ASSA ABLOY has announced the release of its new Mobile Keys Platform, a solution that uses NFC-enabled mobile phones to unlock doors in hotels, commercial buildings and private homes.

Instead of using a printer to encode a card or assigning a pre-encoded card, Mobile Keys Platform sends a virtual key to the end user’s NFC-enabled mobile phone, where it is stored in the secure element. The mobile key enables the user to open a lock with just a tap of his or her mobile phone.

Using the platform, security managers can manage credentials from a central access control system and easily issue mobile keys to NFC mobile phones, says ASSA ABLOY. Additionally, credentials can be revoked if the phone is lost or stolen, and new keys can then be re-issued to a temporary phone.

“We believe the use of virtual access credentials will increase in the coming years,” says Daniel Berg, vice president and general manager ASSA ABLOY. “They offer not only higher security but also the simple convenience that users have come to expect as an increasing number of services become available through mobile phones.”