Johnson Controls partners with Civic Technologies

MILWAUKEE—Johnson Controls has announced that it has partnered with Civic Technologies, a global digital identity company. Johnson Controls will integrate the Civic Secure ID Platform (SIP) with C-CURE 9000 Security and Event Management Systems from Software House to provide visitor management with greater data privacy and protection, enabling building visitors to securely present their verifiable identity using the Civic App.

This partnership will enable properties secured by C-CURE 9000 a more convenient and secure solution for processing visitors at point of reception and ensure Johnson Controls remains a leader in secure access technology with innovative digital identity solutions.

“Lack of user-controlled identity information and decentralized verification using current methods is an ongoing challenge in the identity access management industry,” George Martinez, director of Cloud Services at Johnson Controls, said in the annoucement. “The ability to digitally verify the identity of people coming in and out of C-CURE 9000 secured buildings, without needing to collect and store excess personal information, offers incredible compliance and security benefits. We're looking forward to integrating Civic as a part of our access management technology and to offering solutions that help our customers and the guests that use and visit their facilities.”

The Johnson Controls and Civic partnership will simplify and streamline the proof of identity process for managing visitors in building lobbies. Visitor identity verification with the Civic App will initially be deployed in three New York locations, with an expected volume of more than 20,000 visitors per month. Visitors typically have to sign in with the receptionist and provide information, usually a physical ID and contact information, to check in for their visit and receive temporary access to the building. By integrating Civic for authentication and Know Your Customer, when visitors walk into a building, they will be able to scan a QR code on the C-CURE 9000 check-in kiosk with their Civic App without needing to dig out a physical ID or enter personal information into a form.

Integrating the Civic App provides benefits beyond a simplified visitor management process. For visitors, the Civic integration provides data privacy with the benefits of blockchain-powered security. Using the Civic Secure ID platform, user information is always stored locally on a user's mobile device and is protected by biometrics. This also means that properties secured by C-CURE 9000 are able to securely verify the identity of users without any requirements to store or manage sensitive personal data that attracts hackers.

“Today, we all carry various items to identify ourselves, from government-issued IDs to fobs that grant us building access. By integrating the Civic App, anyone who needs to visit a C-CURE 9000 secured building will have the opportunity to identify themselves with their Civic App,” Vinny Lingham, Civic co-founder & CEO, said in a prepared statement. “Civic enables guest and employees to prove who they are with a mobile device, rather than requiring them to show an ID document, sign a visitor logbook and stand in line to check in/out of a facility. We're looking forward to working with Johnson Controls to bring blockchain-powered identity verification to enable secure access management for Johnson Controls customers' sites and with their guests across the U.S.”

Johnson Controls pointed out, “In the future, it will not be necessary to carry and surrender a personal document to prove identity when this can all be seamlessly managed from a mobile app that offers the additional benefits of allowing users to control how their personal information is shared.”