8 Mar 2023

On Wednesday, March 29, the Physical Security Interoperability Alliance (PSIA) will host a special event highlighting its Physical Logical Access Interoperability (PLAI) specification and its Public Key Open Credential (PKOC) specification.

PLAI allows the normalising of identity data across disparate Physical Access Control Systems (PACS). PKOC is a very exciting initiative, providing a free, interoperable mobile credential, which is likely to usher in a new era in the security market.

PSIA site

PSIA has a broad group of vendors that will be demonstrating products relying on the organisation’s open standards. Attendees will be able to enrol and register in advance on the PSIA site or at the special event and be able to authenticate via a PKOC mobile or secure card credential.

David Bunzel, PSIA Executive Director, noted, “There has been considerable interest in the PKOC mobile credential among vendors and end users in the market."

PLAI allows the normalising of identity data across disparate physical access control systems

"Having a standards-based credential which is essentially free, vendor agnostic, and interoperable across multiple devices and systems, will provide significant benefits to the access control market and accelerate mobile credential adoption.”

PLIA specification

PKOC, in concert with the PLAI specification, creates truly secure and interoperable identity-based credentials. “PKOC solves a 30-year industry challenge which has plagued our industry with complexity, cost, and security issues,” says Jason M. Ouellette, Head of Technology and Business Innovation at Johnson Controls Inc. (JCI), Security Products, and Chairman of the PSIA. 

Interest in PKOC has accelerated and demonstrated the real value of PLAI and we are excited as PSIA members to demonstrate this in the context of interoperability across multiple physical access control systems, readers, and biometric devices.”

PSIA special event

PSIA has been active in developing and promoting open specifications

Security industry professionals attending ISC West will be able to join the PSIA special event, which will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 PM on March 29 at the Venetian Ball Room B&C.

The PSIA has been active in developing and promoting open specifications that support interoperability in the physical and logical security industries. Industry publication, Security Technology Executive, declares interoperability “The Next Great Phase of Physical Access Control.” 

SecurityInfoWatch.com expounds on the predicted demand for PACS interoperability by saying, “Open protocols, standards and industry-accepted conformant products that focus on unbridled interoperability between manufacturers and vendors will be critical as advanced technology, such as analytics and ancillary devices, enter the realm of physical security and access control.”