Introduction
This case study highlights a major airport in South Florida and its use of XPressEntry to support mobile security operations within restricted airport areas.
Working with security integrator SGI Matrix, the airport deployed twelve (12) XPressEntry handheld readers integrated with their existing Acre Matrix Frontier access control system. The solution helps security teams perform mobile badge validation, spot check permissions within Security Identification Display Areas (SIDA), and track entry / exit activity.
By extending Acre Matrix Frontier’s access control capabilities beyond fixed readers, the airport gained a more flexible way to validate personnel and improve visibility in active airport environments.
Challenges
Airport security teams must maintain strict control over who is authorized to access restricted areas. In SIDA environments regulated by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), personnel identification, badge display, and security training are central to preventing unauthorized access in secure areas throughout the airport. Many airports also train and rely on badge holders to help assist by challenging individuals who are not properly displaying identification or who may not be authorized for the area.
As a result, security teams need a fast, reliable, and mobile credential validation solution. A visual badge check alone may confirm that someone is displaying an ID, but it does not always confirm whether the badge is active in the access control system database, whether the badgeholder still has access privileges, or whether they are authorized for that specific area.
Fixed access control readers are essential at controlled entry points, but airport operations also need flexibility and mobility. Security teams may need to validate credentials away from doors, perform random spot checks, verify permissions inside restricted areas, or track personnel movement where fixed infrastructure is limited.
The airport needed a handheld solution that could help security staff:
- Validate airport credentials in the field
- Confirm permissions within SIDA areas
- Support badge challenge workflows with real-time credential validation
- Perform mobile spot checks throughout restricted zones
- Track entry and exit activity for better visibility
- Extend the value of its Acre Matrix Frontier access control system
The goal was to bring access control intelligence and validation directly to the point of need in the field, helping security teams verify that the right people are in the right areas with the right permissions.
Solution
XPressEntry was implemented as a mobile access control solution for badge validation, permission verification, and entry / exit tracking.
With XPressEntry, airport security personnel can scan badges using handheld devices and verify credentials against the latest available information on record from the Acre Matrix Frontier database. This allows teams to confirm in nearly real time whether a badge is valid and whether the badgeholder has the proper permissions for the area being checked.
For SIDA spot checks, XPressEntry gives security staff a practical way to validate workers, contractors, and other authorized personnel while they are already inside restricted airport areas. Instead of relying only on fixed readers at entry points, security teams can perform credential checks wherever security oversight is needed.
XPressEntry also captures entry and exit activity from the handhelds, helping the airport maintain more complete records of personnel movement across controlled areas.
By integrating with Acre Matrix Frontier, XPressEntry allowed the airport to build on its existing access control investment while giving security teams greater flexibility in the field.
Results
With XPressEntry in place, the airport gained a mobile access control solution that supports real-world airport security operations.
Key outcomes included:
- Faster mobile badge validation
- Spot checks within SIDA areas
- Permission verification away from fixed access control points
- Improved visibility into entry and exit activity
- More complete field-based access activity records
- Stronger use of existing Acre Matrix Frontier access control data
- Greater flexibility for security teams working in restricted airport environments
By extending access control capabilities to mobile handheld readers, the airport improved its ability to validate credentials, confirm permissions, and document access activity in areas where mobility is essential.
Conclusion
For this major airport in South Florida, XPressEntry delivered a practical way to extend access control beyond fixed doors and into active airport security operations.
Working with SGI Matrix and integrating with Acre Matrix Frontier, the airport can use existing access control data to support mobile badge validation, SIDA spot checks, and entry / exit tracking throughout restricted areas.
The result is a more flexible, visible, and accountable approach to airport access control, helping security teams verify the right people are in the right areas at the right time.
Why Organizations Choose XPressEntry:
XPressEntry handheld badge and biometric readers continue to lead the industry with:
- The most access control integrations
- Broad support for badges, biometrics, and mobile credentials
- The first handheld badge reader running Android 15 for enhanced security
CONTACT US to learn how XPressEntry can enhance airport security operations.