At ASIS Int’l 2012, HID Global’s Helen DeAndvade and Dennis Caulley demonstrate the Web portal that end users can use to provision mobile keys to NFC-enabled devices, within the SEOS infrastructure. DeAndvade is responsible for the user-friendly design of the Web portal.

ASSA ABLOY launched Seos, calling it the world’s first commercial ecosystem for digital keys on NFC mobile phones. Seos makes it possible to open a door by passing a mobile phone over the lock. Seos allows for issuing, delivering and revoking digital keys on mobile phones with NFC technology. (NFC, or near field communication, is a short-range wireless communication technology standard that enables the exchange of data between devices over a distance of up to 10 cm. Applications include contactless transactions such as payment and transit ticketing, keys, data transfers including electronic business cards, and access to online digital content.) With Seos, mobile phones can replace mechanical keys and access cards and open doors to homes, hotels, offices, hospitals, universities, industries and commercial buildings, the company said.

“We have done numerous trials in different environments and the feedback we get from security professionals as well as from end users is that they really want to open all doors with their mobile phones and stop using keys and access cards. This is a possibility, since basically any kind of door can be equipped with a Seos-enabled lock,” said Daniel Berg, vice president, ASSA ABLOY Mobile Keys.

The Seos ecosystem includes a secure key-delivery mechanism, trusted service manager, applications for mobile phones, lock and reader support, and SDKs for OEMs and developers. As mobile network operators launch their NFC services, the ASSA ABLOY Seos trusted service manager (TSM) is being integrated so that Seos can be utilized on their devices and SIM cards. Seos is also offered for integration with device manufacturers’ embedded secure elements and to non NFC-enabled Blackberry, Android and iPhone devices with NFC add-ons.

With Seos, homeowners can send temporary digital keys to visitors, handymen and babysitters from their own mobile phones. Issued keys can be revoked through the same interface.

Hotel guests can check in and out with their mobile phones and receive digital hotel room keys before arriving at the hotel. In offices and commercial buildings, access to rooms and cabinets can be managed centrally. For even higher security, Seos digital keys can be protected by mobile phone PIN codes.

“Experts from the ASSA ABLOY Group have joined forces to create Seos. The development team has worked with secure identity and access control experts at HID Global, lock developers at Sargent, Corbin Russwin and Yale, and with hospitality professionals at VingCard Elsafe. As a result Seos can be adapted to different end user needs and local standards. With Seos, ASSA ABLOY can offer the most flexible infrastructure for digital keys on the market today,” said Berg.

Seos is based on open standards and works with all standards-compliant NFC mobile phones. The Seos digital keys are delivered with end-to-end encryption and stored securely on SIM cards, embedded secure elements or Micro SD memory cards. Multiple Seos digital keys for a variety of different locks can be stored on a single mobile phone and remain active even if the phone is turned off or out of battery power.

Seos digital keys will also work with solutions based on the iCLASS® SE access control platform from HID Global, an ASSA ABLOY Group brand. The iCLASS Seos card was selected by ASIS International as a winner of the 2012 ASIS Accolades – Security’s Best competition, which recognizes the industry’s most innovative new technologies, products and services.

For information, visit www.assaabloy.com/seos.