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NEWS ALERT: Sentry Interactive’s SDK enables mass enrollment of PKOC credentials

What is Public Key Open Credential (PKOC)?

The Public Key Open Credential (PKOC) specification represents a major evolution in physical and mobile access credentials, providing a secure, interoperable, open-standard alternative to traditional proprietary credential formats.

Open, secure, and free from proprietary limits

Delivering the highest security levels

Unlike many legacy access credentials that rely on symmetric encryption and vendor-specific implementations, PKOC is based on asymmetric cryptography.  Each credential contains a unique public-private key pair, with the private key securely stored within the device’s secure hardware element and never shared. This architecture significantly improves security and helps prevent credential cloning or unauthorized duplication.

Designed for open interoperability

PKOC is license-free and vendor-agnostic, designed to be open and accessible by multiple platforms, readers, cards, and mobile devices. This interoperability simplifies integration and reduces costly vendor lock-in while enabling organizations to deploy credentials across multiple hardware and software platforms.

Enabling flexible deployments

By supporting both NFC and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mobile credentials and physical cards, PKOC enables flexible deployment models that meet modern enterprise requirements. Integrators and end users benefit from greater choice, lower long-term costs, and a credential framework aligned with modern IT security principles.

Deploy PKOC at scale

Building on its open and license-free foundation, PKOC provides a deployable, enterprise-ready framework for secure credential issuance and management at scale, enabling interoperable credential enrollment while preserving flexibility across vendors and technologies.

Sentry Interactive and Public Key Open Credential (PKOC)

Find out how our mobile credentials deliver to PKOC specifications, pioneering the future of open standard credentials.

PKOC Mobile credentials

Find out about the benefits of mass enrollment capabilities of Public Key Open Credentials (PKOC) for enterprises. 

PKOC Mass Enrollment

Learn more in an article exploring how the Sentry Interactive SDK is enabling mass enrollment of PKOC credentials for enterprises.

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Enroll your users with PKOC credentials today

By integrating our SDK, you will have the ability to enroll users at scale with mobile credentials that follow PKOC specification. Embrace the future of open standard credentials today.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Public Key Open Credential (PKOC)?

PKOC (Public Key Open Credential) is an open-standard specification for physical and mobile access credentials. It uses asymmetric cryptography — a unique public-private key pair per credential — to provide a secure, interoperable alternative to traditional proprietary credential formats. The private key is stored in the device’s secure hardware element and is never shared.

How is PKOC more secure than traditional access credentials?

Unlike legacy credentials that rely on symmetric encryption and vendor-specific implementations, PKOC uses asymmetric cryptography. Each credential has its own unique key pair, with the private key never leaving the device’s secure hardware element. This architecture significantly reduces the risk of credential cloning or unauthorised duplication.

Is PKOC compatible with my existing access control hardware?

Yes. PKOC is designed to be vendor-agnostic and license-free, meaning it works across multiple platforms, readers, cards, and mobile devices. It supports both NFC and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), enabling flexible deployment alongside existing infrastructure without costly hardware replacement.

Does PKOC lock me into a single vendor or ecosystem?

No — avoiding vendor lock-in is one of PKOC’s core advantages. Because it is and license-free organizations can deploy credentials across different hardware and software platforms, giving them freedom of choice over readers, credential providers, and mobile applications.

Can PKOC be deployed at enterprise scale?

Yes. PKOC supports enterprise mass enrollment, allowing organizations to issue and manage PKOC credentials at scale. Sentry Interactive’s SDK enables bulk remote enrollment of PKOC-compliant mobile credentials, turning what was traditionally a manual process into a streamlined, large-scale rollout.

“With mass enrollment capabilities now available, organizations can deploy interoperable credentials at enterprise scale while preserving freedom of choice across readers, credential providers, and mobile applications”
David BunzelExecutive Director of PSIA
“The integration with Sentry Interactive transforms what was once a manual, time-consuming process into a seamless, remote rollout of PKOC at scale. This is about reducing cost, accelerating implementation, and giving organizations true freedom of choice.”
Jason OuelletteChairman of PSIA and Vice President of Innovation & Technical Partnerships at Elatec, a brand of Allegion
“Sentry Interactive’s solution facilitates incorporating interoperable PKOC mobile credentials into an access control infrastructure. Its use of an openly available interface would benefit any PACS integration project looking to support enhanced credentials”
Rodney ThayerConvergence Engineer at Smithee Solutions LLC
Open standards are the future of secure access, we’re empowering organizations to take control of their credential strategy, securely, efficiently, and without being tied to a single ecosystem. This marks a major shift in how mobile access credentials are deployed through C.CURE IQ and other access control platforms”
Rick FockeDirector of Product and Market Development, at Johnson Controls
“PKOC creates something the access control industry has not had before - a truly open credential, It gives end users the freedom to introduce PKOC alongside existing proprietary card systems without locking themselves into a single ecosystem"
John TepleyFounder & CEO, EMSi

William Bainborough

Board of Directors

William is an experienced British entrepreneur, founder, and accomplished board executive and advisor for a number of businesses. He is the CEO and co-founder of Doordeck, the world’s only true cloud-based access control aggregator. He is also the managing director and founder of Group Secure, a leader in providing security, CCTV, and access control solutions, products, and installation for high-net-worth individuals in the UK. 

