Steve Katanas — HID: ending the office lanyard
HID — moving building access and security passes into your phone
If you are anything like me, you are the queen of leaving your security pass on the kitchen bench or in a different handbag and turning your day to custard. In this episode, I chat with Steve Katanas, Head of ANZ for Physical Access Control at HID. HID is a global manufacturer of secure identity products, supplying credentials, readers, and controllers that let you use your smartphone or smartwatch to open doors, turnstiles, and elevators instead of carrying a plastic pass.
We dive into how digitising building identification removes the headache of lost cards and remote-onboarding delays. Steve shares that HID has actually been quietly selling mobile access in Australia for seven years, turning what used to be an educational push into a wave of inbound demand as employees wonder why their office building access isn't already sitting in their phone wallet alongside their movie tickets.
What’s in this episode
(03:40): Steve gives us the HID elevator pitch: manufacturing secure identity products like smart cards, mobile IDs, and passports.
(04:26): Breaking down HID's six business units, from physical access control to government IDs like the printed New South Wales driver's licence.
(05:47): The strongest value proposition for a digital credential? Nobody ever forgets their phone.
(07:22): Unifying building access: how a single digital credential handles doors, turnstiles, elevators, and secure print release.
(10:35): HID's twenty-plus year journey through various acquisitions under the trusted identity banner.
(11:29): Moving beyond the physical: tackling passwords with logical authentication and network access.
(12:38): Commercial building owners versus enterprise tenants: who drives the infrastructure setup?
(13:57): Where Australia sits globally on tech adoption: we are a mix of early adopters and laggards.
(18:36): How COVID and the demand for minimised touch accelerated mobile credential adoption.
(21:51): Are we at a tipping point? Physical credentials are decreasing while public interest in wallet integration grows.
(23:23): Addressing cyber risks and phone security: why a phone requiring biometric authentication is safer than a lost physical card.
(25:25): The subscription licensing model: how organisations buy credential licenses that can be recycled when staff leave.
(26:12): Integrating with car parks: making sure the same credential works from the driveway to the office door.
(27:20): Working with PropTechs: how HID partners with technology providers via APIs and SDKs to power tenant experience apps.
(28:05): Steve reflects on his ten years at HID and background with security integrators in Australia and the US.
(30:13): Looking ahead: location-based services and beacon technology to give building owners real-time proof of presence for evacuations.
(32:40): Commercial versus residential markets: why HID focuses on commercial, industrial, and healthcare rather than domestic locks.
In their words
“The strongest value proposition for a digital credential is that nobody ever forgets their phone.” — Steve Katanas
“As a consumer, your desire to have everything on your phone and in your wallet, you've got your movie tickets, you've got your airplane tickets, you've got your access pass, it's become the norm.” — Steve Katanas
“The fear of having something on a phone is no longer there.” — Steve Katanas
About the guest
Steve Katanas is Head of ANZ for Physical Access Control at HID, where he has driven secure identity solutions for close to ten years. Before joining HID, he worked extensively with security integrators in both Australia and the United States. His deep technical background and global perspective make him an expert on how physical and digital building access is evolving.
Comments