The Power of the Connected Workplace

Increase Convenience and Boost Productivity with Connected Workplace Technologies

The way the world works is changing, and companies must change, too — to keep employees secure and productive in a hybrid environment with flexible schedules, new health and safety protocols, and an ever-growing range of devices and applications.

Connecting these disparate systems into an integrated whole enables organizations to create spaces that are more convenient, secure and compelling. Employees, meanwhile, can seamlessly access all necessary systems with a single trusted identity inside a card, smart phone or any other wearable device.

In this post, we’ll examine just a few of the ways that connected workplace technologies are being used by market innovators.

One Credential, Many Applications

Connecting your workplace technologies is as often as simple as extending a credential that you already use — say, for physical access to an office building — to new uses and applications. Here are a few of the more innovative examples:

• Integrated Physical Access — The journey into a modern office involves several different systems whose access depends on people’s identities, from parking garages to elevators, conference rooms and other secure workspaces. When these systems are connected through a single credential, the effect is a smooth and seamless transition for employees and visitors as they proceed from place to place.
• Streamlined Printer Security — Cyberattacks may grab headlines, but printers present a dangerous source of workplace vulnerability. According to the Ponemon Institute, seven in ten managers have noticed confidential documents that were left in the printer. Organizations can address this risk with connected secure print solutions that hold print jobs at the ready until an authorized individual verifies their identity.
• Simplified Workstation Sign-On — Shared workspaces, hot desks and hoteling are the norm in the post-pandemic workplace. Single sign-on (SSO) allows people to use a single credential to authenticate their identity at the start of each work session, enjoying streamlined access to the right software, files and locations without triggering additional security checks or time-intensive calls to the service desk.
• Time and Attendance — Buddy punching, where one employee clocks in or out for someone else, costs retailers several millions of dollars each year. Linking an authentication solution to time and attendance systems helps combat the problem, enabling employees to use the same credential to access corporate facilities and clock in and out.

It’s frustrating when something interrupts the seemingly straightforward task of verifying our identity to access a service or location. These small moments can also add up to a major financial expense for large enterprises, creating frustrated customers and unproductive employees. Connected workplace technologies reduce friction without reducing security, helping companies optimize physical access control, streamline identity authentication and create a more positive and productive work environment.

How else can the Connected Workplace streamline the way you work? To find out, download our eBook, Extended Access Technology: More Secure and Convenient Ways to Prove You’re You >>

Helmut has been in the security business for more than 25 years in various management roles for some of the leading suppliers of a broad range of security solutions. He also holds some patents. Within the last 20 years he has successfully led different engineering, global product management and marketing teams. His portfolio includes one of the first VPN products ever as well as solutions for HW-based encryption solutions in combination with RFID technologies managed by his various teams. He has been with HID now for more than 10 years with a focus on RFID technologies, and is used to challenging the status quo in seeking more customer-friendly solutions and services.