Access control industry to evolve with near-field control
By SSN Staff
Updated Mon September 24, 2012
WELLINGBOROUGH, England—The $400 million global access control credential market is set to be rejuvenated by smart cards and near field communication (NFC), according to a study published by IMS Research, recently acquired by IHS.
Smart card credentials, which represent approximately 40 percent of the global credential market, are expected to lead the next generation of credentials used for physical access control and secondary applications such as electronic payment, identity management and access-on-a-card, according to the study (The World Market for Electronic Physical Access Control Equipment - 2012 Edition). In the study, IMS Research estimated that 2.3 percent of cellular devices shipped in 2011 were NFC-enabled. In 2014, the NFC attach rate is projected to reach around 20 percent, and in 2016, 44 percent.
With many end users now wanting credentials not only for access control, but also for access to health records, electronic funds, and workstations, the credentials market is expected to undergo a major evolution. One of the key changes in the credential industry is the rise of near-field communication used in mobile phones, a development which, according to the study, has the potential to redefine the concept of the credential and the access control industry altogether.
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