HID wins Australian awards for mobile access & green design

HID has won two Australian security industry awards for its access control modernisation work, recognising its mobile access product and sustainability efforts.

One award was for HID Mobile Wallet Credentials in the access control systems category at the Australian Security Industry Awards for Excellence. The other was the Outstanding Security Sustainability Award at the Australia Outstanding Security Performance Awards.

The recognition focused on two strands of HID's work in Australia. One was a deployment at 101 Collins Street in Melbourne, where the company worked with technology partner Kodaa on a mobile access system for a large commercial building. The other was its broader approach to reducing the environmental impact of access control upgrades.

At 101 Collins Street, the mobile credential system was rolled out across more than 35 commercial tenancies and supported thousands of users. HID said the project reached 70% mobile adoption within three months, ahead of its original target.

Tenants and visitors use mobile wallets instead of physical cards to access building entrances, lifts, lockers and end-of-trip facilities. The system was designed so mobile and physical credentials could operate alongside each other through the building's existing security infrastructure.

Kodaa, a Melbourne-based digital product development company, worked with HID on the deployment. This allowed the building to introduce digital access without fully replacing existing systems, reflecting a model in which property owners update access arrangements while retaining compatible hardware.

Modernisation trend

The awards come as commercial property operators and large employers reassess how staff and visitors move through offices and mixed-use sites. Mobile credentials have drawn interest because they can be issued and managed digitally, reducing reliance on plastic access cards that are easily lost, replaced or reissued.

HID linked the recognition to a wider shift in customer demand across access control. "We're proud to be recognised by both ASIAL and the OSPAs. Today's organisations are looking beyond technology upgrades alone. They want solutions that strengthen security and user experience while providing the flexibility to adapt to changing operational needs and sustainability priorities over time," said Steve Katanas, Head of HID Physical Access Control Solutions, ANZ, HID.

Customers are increasingly looking for systems that fit around current infrastructure rather than requiring full-scale replacement. That approach can reduce disruption for building operators and tenants, particularly in multi-tenant office towers where new technology must work across different occupiers and access points.

Katanas pointed to the Melbourne building project as an example of that approach in practice. "The results achieved at 101 Collins Street demonstrate what's possible when technology partners work closely together to solve real customer challenges. Our collaboration with Kodaa enabled mobile access to be adopted at scale within a complex commercial environment while building on existing infrastructure and creating a foundation for future innovation. That flexibility is becoming increasingly important as organisations modernise their access control environments and plan for future growth," he said.

Sustainability focus

The second award highlighted environmental considerations in access control purchasing and upgrades. HID said its sustainability work includes reducing the use of plastic credentials, extending the life of installed systems and providing buyers with data on the environmental effects of different security technologies.

According to the company, an independent life cycle assessment carried out under ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards found that HID Mobile Access resulted in a 75% reduction in carbon emissions and an 83% reduction in fossil fuel resource consumption compared with PVC access cards.

Those claims reflect a broader shift in procurement, especially among property owners, institutions and large businesses under growing pressure to document environmental performance. Security systems, often judged mainly on operational and safety grounds, are increasingly being measured against sustainability criteria as well.

For suppliers in the sector, that means balancing building security, ease of use and compatibility with older installations. In practice, companies that can add digital credentials to current systems may have an advantage where customers want to avoid replacing readers, cards and management systems all at once.

HID, part of ASSA ABLOY, operates in more than 100 countries and supplies identity and access products to governments, education providers, hospitals, financial institutions and industrial groups. In Australia, the latest awards place the company in the middle of a growing market for mobile access in commercial buildings, where landlords and occupiers are weighing convenience, security management and environmental impact in the same buying decision.