Through a collaboration with HID, SwiftConnect and Equiem, British Land has become the first UK landlord to launch ‘street to seat’ access across an estate portfolio. Fiona Sawkill and Satbir Bassra of British Land reflect on how, after years of testing, digital access has become reality, and what this means for our customers and the future of UK offices.

The launch event was hosted at 100 Liverpool Street, Broadgate, one of the UK’s smartest and most sustainable office buildings, rated BREEAM Outstanding and WiredScore & SmartScore Platinum.

‘Street to seat’ experience

Fiona: In a world where we use our phones and watches for everything, people don’t want a plastic pass to access their workplace. They, rightly, want it to be digital, for a better experience. Launched at 100 Liverpool Street, British Land customers can now use our employee badge in Apple Wallet for a ‘street to seat’ experience at this trophy building with their iPhone or Apple watch.

Satbir: We’ve been on this journey for a few years. Using our own head office as a testbed, we’ve tried a lot of solutions – and this is the cream of the crop, no contest. It’s seamless, secure and easy to use. Simply tap and go. Welcome to totally frictionless access.

Multiple spaces, one smart pass

Fiona: Many of our customers have multiple offices worldwide – from London to Singapore – and remembering to bring the right pass or carrying several cards around adds friction. Our digital employee badge means no more delays with forgotten or lost cards, it’s simply there on the employees’ smart device, behind a shield of security.

Satbir: Once enrolled, our system automatically recognises users’ unique ID on an iPhone or Apple watch. And it’ll do the same on Android with My Broadgate running in the background. There’s no need to open an app, click on a button or scan anything on arrival.

Fiona: This single digital credential can give access to multiple buildings. Customers of Storey, our flexible workspace offer, will be able to use the pass wherever they’re working – from Broadgate to Paddington Central. British Land customers even have the option to activate this mobile ID across all their offices worldwide, engaging with our partner SwiftConnect. Multiple spaces, one smart pass.

Secure and sustainable

Satbir: Employee badge is beautifully simple for users. We’ve integrated multiple technologies to deliver a really good experience, working with SwiftConnect, HID Global, Apple and Equiem. Using NFC tech means it’s consistent every single time. It’s private and easily deactivated. Even when a phone is out of battery, it’ll still work for several hours. Delivering simplicity can be surprisingly complex and it has taken a lot of collaboration.

Fiona: Along with the obvious wins for user experience, workplace security and operational efficiency, there are green benefits as well. Rolling out digital passes across our portfolio will save thousands of bits of plastic from being extracted, manufactured and transported over years to come. Imagine if every UK landlord followed our lead: reduced waste, less use of plastic and lower carbon emissions, for a more positive environmental impact. It’s time to remove the plastic pass.

Future of offices

Fiona: As British Land leads on digital placemaking, we’re using tech to bring people and places closer together. We know smart works best when it’s woven in, not a bolt-on, so that’s what we do. Employee badge is reshaping how people access spaces within our buildings. This fits our vision for the future of offices – harnessing physical and digital services to provide the best experiences for our customers, employees and visitors.

Satbir: Right now, customers at 100 Liverpool Street can use employee badge for a seamless arrival experience. What’s exciting is that its potential is so much greater. Employee badge can be set to do anything a plastic card can – opening lockers, running printers, using vending machines, giving access to multiple buildings, and more.

Fiona: We look forward to partnering with interested customers at 100 Liverpool Street. We then plan to progressively roll out employee badge in Apple Wallet across our portfolio – empowering our customers with on-demand access and enhancing productivity by reducing friction, while strengthening security.

We encourage interested customers to get in touch: [email protected]

Fiona Sawkill is Head of Digital Placemaking, British Land

Satbir Bassra is Senior Product Manager – Digital Placemaking, British Land

For more on our digital placemaking, visit: The future of buildings is smart – 100 Liverpool Street