The Final Straw? How the global semiconductor shortage is pushing mobile access to the front of the queue

The global semiconductor chip shortage has severely impacted the access control card industry, pushing new technologies like mobile access to the front of the queue.

Almost all sectors have been impacted, from the automobile industry to gaming consoles to computers and access control cards.

Fewer semiconductors or ‘chips’ are in supply, therefore manufacturers are unable to produce the same amount of access control cards that they usually would. This means it is taking longer to make this amount of access control and smart cards, ensuring companies that have ordered cards may not receive them in time. As a result, staff at these companies have no way of entering their buildings.

Organisations are thus left vulnerable to security breaches and face a weakened security system.

Many companies are searching for other alternatives to their access control cards, and access control specialists Digital ID have an effective solution that solves the security issues relating to chip shortage concerns.

Mobile access allows users to enter secured areas using their smartphones or mobile devices. The solution has been gaining popularity in recent years, however its recent growth may be attributed to the chip shortage, as the solution provides an efficient way to enter secured buildings without any chip delays.

The process involves a security administrator issuing secure, encrypted credentials that are sent straight to a user’s smartphone, tablet or wearable device such as a smartwatch. These credentials can instantly be used to gain access to the building – provided the company’s existing card readers are compatible with mobile credentials. If readers are not mobile-ready, organisations can easily upgrade to compatible readers such as the HID Signo 20 reader.

The advantage of credentials being sent remotely is that there are no prolonged waiting times or delayed shipments, as most adults already have a smartphone or mobile device with them, therefore are set to instantly receive their credentials. This is just one of the many benefits of switching to mobile access, with other benefits including enhanced security thanks to unclonable credentials, lower long-term costs as there’s no need to ever reissue credentials and strengthened sustainability efforts, with significantly less plastic being used.

It’s no secret that the digital transformation has been upon us for years, however the global chip shortage may have accelerated this, pushing new technologies like mobile access to the front of the queue.