BNY started by asking employees. The response was encouraging. The BNY team found that employees embraced the concept of mobile access solutions. The thought of implementing access solutions was already being considered by the company and the team was excited about the idea of providing a modern experience that allows employees worldwide to conveniently access their building spaces with a simple iPhone or Apple Watch.  How powerful of a concept “The whole idea of people navigating around our facilities globally — it just brings a smile to your face,” said Ken Damstrom, Global Head of Corporate Security at BNY. “But it really brings a smile to their face because when they come to work they come with their iPhone they don’t necessarily need to come with their (physical) ID badge and how powerful of a concept is that?” Getting started with the right team To put everything in motion, BNY engaged connected access network provider SwiftConnect and mobile access provider, HID. Selecting experienced and reputable partners was important for BNY, along with the technologies that they brought to the table. For this project, those technologies included employee badge in Apple Wallet alongside HID’s mobile-enabled Signo readers and the reliability of the SwiftConnect connected access network.  How does the technology work? Two key components of BNY’s initiative were essential to its success. Employee badge in Apple Wallet, paired with HID’s mobile-enabled Signo readers gives employees and their guests easy and secure access to corporate spaces using only their iPhone or Apple Watch. Users can simply hold their device near a reader to access doors, turnstiles, elevators, spaces and more.  SwiftConnect unifies identity and physical access into one effortless experience, connecting systems and spaces into a unified network. It supports on-demand access via mobile credentials and optimises existing methods like fobs and cards for secure, consistent access — replacing friction with fluidity at every interaction.  “What we learned by partnering with SwiftConnect and HID was employee badge in Apple Wallet was absolutely ready for prime time,” said Ken Damstrom. “We’ve had nothing but confidence in rolling it out in our organisation.” Making mobile access technology a reality With full support from their partners, BNY launched their new mobile access solution at their headquarters in New York City, then expanded to other offices in Boston, London and India, as well as others. They’ll continue until every BNY office worldwide is using the technology — at 110 locations in 35 countries.  Regardless of which country the technology is implemented, employee badge in Apple Wallet will work the same across BNY’s facilities. That’s important because their employees can seamlessly and securely enter and move around multiple locations. Also, with Express Mode, employees do not need to unlock their device to use their employee badge in Apple Wallet. Even if the phone needs to be charged, the device can still be used to access spaces with Power Reserve mode. Advantage of privacy and security When an employee has an employee badge in Apple Wallet, their data 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. Employee badges in Apple Wallet are stored on personal devices and take full advantage of the privacy and security built into iPhone and Apple Watch. “We wanted consistency across our real estate portfolio, so whether you’re in New York, Lake Mary or London, you know how to access the site because you know how to use employee badge in Apple Wallet,” said Dafna Alsheh, Global Head of Workplace Experience & Design, BNY. Combination of technologies The combination of these technologies is now helping BNY create that convenient, quick access experience for employees — while ensuring a secure workplace.  “One of the things that makes employee badge in Apple Wallet really impactful is that it works the same at work as it does when they’re at the store or on the subway because you don’t have to teach people how to use it,” said Dafna Alsheh.  “We’ve had people who are like, ‘wow this just works.’ But when they realise they can use their Apple Watch, then they’re like, ‘this is magic.’”

