IMA at ECCA 2026: Digital identity in Higher Education is moving from future vision to everyday reality

ECCA 2026 confirmed one thing clearly: digital identity in Higher Education is no longer a future concept. Mobile credentials, wallet integration and future-proof security are already shaping the way modern campuses manage access, services and everyday student experience. 

Mobile credentials are no longer “the future”. They are already here. 

One of the strongest messages from the conference was clear: mobile credentials are becoming a practical part of everyday campus life. 

Students and staff already carry their mobile phones with them everywhere. This makes mobile credentials a natural step towards a more seamless and user-friendly campus experience. Instead of relying only on physical cards, universities are increasingly looking at solutions that allow identity and access rights to be managed digitally and used directly through mobile devices. Mobile credentials however rather complement physical tokens then replace them altogether and we at IMA expect both words of physical and digital credentials to coexist and mutually complement each other.  

Wallet Integration 

The trend is also moving towards wallet integration, including platforms such as Apple Wallet, Google Wallet and Samsung Wallet. This reflects a broader shift in user expectations: access to buildings, rooms, lockers, services and campus systems should be simple, intuitive and available through the technology people already use every day. 

Security remains the foundation of every campus identity system 

While convenience is important, ECCA 2026 also confirmed that safe and secure access control remains a key priority for universities. 

Many educational institutions still operate access control systems and readers that have been in use for many years, sometimes even 20 years or more. This creates an important challenge: how can campuses modernise their identity infrastructure while ensuring long-term security, reliability and compatibility? 

For technology providers, this means that new products cannot only respond to today’s requirements. They must also be designed with future-proofing in mind. As new standards and technologies emerge, universities need solutions that can continue to protect people, buildings and data over decades. 

Future-proof technologies and new standards are gaining momentum 

As security expectations grow, access control systems must be prepared for the next generation of digital threats including post-quantum readiness of critical systems and components for physical security and access control.  

Emerging standards and credential technologies such as Aliro, PKOC, DUOX credentials and wallet-based access are becoming part of the discussion. For Higher Education, this is especially relevant. Universities need systems that are secure today, but also flexible enough to evolve as standards, devices and user behaviour change. 

This is where long-term product development becomes critical. Future campus infrastructure must be open, adaptable and ready to integrate with the next generation of identity technologies. 

At IMA, we believe technology should help create educational environments that are easier to use, easier to manage and above all secure. From digital identity management and smart access control to secure storage through imaLOCKER solutions, our goal is to support universities in building campus environments that are ready for both today’s users and tomorrow’s standards. 

ECCA 2026 confirmed that the direction is clear: the future of campus identity is mobile, secure, seamless and built to last. And IMA is ready to be part of that journey.