Brivo reveals top workplace access control trends for 2023

Brivo, a provider of cloud-based access control and smart building technologies, has published its 2023 top security trends report which identifies user experience and convenience as rapidly emerging drivers behind the adoption of new physical security solutions.

Brivo’s report is based on responses from 677 security professionals across the world working in over two dozen sectors. They pointed to growing expectations for frictionless access into workplaces, as more Millennial and Generation Z cohorts enter the workplace and a general rise in convenience as a major consideration in physical security. 

Key findings that speak to this trend include:

• 84% of security professionals think user experience is either extremely important or very important to access control
• 65% pointed to user convenience as a benefit of mobile access control, speaking to the growing popularity of mobile devices as an access credential over a traditional plastic FOB
• Tenant and workplace experience apps are growing in popularity, ranking as the fifth most popular security system integration this year – according to the respondents. These apps give more control to employees over their office space via mobile-derived services
• Security professionals listed remote door management, instantaneous credential management and outsourcing oversight responsibilities as applications for cloud-based security that make their lives easier – highlighting the appreciation that security professionals have for convenience in their own work

Responses elsewhere in the report show that data collection and system integrations are business imperatives today. Security professionals continue to integrate security systems with cross-functional areas but more are using access data to understand access trends and space usage (45%), find and prioritize unusual activity (42%) and give value to other departments like supply chain, process and HR (42%). 

This year’s report also reveals that today’s security professionals are bullish on the potential of biometric access solutions. Sixty percent want to add biometrics to their buildings in the next three years and again, 60% predict that facial recognition will have the biggest impact in access control technology over the next three years.

“The key takeaway from our 2023 Trends Report is that user experience and convenience are vital considerations for security professionals today and this trend shows no sign of slowing as more cohorts of Generation Z enter the workplace with expectations for technology-enabled frictionless access,” said Steve Van Till, founder and CEO of Brivo.

“Cloud-based access control collects the most valuable data for security professionals to make better informed business decisions. The integration of access control with other security and proptech platforms will be essential in meeting stakeholder expectations on convenience and delivering the next generation of access solutions.”

Other findings from Brivo’s report include:

• Respondents reported a surge in access control integrations. Integrations of identity and access management solutions are most common as more organizations pursue streamlined operations by connecting physical and digital security systems for added protection
• A lack of budget (39%) was most commonly cited as the reason for not adopting cloud-based access control solutions
• More organizations are looking to centralize their security – with 38% saying their organizations are partly centralized today, up from 31% in 2022’s report