SwiftConnect is excited to expand into the higher education market through its landmark deployment of NFC-enabled digital student ID cards for the University of Arizona. Earlier this month, the university announced that its 53,000 students and 16,000 faculty and staff can now add their CatCard to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet and use their iPhone, Apple Watch, or Android Phone to access campus buildings, purchase meals, and experience many other campus moments with a single tap of their mobile device. Connected access platform The agnostic platform also operates independently of proprietary hardware or software  Through its connected access platform powering the new mobile CatCard, SwiftConnect pioneered the industry’s first mobile access deployment that gives universities the freedom to use the transaction and ancillary systems of choice, all while preserving integration interoperability as their institutions evolve. The agnostic platform also operates independently of proprietary hardware or software to seamlessly integrate data from various systems. CardSync campus connectivity The successful project was also made possible in collaboration with the University of Arizona team, who implemented their CardSync campus connectivity platform that empowers universities to unify siloed systems into a single, streamlined view. The partnership with HID played a crucial role, with HID Signo readers used for access control and HID OMNIKEY readers for other access transactions and point-of-sale applications. Advancing the mobile access experience on campus with more industry firsts from SwiftConnect Debut of Campus ID in Google Wallet with HID Seos credential technology, with SwiftConnect as the integration platform Launch of easy provisioning of student ID in Apple Wallet (reduces friction when students upgrade devices), and auto provisioning (for paired Apple Watches to use the mobile CatCard) Market-first deployment of iCloud binding for access credentials, which helps prevent fraud in financial transactions, such as meal plans and prepaid campus card systems Unveiling of CatCard balance tiles with real-time declining balance updates and meal swipes, back-of-card QR code for campus promotions, and student photos moved to the back of the card for enhanced security CatCard in action They simply hold their device near an HID reader to enter dorms, libraries, and fitness centres With the mobile CatCard, students can complete any action that would have previously required a physical card – both on and off campus – with their iPhone, Apple Watch, or Android devices. With their all-access pass to campus life, they simply hold their device near an HID reader to enter dorms, libraries, and fitness centres, as well as to buy lunch, make purchases at campus stores, print documents, and more. Plus, upgrading to a new iPhone has never been easier: with Apple Wallet’s device setup process, their CatCard transfers automatically with no extra steps required. As soon as the new device is activated, their CatCard is ready to use, just like before, so students can tap into campus life without missing a beat. Looking ahead SwiftConnect’s debut in higher education marks yet another milestone in its mission to connect people to the right place at the right time. The University of Arizona launch doesn’t just serve its Wildcats; its many industry-first features and capabilities set the stage for the future of mobile access in higher education. This is just the beginning of SwiftConnect’s journey to extend connected, secure digital experiences to colleges and universities, with support for many expanded use cases to come.  

HID, pioneer in trusted identity and access management solutions, announced the launch of HID Integration Service, a platform that integrates physical security, cybersecurity and digital identity management. This integration platform-as-a-service (IPaaS) was designed to empower application developers, solution integrators and software vendors to seamlessly and rapidly integrate essential physical security solutions, streamlining processes and enhancing system interoperability. Integrations between physical and cybersecurity systems The platform aims to ease the burden of care and upgrades associated with managing physical security By doing so, the platform aims to ease the burden of maintenance and upgrades associated with managing and implementing integrations between physical security and cybersecurity systems, thereby lowering costs, streamlining operations and significantly reducing implementation time. "Organisations have long struggled with brittle, complex integrations and the costs to maintain them," said Martin Ladstaetter, senior vice president and head of Identity and Access Management Solutions at HID. Top benefits of HID Integration Service Ladstaetter added: "HID Integration Service eliminates these pain points by providing an integration platform that connects physical and digital security products, reducing time to market for development partners who are building the next generation of security solutions with greater speed, quality, resilience and value." HID Integration Service directly addresses the top benefits security pioneers seek from unified management solutions—improved efficiencies, simplified management and enhanced visibility—helping them:  Reduce operational complexities and maintenance costs. Deliver new security capabilities faster into tailored industry solutions. Simplify security touchpoints through streamlined user experiences. Key features include: A comprehensive integration layer that scales from point-to-point connections into multi-party integrations Pre-built integrations that accelerate deployment and reduce development costs Scalability and security to support rapidly evolving business needs HID's new integration platform capabilities Each brings deep expertise and robust capabilities across various security domains HID is privileged to have a few early adopters on the platform. Each brings deep expertise and robust capabilities across various technologies, verticals and security domains. "We are excited about HID's new integration platform capabilities, which we believe can only add to SwiftConnect's ability to meet our customers' expectations and broader needs in the commercial real estate and enterprise markets," according to Matt Kopel, co-founder and co-CEO of SwiftConnect. "The alignment of vision and direction between our companies will enhance and multiply the business changes our customers are pursuing," continued Kopel. RemotePhoto's AI workflow “We envision a world where ID photos magically arrive in their intended location without human intervention,” said Luke Rettstatt, chief executive officer of CloudCard. “To realise this vision, we must develop and maintain many integrations, which is daunting for a small team. HID Integration Service allows us to focus on RemotePhoto's AI workflow rather than building and maintaining certified integrations with third parties.” HID’s 2025 State of Security and Identity Report This growing demand for seamless integration and efficiency is reflected in HID’s 2025 State of Security and Identity Report. According to the report, 67% of security leaders are actively transitioning to software-driven security solutions, with nearly three-quarters of organisations considering unified data collection critical to their operations.