The BlueDiamond Building Experience

The BlueDiamond project has always had one overriding mission: to provide an effortless, yet more secure access control experience. What started as the equivalent of a hotel-style mobile key card experience where a user would unlock their phone, navigate to an app, find the specific door reader and request to open it has evolved into something that requires little to no interaction from the user to gain access. Accomplishing that while enhancing security was a challenge, but one we were excited to rise to.

In the early days of the BlueDiamond platform, the user experience was aptly described as a game of whack-a-mole. Finding the reader you wanted to access within the app was a chore and incorrect doors were sometimes accessed. So, we took a step back and redesigned it. Now, once you come into range of a reader, a notification proactively pops up on your phone or smart watch which simply needs to be tapped – and you’re in. This transformation was the result of testing in the field, as well as the dedication to providing a touchless experience.

Providing a Seamless BlueDiamond Building Experience

Because the BlueDiamond platform is both predicated and dedicated to a superior user experience, the readers, credentials and app have undergone a significant amount of beta testing in the field. Through that beta testing our users provided invaluable feedback that resulted in a variety of features that make the BlueDiamond experience what it is today. There’s no replacement for real-world testing, and the BlueDiamond platform has had plenty.

Now features like Pathways deliver on our vision of truly effortless access. Users simply select doors along a commonly traveled route. With geo-fencing, the app is able to determine when you enter a determined location, wake up and start automatically opening the doors on your route as you approach them. In addition to these access control experiences, BlueDiamond also utilizes touch-free mobile credentials.

Touchless Building Entry with Mobile Credentials

Many customers wanted a badge-like experience, so we introduced the Phone-as-a-Badge feature, enabling users to hold their phone up to readers to gain access like they would with a badge using mobile credentials. Registration distances can be extended to a few feet which allows users to keep their phone in their pocket as they approach a door. And just in case you thought we didn’t think of everything, there are voice commands shortcuts. Feel free to ask Siri to open a door and she’ll comply. But BlueDiamond didn't stop with just mobile credentials.

Expanding Touchless Access Control

Although the BlueDiamond platform wasn’t designed with a pandemic in mind, how it’s risen to the occasion has been nothing short of serendipitous. While the product was designed to create an effortless access experience, it’s easily taken on the role of a touchless access experience. BlueDiamond touchless access is an extremely important part of LenelS2's offerings. Its ability to enable people to move about a building while minimizing access touch points couldn’t dovetail better with what users are looking for in today’s environment as they return to work.

Other features only increase the BlueDiamond platform’s ability to answer the call for safer buildings. For instance, certain BlueDiamond readers have keypads for added security. Traditionally this requires users to present their badge (mobile or otherwise) and then physically enter a pin on the keypad. However, BlueDiamond readers are equipped with the ability to use your mobile device for two-factor authentication. Rather than requiring you to touch the keypad to confirm your identity, BlueDiamond readers will use the facial recognition or passcode on your phone as the second authentication factor. All of these features work together to help provide a truly touchless building entry experience.

Touchless Access Control with BlueDiamond

The BlueDiamond team is 100% behind the vision of delivering effortless, and now touchless, access. Whether you’re just starting your migration to more secure smart cards or are ready to embrace a mobile-first access experience, the BlueDiamond platform is an ideal solution.