Why Mobile Credentials Matters

The transition to mobile credentials is no longer a bleeding-edge idea but rather a major trend rapidly reshaping campus access control. Today, more institutions are moving past physical ID cards to leverage the device students and staff carry everywhere: smartphones and watches.

However, successfully adopting mobile credentials is a complex process that relies on a multitude of departments, stakeholders, and technologies on campus. As organizational begin to evaluate their mobile readiness, the process demands a comprehensive evaluation across these core pillars.

Evaluating Existing Access Control and Credential Systems

Determining whether your campus is prepared to adopt mobile credentials starts with a comprehensive technology inventory. This is a foundational step that will dictate the complexity and cost of your transition.

Through a comprehensive hardware audit, teams will evaluate all key components of your existing access control infrastructure, including:

• Readers: Are they compatible with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or Near-Field Communication (NFC) technologies required for mobile credentials?

• Controllers: Will your current hardware require upgrades or replacements to support technologies like BLE or NFC and do they support modern communication protocols like OSDP?

• Access Control Systems: Can your access control software manage both physical and mobile credentials on a single platform, or will you need a third-party system to support mobile integration?

Institutions still operating with legacy hardware often face the greatest financial hurdles to going mobile as upgrading non-compatible hardware, such as magstripe readers, is where the bulk of the expense lies. Making this upgrade can cost between $100–$400 per door, depending on the complexity of the installation and the reader capabilities required. Identifying these compatibility gaps early is crucial for prioritizing replacements and setting a realistic budget.

Balancing Upfront Costs with Longterm Investment

Deploying mobile credentials is more than a technology update. It’s a financial investment that impacts both short and long-term budgets. While hardware replacements often represent the largest portion of this investment compared to traditional credentials, on-going costs for managing a mobile credential system must also be considered as campuses prepare for deployment.

When replacing legacy hardware to support mobile credential technology, careful financial planning helps ensure that one-time expenses don’t strain your annual budget. By understanding these upfront costs, campuses can adopt a multi-year approach to hardware replacement, creating a balanced strategy that aligns annual budgets with long-term planning while providing stable, predictable funding.

Once deployed, mobile credentials operate on a subscription model based on the total number of active credentials. While this makes it easy to anticipate on-going expenses, it’s important to account for future growth of both students and staff to maintain budget accuracy and accountability.

By planning strategically, campuses can spread costs over time, transforming a large upfront expenditure into a manageable, year-over-year investment while modernizing access control across campus.

Infrastructure and Staff Readiness

Beyond the physical hardware, mobile readiness requires a robust and secure IT infrastructure and trained staff to support the new age technology. For example, it’s best practice to conduct a thorough Network Assessment to ensure the campus infrastructure is ready to handle the increased load and demands of continuous, encrypted mobile communication. Equally important, however, is the preparation of your supporting teams.

They must be equipped to handle:

• Secure provisioning and deprovisioning of digital credentials for student and staff smartphones.

• Ongoing, 24/7 technical support for the new mobile credential systems.

• Cross-departmental support for third-party applications such as dining and library systems.

By preparing key teams, such as IT, card offices, and facilities, you can ensure the right support is in place for ongoing use, troubleshooting, and management of new mobile credentials once deployed.

Stakeholder Buy-In and Organizational Alignment

Technology only solves half the problem; organizational alignment is just as critical. Access control responsibilities are often fragmented on college campuses, divided across departments like IT, facilities, card offices, secondary campuses, and public safety. This siloed approach can be a major roadblock to successful campus-wide deployment, if not aligned from the start.

Essential steps to ensure alignment include:

• Get cross-departmental support from all key stakeholders by hearing their concerns, amplifying their excitement, and keeping them informed from the get-go.

• Appoint clear leadership roles to champion the project and manage cross-departmental communication.

• Establish dedicated and sustainable funding sources for both implementation and ongoing operations.

• Develop a unified communication plan to manage expectations and inform the entire campus community about the upgrade process and benefits.

Cultural Fit and Privacy Considerations

The shift to mobile credentials represents a cultural change. While these solutions naturally align with digitally savvy students who use smartphones for nearly every aspect of daily life, institutions must proactively address cultural and privacy-related concerns.

For example, it’s important not to overlook individuals who may be unable to use a mobile credential. Mobile-only access isn’t always practical, particularly in high-security areas, medical settings, or environments where electronics are restricted, such as certain labs or marine facilities. Determining whether to adopt a hybrid approach, supporting both physical and digital cards, or move to a fully digital system is a critical decision that changes from campus to campus. Determining these policies early in the process will make it easier to align stakeholders and present a unified message down the line.

As with any digital initiative, proactively addressing concerns around student privacy and data collection is essential. Key areas to address transparently include:

• Concerns over data privacy related to third-party apps.

• Misconceptions or fears surrounding device tracking.

• Phishing risks that are inherent in any digital credential system.

A strong mitigation strategy involves proactive education on digital safety and security best practices to help build trust and ensure a smooth transition to mobile credentials.

Are You Ready to Go Mobile?

Mobile readiness is a holistic process that requires a strategic approach, considering all critical elements for a successful deployment: technology modernization, strategic financial planning, stakeholder alignment, and cultural considerations. Take into account all aspects of these considerations to make your mobile deployment a success.

Looking to deploy mobile credentials on your campus? Contact us today to begin your path to a fully mobile campus: info@northlandcontrols.com.