ACCESS CONTROL READERS AND CREDENTIALS have certainly come a long way in the past decade. The technology has now almost completely replaced traditional locks and keys, and the variety of products available is vast.

“Readers and credentials have become a part of our everyday life, though some might not even realize it,” says Brian Marris, product manager of readers, controllers and credentials at Allegion, Carmel, Ind. “When you check into a hotel, you expect to receive a plastic card or to be able to load a mobile credential to your phone. If you were handed a brass key for your hotel room, you would be surprised. … Most large corporations leverage physical credentials. Universities are moving … to physical or mobile credentials. Healthcare facilities have been using physical credentials for access and identification for years.”