William established his first business at just seventeen and brings 20-plus years of in-depth experience and industry knowledge. He has a proven track record for building businesses from the ground up—and then leading them to profitability and a successful exit across a myriad of sectors including hospitality, retail, security, telecommunications, and e-commerce. William’s leadership, vision, and experience in creating cutting-edge SaaS-based technology platforms will prove invaluable for Sentry Interactive moving forward.

Denis Hébert

CHAIRMAN & CEO

Hébert began his career at Honeywell International where he held several leadership positions including Managing Director for the Automation and Controls business in France and eventually President of the NexWatch Corporation from 1999-2002. Hébert led HID Global as President & CEO over a transformative 12-year period from 2002-2015, where he provided strategic guidance and grew the business tenfold through a mix of strong organic and acquisitive growth. Most recently, Hébert was President of Feenics Corporation which is a cloud-based access control company that was successfully sold to ACRE LLC at the end of 2021. Hébert also served on the Board of Directors for the Security Industry Association (SIA) from 2009-2020 and was nominated to be Chairman of the Board for SIA from 2016-2018. He is currently Chairman of the Board for Nightingale Security based in Newark, CA.

Stephen Taylor Matthews

Board of Directors
Stephen is a very accomplished attorney, member of the Texas State Bar, licensed commercial real estate broker, and an avid philanthropist. He is an experienced executive board member, serving in leadership positions for more than 20 community councils and corporate boards—ranging from Boy Scouts of America to the ABBA Business Leaders Council, and most recently the American Bank BOD, the Real Estate Council of Austin, and the Marbridge Foundation BOT. With more than 35 years experience, Stephen and his firm, Barrond & Adler, L.L.P. are devoted to eminent domain cases in Texas.

Jon Davis

Board of Directors

Mr. Davis is an Experienced corporate board member, having served on boards of public, private equity-backed, and venture-backed companies. Jon possesses deep industry expertise in dairy, food processing, food technology and manufacturing, and food, beverage, and entertainment services. 

During Jon’s tenure of 25 plus years, he’s led operations, research and development, and mergers and acquisitions. He’s served as CEO and has been the founder and active board member for many successful enterprises—from startups to billion-dollar corporations. While COO and CEO of Davisco Foods International, Jon built a state-of-the-art cheese plant which was awarded the United States Dairy processing plant of the year in 2005 by Dairy Foods magazine. Currently, Jon is active with several non-dairy projects, including investments in local real estate, the Wayzata Brewworks, and his latest venture the new CōV restaurant in Edina’s Galleria.

Joe Caldwell

Founder and Chairman of the Board

Joe is an American entrepreneur, investor, and accomplished executive. He has co-founded, founded, and led many successful businesses, including US Internet, a leading fiber internet service provider, Securence, a leading provider of email filtering software, and Ravon, an industry-leading digital voice communications service. 

It was Joe’s venture, Municipal Parking Services (MPS), that inspired him in 2020 to start Sentry Interactive, an advanced touchless and staffless detection platform.

Caldwell currently serves as CEO and Chairman of the Board for Municipal Parking Services (MPS), a global tech company based in Austin, TX responsible for inventing and patenting technologies that assist in parking and security enforcement.

Joe was named one of Minnesota’s 500 Most Powerful Business Leaders for the past two years—and is a seasoned corporate board member. He’s served on boards of public, private equity-backed, and venture-backed companies—and has deep industry expertise in all aspects of digital technology.

Jason Bohrer

Board of Directors

Jason Bohrer is one of the visionaries behind our mission to bring people back together safely and securely, in any environment, through Sentry’s advanced digital communications and detection platform. With over two decades of senior leadership experience, Jason’s track record of success spans across sales, operations, product innovation, strategy, and technology for domestic and global companies like Bexar Technology Partners, CPI Card Group, HID Global, and Motorola, Inc. Prior to launching Sentry Interactive, Jason was actively involved with several key technology transitions across multiple industries, including the contact and contactless EMV transitions in the U.S. payments industry and the adoption of smart card and mobile technologies in the global access and identity market. Jason was an inaugural member of the University of Chicago Executive Institute and holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin. He also serves as the Executive Director for two industry-leading not-for-profit organizations: the Secure Technology Alliance and the U.S. Payments Forum.
Brent Terry

Brent Terry

Chief Operating Officer
Brent Terry leads the operations and solutions organizations at Sentry. This includes all product innovation, development, and operations management. A veteran in the technology space, Brent has more than 30 years of experience across a myriad of industries, like physical security technology and building automation, SAAS, hardware and software product development, internet, digital TV, interactive TV, digital media, telecommunications, and medical products and services. Prior to Sentry, Brent has spun up successful startups and led high-performing teams for some of the biggest global, Fortune 500 companies, including ARRIS, Conerco, Motive Communications, SeaChange International, and IBM. Brent holds a BS in Computer Science from the University of Louisiana. He also is the committee Chairman and Program Director for a non-profit organization responsible for the rollout of smart cards for physicians and first responders.