The majority of students no longer want to carry around multiple ID cards for varying access control systems throughout campus. Instead, individuals want to use personal smartphones, tablets and other next-generation mobile gadgets, as these devices are usually with them at all hours of the day, providing a more convenient and secure method of authentication.

A recent report by SecurityInfoWatch highlighted this trend, noting that students and faculty alike want their school to leverage innovative security solutions without interfering with everyday activities on campus. Since traditional access control systems usually required community members to have more than one ID with them at all times, this was inconvenient and insecure, as people often lost their IDs and were at the mercy of the locator of the accessory.

By incorporating near-field communications into student smartphones and tablets, however, administrators can deploy the most advanced contactless access control systems available without jeopardizing safety or user satisfaction, SecurityInfoWatch noted.

A separate report by Source Security noted that NFC-based access control systems are the future, as most people have already moved passed the days of traditional lock and key and are quickly migrating away from burdensome ID cards, regardless of their make and model. As smartphones and tablets continue to mature and evolve, leveraging NFC will become second-nature, as the technology can be used for multiple identification functions beyond access control.

If campuses want to keep students happy and safe, administrators need to consider upgrading their legacy access control systems to more modern offerings that cater to this generation's mobility demands. Neglecting this adaptation may not only impair user experience, but also jeopardize the safety of community members.