Securing access for the future


Victoria Rees
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Lindsay Martin-Nez, CEO of BadgePass explores the seamless future of access control.
The impact on access
As we move into 2025, I am extremely excited about the current state of the security industry as well as the future.
2024 security industry discussions constantly returned to two main topics: the impacts of AI and the adoption of mobile credentials.
To me, both of those topics are still relatively far out on the horizon.
We will certainly continue to see the impact of AI on product functionality and organizational efficiency, but I am optimistic that the industry will shy away from using this buzzword as heavily in upcoming years as we have for the last few.
As for mobile credentials, while it’s true that there are some early adopters, the technology is far from mainstream at this point.
That said, just having the discussion about the future of credentials has resulted in an enormous increase in end users looking to make improvements in their badge issuance process.
Gone are the days of organizations issuing a badge from a platform that does nothing more than personalize a card, only to then have to manually enroll that card technology and cardholder information into multiple systems.
Users want a more seamless issuance experience – one where they can issue either physical badges or virtual badges and utilize those credentials in any application throughout their organization.
A more access seamless experience
While many companies in the security industry have historically viewed the physical access badge as an afterthought, or perhaps even an annoyance, in the past, customer requests for a better experience with credential issuance will change that moving forward.
I foresee many manufacturers looking for opportunities to more seamlessly issue credentials of all types over the next several years.
I also see an evolution of manufacturer and channel partner relationships across the industry, as end user customers will demand relationships with both levels of organizations.
In the past, a systems integrator may have been the only contact that an end user customer had for product knowledge and expertise.
However, with access to limitless information at their fingertips now, end users have never been more educated on the security industry and the options available to them.
While end users will still rely on local channel partners for relationships, expertise in implementations and support, they will demand access to the system manufacturers moving forward as well.
Manufacturers and partner relationships will continue to evolve as a result and the companies who will have the best success will be the ones who view their channel as true partners, rather than simply assets to their company.
I truly believe that the companies in our industry that are most focused on building better relationships and creating outstanding customer experiences will see the fastest growth and success in 2025.
Lindsay Martin-Nez
Lindsay joined BadgePass in 2009 as a Channel Sales Manager and consistently grew within the organization until taking over as CEO in January of 2023.
She is the author of the book, BadgePassion and is a strong advocate for females and young professionals in the security industry.
She also serves on the Board of Directors for Identification Systems Group (ISG).
This article was originally published in the special February Influencers Edition of Security Journal Americas. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.