​Mumbai, Jan 17 (IANS) By 2020, 20 per cent of organisations will use smartphones in place of traditional physical access cards globally, market research firm Gartner has predicted.

In 2016, less than five per cent organisations used smartphones to enable access to offices and other premises.

"Today, the increasing availability of mobile and Cloud technologies from many physical access control system (PACS) vendors will have major impact on how these systems can be implemented and managed," said David Anthony Mahdi, Research Director at Gartner, on Tuesday.

PACS typically comprises an access control server and database holding identity and policy data and multiple control panels, door locks, readers and other data capture devices.

It also includes the cards or other credentials issued to employees and others and the credentialling system that creates and provisions them..

PACS technology is widely deployed across multiple vertical industries and geographies to secure access to a wide range of facilities and ensuring that only entitled people get access to specific locations.

Smartphones using technologies and protocols such as Bluetooth, Bluetooth LE, and Near Field Communication can work with a number of readers and PACS technology.

"Replacing traditional physical access cards with smartphones enables widely sought after cost reductions and user experience benefits," added Mahdi.