Industry Embraces Mobile Access, Biometrics and AI

A combination of evolving workplace dynamics, technology innovation and new user expectations is changing how people enter and interact with physical spaces. Access control is at the heart of these changes. Combined with biometrics and AI, mobile access control has become increasingly crucial for deploying entry solutions that are seamless, secure and adaptive to user needs.

In applications ranging from commercial real estate to higher education, these technologies are integral to how organizations approach security today.

More than 60% of security professionals highlight mobile access as a top priority, according to the HID 2025 State of Security and Identity Report that summarizes feedback from more than 1,800 survey participants (users, installers, integrators and original equipment manufacturers) worldwide.

The report also revealed growing demand for biometrics, with approximately 35% of those surveyed saying they are currently using this technology and 13% saying they plan to. The majority (73%) report biometrics as part of their multi-factor authentication (MFA) strategy aimed at ensuring a multi-level approach to identity management for access to digital assets and critical areas of facilities.

As for AI, the report shows that 64% of security leaders are using or planning to implement AI-powered solutions, citing benefits such as improved threat detection, operational efficiency and scalability. Among their use cases, AI agents enable real-time anomaly detection, they automate routine tasks, and they facilitate seamless integration and scalability as security needs evolve.

Another theme of the HID report was growing demand for seamlessly integrating access control with smart building technologies while improving scalability and delivering favorable business outcomes for the organizations. Organizations want easier ways to use physical access control data in their facilities for applications like flexible workspace management and building usage monitoring. More important, they want their buildings to provide occupants with the same easy access to their places and services that they experience elsewhere in their lives.

Fulfilling these and other objectives will increasingly require more unified security management in a more integrated technology landscape spanning mobile credentials, biometrics and more. It all starts with mobile access.

Mobile credentials offer a convenient, secure way to access spaces—right from the smartphones people already use every day. This eliminates the need for physical cards or fobs and creates a streamlined experience across multiple use cases.

These credentials also meet the expectations of employees and tenants who want seamless access experiences like what they can do with their phones for payments, travel, and communication. They want to unlock doors and authenticate identity with the same familiar tap.