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“Convergence means a simplified approach,” said Sheila Loy, Director of Healthcare Industry, Identity and Access Management at HID Global. “That can mean many different things, but it’s essentially making it easier for the user to get both digital access and door access. That usually comes in the form of a card or a mobile device— something that can do both.”


Security administrators are looking for solutions that are easy, convenient, and fast. By introducing solutions that better blend physical access control (PACS) with logical access control (LACS), organizations of all types will enjoy three key benefits, including: 1) positive user experience, 2) enhanced administrative experience, and 3) improved security.

Positive User Experience




In terms of logical or network access, one major pain point for end users is the need to remember and frequently reset their passwords. When ASIS International members were asked, “How is access to network and logical applications done today?”, a resounding 85% of respondents indicate that they use a username and password. 85% of respondents also indicate that they have an organizational policy regarding the creation of passwords, such as requiring numbers or special characters. Not only is this inconvenient for users and administrators, it presents another common security risk: employees writing their passwords on notes left visible on their desk.

Enhanced Administrative Experience

Converged access control solutions provide an improved administrative experience. When survey respondents were asked to rank a series of benefits of PACS and LACS convergence, the top response was “Easier to manage employee credentials”, followed by “One card for multiple applications”.

These top responses reflect two key angles within an improved administrative experience. First, many applications used to manage credentials are now web-based with secure, simple access for administrators. This allows security teams to issue, modify, or revoke credentials away from the office or during off-hours. The second angle is the ability to deploy a converged, “high value” form factor that allows for multiple applications. For example, using one card for multiple uses reduces costs for additional or replacement cards, as well as reduces the time required to produce multiple credentials for individual applications.

According to survey data, the value of leveraging smart cards for applications beyond physical access is more than theoretical – 73% of respondents agree that they have interest in using smart cards for applications beyond traditional physical access control.


Improved Security

The most important benefit of any technology is improved security. Innovative technologies for physical access include contact and contactless cards with encryption that adds additional layers of security upon entering doors, elevators, or parking garages. Meanwhile, digital certificates loaded onto that same smart card can ensure trusted login to networks and applications, as well as encrypt emails and digitally sign documents.

Converged solutions improve security in three key areas:

  • Increased Adoption Rate of Converged Credentials:With a simplified experience, users are more likely to adopt desired security protocols. HID Global’s Loy says, “Your employees may have had a badge to access doors for quite some time. But when they don’t have to carry extra form factors like a fob or token, or they don’t have to take extra steps by entering a username and password, it provides a streamlined end user experience that increases adoption rate.”
  • Reduced Need for Strong Passwords:Security is also improved because cards can eliminate the need for passwords, which are often the weak link in logical access control. Beyond reducing this vulnerability, leveraging a converged card requires users to remove their card to move around in a secure facility, automatically locking a computer upon card removal.

From improving user and administrative experience to strengthening organizational security, upgrading access control to leverage a more converged credential seems like a valuable exercise. However when it comes to actually implementing convergence-based projects, multiple barriers can disrupt progress.

Challenges to Achieving PACS and LACS Convergence

Despite an increasingly relevant business case and a growth in available technologies, the implementation of convergence projects can be described as surprisingly slow. This lack of adoption can be attributed to two primary obstacles: organizational and technical challenges. Organizational challenges include common conflicts between Physical Security and IT departments, like budgets and priorities, whereas technical challenges encompass the implementation itself, such as upgrade paths and compatibility.

Organizational Challenges

Organizational and internal communication challenges serve as a key barrier to implementing convergence projects, most often due to a lack of alignment between priorities and objectives. When asked what obstacles Physical Security professionals face when working with their organization’s IT department, top answers included:


“Traditional Physical Security professionals often have a background in law enforcement or military. They’re well-skilled in forensic investigations, executive protection, and physical security measures— guards, fences, and alarms,” Arcement says. “On the other hand, the IT teams are traditionally more comfortable with data protection and cyber security measures—but, they are not as comfortable in the physical domain, even with something like cards.” Because these departments have evolved separately, the two face challenges in collaboration and communication.

