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.