This week at its annual client conference, Transact announced a new collaboration with HID Global that will enable Transact Mobile Credential to be accepted on HID physical access control readers. Transact Mobile Credential supports student IDs in Apple Wallet and Google Pay, and enables students to use their mobile device to secure access to campus facilities and residence halls, as well as payments for dining, laundry, vending, and retail.

In the future, students using Transact Mobile Credential will simply present their NFC-enabled devices to HID readers to gain secure access to campus buildings.

“We are excited to join forces with HID Global for clients to preserve their investments in their already established physical access control readers on campus,” says David Marr, CEO of Transact. “This collaboration speaks to our company’s commitment to openness as well as delivering elegant and frictionless solutions that leverage our clients’ current infrastructure.”

The agreement will enable current and prospective Transact Mobile Credential campuses to choose physical access control hardware from HID. Additionally, most installed HID readers can be field-upgraded to support Transact Mobile Credential.

“Higher education institutions have been one of the first to truly embrace all of the benefits that mobile access control offers,” says Harm Radstaak, Vice President and Managing Director of Physical Access Control Solutions, HID Global. “Working with Transact underscores HID’s dedication to providing colleges and universities with flexibility and choice to easily incorporate mobile access control into their infrastructure.”

Reportedly, HID's iCLASS SE and multiCLASS SE readers shipped from 2013 forward are firmware upgradeable to support Transact Mobile Credential. The newly revealed Signo line of access readers from HID will also support Transact Mobile Credential.

"This is great news for our clients with HID door access devices on campus," says Jeff Staples, VP of New Market Development at Transact. "Our approach to credentials, including mobile credentials, has been focused on delivering a ubiquitous user experience across all use cases, with a deference to supporting existing NFC-capable devices wherever possible."

The agreement is specifically for the Transact Mobile Credential, and legacy HID cards that have already been issued on campus – or are issued in the future – will continue to be supported. "Institutions can continue supporting existing HID cards, while introducing the ability to deploy Transact Mobile Credential without having to disrupt their cardholder population," explains Staples.

The value for campuses interested in a move to Mobile Credential is evident, with many institutions leveraging HID hardware across campus.

"Our client base is diverse and we work with a number of access control solutions on campuses – including our own solution – and our clients using third-party solutions have typically leveraged the card as the point of integration," says Staples. "In our market research and client discussions we’ve identified dozens of clients and prospects with sizable HID deployments, and based on the overwhelmingly positive response to this news, I suspect we’ll hear from even more in the coming weeks."

"We have been shipping Transact devices with NFC capability since 2010, and as a result our clients have been preparing for Mobile Credential for a decade," adds Staples. "This breakthrough makes it possible for those with compatible HID readers to leverage that investment and focus on delivering that consistent experience for students everywhere on campus."