Office buildings, in which hundreds if not thousands of people pass through on a daily basis, present serious risks for disease transmission. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, building managers have been forced to rethink the modern office space. From building design and security to the massive ongoing shift towards teleworking, we’re entering a “New Business Normal” in which digital technologies play an increasingly critical role. 

With lockdowns and social distancing regulations remaining in place across the world, access control systems—determining who may or may not enter a physical or digital space—are being reconfigured to meet the challenges presented by COVID-19. 

Most importantly, digitalization is replacing traditional methods as companies and building managers implement “contactless” time attendance and access control solutions. Keys, paper punch cards, and numeric keypads are being swapped out for mobile facial recognition and time attendance technologies which minimize human contact with physical surfaces.

We here at KOGI believe the future of access control and building security lies in successful digitization. As the COVID-19 has made clear, office buildings must look for innovative new ways to ensure public health and safety.