Silverstein’s employee badges in Apple Wallet allow users to easily access its office buildings, tenant floors, fitness centres and amenity spaces using their Iphone or Apple Watch. Starting at the 7 World Trade Center, the company plans to offer the service to its 50,000 office customers in New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles in the coming months.

“We are proud to make it easy for our employees and customers to get into our buildings, their offices, and our shared lounges, cafes, conference facilities and yoga studios using employee badge in Apple Wallet on Iphone and Apple Watch,” said Tal Kerret, President of Silverstein Properties. “Through our Inspire app, we can now provide and manage access to any number of buildings and spaces in a safe and secure way.”

According to HID, this marks an important milestone for the U.S. real estate industry, as property owners and employers reimagine the workplace experience for their employees.

The system is implemented with a seamless set-up. Employees and tenants can add their employee badge to Apple Wallet after an initial set-up through Silverstein’s Inspire app. Once added, the badge will give them access to enter their office building, office space and shared fitness and amenity spaces. Unlike the physical cards, there is no waiting time for gaining building credentials and access for new employees.

Users simply tap their Iphone or Apple Watch to unlock the door. Once an employee badge is added, users can hold their device near the door’s NFC-enabled lock to access secured areas. With Express Mode, tenants don’t need to unlock their device to use their badge in Apple Wallet. If their Iphone needs to be charged, they can still use the device to access their office or amenity areas for up to five hours with Power Reserve.

Security and privacy is important. Employee badges in Apple Wallet are stored on personal devices and take full advantage of the privacy and security built into Iphone and Apple Watch. When a Silverstein employee uses a badge in Apple Wallet, it is never shared with Apple or stored on Apple servers. If their Iphone or Apple Watch is misplaced, the owner of the device can promptly use the Find My app to lock the device and help locate it.

Employee badges in Apple Wallet are provisioned from Silverstein’s Inspire app, using Swiftconnect Access Cloud, which manages and connects disparate access control systems across owner and enterprise portfolios with mobile credential platforms, user directories, and other systems that influence physical access requirements. Swiftconnect’s Access Cloud and Silverstein’s Inspire app integrate with HID Origo, a cloud platform that enables lifecycle management of mobile credentials. The solution leverages HID’s Seos credential technology to deliver an intuitive, private and secure access transaction when a user presents their Iphone or Apple Watch to HID Signo Readers. To deliver this access experience in even the most extreme circumstances, employee badges stored in Apple Wallet work in Power Reserve mode when the Iphone needs a charge.

“We are delighted to partner with Silverstein and Swiftconnect to bring new-age experiences that transform how property owners provide value to employees and tenants,” said Björn Lidefelt, Executive Vice President and Head of HID Global. “We are excited to extend our collaboration with Apple in providing this ground breaking experience that transforms how users navigate the modern workplace.”

“The remote and programmatic provisioning of credentials and permissions to users in real time will open up new ways in which people interact with and use buildings and offices,” said Matt Kopel, President of Swiftconnect. “We are excited to work with Apple, HID Global and Silverstein Properties in this digital transformation of how customers access and engage Silverstein Properties’ portfolio.”

This new offering falls under Inspire, Silverstein’s holistic customer experience programme that reshapes how, when and where its customers work. Inspire brings hospitality services, social and wellness programming, data-driven workplace technology and a flexible workspace solution under one umbrella. Every customer in Silverstein’s office and apartment buildings has access to a range of wellness services, amenities and flexible work and meeting spaces across the company’s 16 million square foot office and residential portfolio in Manhattan, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. Silverstein’s customers can take advantage of services ranging from hotel-quality on-site concierge to social and wellness programming that integrate seamlessly into their work routine.

The contactless access through the Inspire app also allows Silverstein customers to access shared office space on specific days. For example, one company could lease an office suite at 7 World Trade Center on Monday and Tuesday, and another company could lease the same space on Wednesday through Friday.