HID Global has teamed up with Alutel Mobility to provide Newmont with a physical access control system for its Peñasquito metal mine in Zacatecas, Mexico. To that end, the two companies have deployed HID Global’s Seos credentials and OMNIKEY smart card readers alongside Alutel’s RAGTAB tablets and mobile app.

The joint solution is being used at points of entry to the site, and for car access at rural and underground locations that have poor internet connectivity. The OMNIKEY readers have been embedded in the RAGTAB tablets, so employees are able to tap their Seos credentials to verify their identity and gain access to a given area.

The process also utilizes Alutel’s mobile app, which displays a photo of the worker and links to Newmont’s platform for authentication. If the app cannot make that connection (as may be the case in an area with no internet connectivity), the data is stored and then confirmed when the tablet is once again in range of the Newmont network. 

“Newmont’s solution delivers a highly secure process that addresses the need for monitoring, managing and authenticating employees in unconventional spaces,” said HID Global VP and Extended Access Managing Director Steve Currie.

“With HID Global and Alutel Mobility’s help, Newmont has been able to establish an access control system that is optimized for our specific needs,” said Newmont Project Manager Daniel Tejeda. “Previously, there was no control over who was on-site. We have gone from zero control to complete control.”

The solution is part of an ongoing digital transformation, and could help streamline other aspects of Newmont’s operations in the future. The company has been conducting more than 100,000 unique authentications every month since implementing the new system.

HID Global recently partnered with Fidesmo to enable Seos credentials on wearable devices. The company also released a new Signo line of access control readers in early March.