Fortunately, progress in building stronger relationships is growing. When Physical Security professionals were asked how they currently work with their IT departments, a resounding 60% said they collaborate to establish security best practices, with 55% indicating they look for new technologies together.

Budget is another common concern for convergence projects. IT departments typically enjoy much larger budgets than Physical Security departments, and they’re used to receiving funds for constant updates to keep up with advances in technology. Physical Security departments, on the other hand, may invest in cameras and card systems that are expected to remain in place for decades. Such thinking is no longer practical as technology evolves and vulnerabilities are publicly revealed. Physical security equipment needs to be on a refresh rate closer to that in the IT industry.

Most convergence projects—54% according to the ASIS survey—are shared in both the Physical Security and IT budgets, with 24% percent coming exclusively from the Physical Security budget and 22% percent from the IT budget.


Convergence can also help mitigate risk, which is especially necessary in light of the recent high-profile hacks of companies including Home Depot, Target, and Equifax. “Executive leadership is willing to spend money to avoid similar outcomes for their organizations,” Arcement said. “There’s no guaranteed assurance, but they want to ensure they’re keeping up with risk mitigation best practices, which includes attention to both physical and cyber security.”

Technical Challenges

Many organizations may be hesitant to adopt a more converged access control system due to implementation concerns, including establishing an upgrade path, compatibility with existing systems, and overall complexity of the upgraded solution. Furthermore, there is an understandable fear of needing to rip and replace existing systems to complete the upgrade.



Best Practices to Successfully Launch Convergence Projects

The primary technical challenge for organizations is the notion that introducing converged access control requires an interruptive rip and replace of existing technology. The reality, however, is that the process can be more simple, such as by starting with converged cards.



Beginning with a “converged card” approach essentially adds logical access to an existing physical access control system. By doing so, organizations can create a migration path that increases security and convenience but still utilizes existing infrastructure, access control systems, and panels. This allows more converged solutions to be implemented without needing to rip and replace, making upgrades to newer technology less disruptive.


Arcement also recommends that organizations first pilot the technology before deploying it company-wide. “A marathon starts with one step, and it can be overwhelming to think about all the things that need to be done during the transition of an entire organization,” he said. “We have seen companies be most successful by structuring pilots and deployments in phases and by starting deployment in a single building, floor, or department. This enables the project team to clearly understand the opportunities they have with the new technology, the limitations that may exist, and the policy changes that might be necessary to consider before deployment throughout the entire organization.”



Facilitating a more collaborative environment can begin with physical proximity and project involvement. To start, IT and Physical Security can share a common workspace, such as an operations center or server room. These teams can also establish a recurring forum to provide updates, discuss vulnerabilities, and share audit data. Survey results shows that while 89% of respondents indicate they conduct a Physical Security risk analysis, only 2/3 of those respondents share the findings with their IT team.

This collaboration should be leveraged to create joint proposals to company executives that show mutual benefit – for example, with increased convergence, ticket volume to the IT help desk will decrease due to a reduced need to reset passwords.

Finally, once a convergence project begins, it is important to train users on the benefits of the new approach. Arcement offers, “Managing expectations is critical as organizations move to more secure technologies—there is a slight change to the user experience.” He compares it to shoppers adjusting to using smart card chips on their credit cards instead of magnetic stripe, noting, “At first, the change presented an inconvenience to the user, but cardholders accepted the change because they recognized the added security it provides in this age of identity theft. This offers a good analogy to share with your user population—that this transition is first and foremost designed to elevate security for the organization and all who occupy its facilities.”



To meet the growing security needs of today’s organization, Physical Security and IT must better align their budgets and objectives to reduce risks while ensuring convenience so end users abide to company policies. While more converged physical and logical access technologies can help show the way, the ultimate responsibility lies within security professionals to chart the right course for their organization