SIA confirms openness of Transparent Mode for OSDP standard

SILVER SPRING, Md.—The Security Industry Association (SIA) has confirmed that, going forward, the SIA Open Supervised Device Protocol (OSDP) Transparent Mode configuration will be open to all within the security industry.

SIA OSDP is an access control communications standard developed by SIA to improve interoperability among access control and security products. Transparent Mode is a capability within the OSDP standard that allows secure communication channels to be used while passing application-specific data between devices. This capability enables manufacturers to support advanced device functionality without sacrificing the interoperability and security benefits provided by the OSDP standard.

Previously, the Transparent Mode mechanism was subject to a number of U.S. patents held by HID and other intellectual property rights. HID has confirmed that its patents related to Transparent Mode functionality, as defined in the OSDP specification, will not restrict implementation within OSDP-compliant solutions.

“Open standards drive innovation, interoperability and scalable deployment across the security industry, and Transparency Mode is integral to the secure, interoperable device communication framework of OSDP,” said SIA CEO Don Erickson. “SIA applauds HID for its commitment to the continued adoption and development of OSDP and its longstanding support for the industry and open standards - enabling manufacturers, integrators and end users to implement solutions with confidence.”

SIA OSDP was approved as an international standard by the International Electrotechnical Commission in May 2020 and has been published as IEC 60839-11-5. SIA OSDP v2.2.2 was released in October 2024. The standard is in constant refinement to retain its industry-leading position.

SIA encourages broad adoption of this standard - which is already in wide use by many leading manufacturers - and recommends specifying OSDP for any access control installations that require real security and/or will be used in government and other higher-security settings. A key element of the developing SIA EU Advisory Board will be to advocate for adoption of OSDP within the region. SIA OSDP is particularly valuable for government applications because it meets federal access control requirements like PKI for FICAM.

Learn more about SIA OSDP, including how to purchase the standard, become OSDP Verified and/or access training around this standard, on the OSDP webpage.