Time flies. It’s been two and a half years since I shared Three Insights for a Successful RFID Reseller with rf IDEAS for publication on their blog. Readership has been strong, and the relationship between rf IDEAS and Windmill Computing has continued to grow over the years, for which I’m grateful. But I’m often asked, “What has changed since then?”

The answer for the world at large—and especially for anyone who has just returned from living on another planet for the last six months—is absolutely everything. And for my distributor company, as for the resellers we work with, that means adapting to meet the demands of the times. New security concerns. New attention to hygiene. New remote and mobile authentication requirements. And more.

Fortunately, in rf IDEAS we have a long-term partner who understands these issues and is helping resellers deal with them proactively for the benefit of their customers and their business. As the first rf IDEAS distributor in the UK and a partner for more than 12 years now, we’ve seen it time and time again: rf IDEAS is always on top of the latest business needs and trends and is eager to help its partners take advantage of them.

Based on Windmill Computing’s recent work with rf IDEAS, I can now offer three new insights to address the challenges and opportunities that resellers have in a radically changed world.

Mobile matters now.

I mean, really matters. People have long used their phones as a business tool, but now COVID-19 is fundamentally changing work styles—and to an extent, these changes are likely to be permanent. When people work from home or other remote locations, multifactor authentication provides strong security to compensate for the lack of physical presence in the office. A phone-based credential can provide that by combining “something you know” (the PIN that unlocks the phone) with “something you have” (the unique mobile credential).

In addition, users who may leave their employee badge somewhere in a drawer are always likely to have their phone with them, enabling access from wherever they need it. And mobile credentials take advantage of Bluetooth®Low Energy technology for completely contactless authentication—helping employees maintain good hygiene even when they do work in the office or another shared space.

All of these benefits speak to the future of smart, efficient business practices, even in a post-COVID world. With rf IDEAS, you can provide customers with mobile credential readers that integrate seamlessly into your customers’ existing card-based systems, providing a future-oriented solution. With so many businesses seeking to empower a remote and mobile workforce, we want to be a mobile authentication leader. That’s why our product portfolio now offers one-stop shopping for all the rf IDEAS® mobile solutions your customers need.

Markets are evolving.

Markets always change, but it’s happening faster than ever before. The rise of mobile authentication is just one example. The increasing demand for multifactor authentication in healthcare, government, finance and other security-critical industries is another.

For example, in the U.S., a new Electronic Prescribing for Controlled Substances mandate, effective January 1, 2021, requires multifactor authentication for access to easily abused prescription drugs. At the same time, biometric authentication is gaining traction as a simple, effective way to identify users without the need for a separate credential. Combined with the ID card that users already carry, biometrics could offer your customers a super-simple way to implement multifactor authentication as needed. With introduction of the new WAVE ID® Bio reader, partners and customers will have a next-generation solution for multifactor authentication—offering the ability to read fingerprints, mobile credentials and traditional ID cards all in one sleek, modern reader.

Or consider the opportunities for authentication in the industrial automation space. With more businesses supporting work-from-home initiatives, you might see some softening in office-based opportunities, such as multifunction printers. But manufacturing remains strong, and automation continues to advance apace. From ensuring proper training to verifying that only authorized users have access to production-line controls, from ensuring traceability and accountability to maintaining reliable operations in harsh, hose-down environments, smart integration of authentication systems can play a vital role.

Now is not the time to abandon markets that you’ve had success within the past. But it is the time to look ahead to how you can best serve the markets that will make you more successful going forward. You must stay on top of customers’ ever-changing authentication requirements. As older opportunities diminish, there are always opportunities to win sales in new areas and boost the value of your business. The need for enterprise security is always growing.

Partnership builds success.

Most businesses are struggling a little more than usual right now, or even a lot. That goes for many resellers, as well. I firmly believe that a formal partnership, such as offered through the rf IDEAS ENGAGE Partner Program, can make a big difference in weathering the storm and building lasting success.

It’s not only about gaining access to training, marketing, sales and support tools oriented toward the existing and emerging needs of your customers. It’s not only about staying up to date with—and earning high margins on—the industry’s most advanced identification and authentication technologies. Critically in today’s market environment, it’s also about generating demand and acquiring leads to highly qualified customers for your products and services—leads based on your capabilities and delivered directly to you.

It’s all about looking to the future—what your customers will need going forward, and what your business will need to build success. The right insights, the right products and the right partnerships can make all the difference.

Learn more about Windmill Computing at: www.windmill-computing.com/

Explore the ENGAGE Partner Program www.rfideas.com/partners