FINAL WORD
Multi-function ID cards
the way forward
Institutions requiring residents to have multiple security
rights are fast adopting single card technology to reduce
costs and improve performance.
solutions to ensure that employees and
visitors are protected and have a good
user experience, without any compromise
on security.
There are five key reasons institutions
are moving to smart cards:
Increased security and safety
Christophe Malgorn is Director of Secure
Issuance EMEA at HID Global.
U
niversities are a goldmine of data,
thanks to student and faculty
records, research material, financial
details and possibly much more. The use of
legacy secure access technology in colleges
and universities such as magnetic stripes or
simple proximity cards for access control
often leaves these institutions open to
security vulnerabilities and data breaches.
This results in increased duplication and
fraudulent card use, and even identity theft.
Forward-thinking universities are now
moving away from traditional magnetic
stripes and low-frequency proximity card
technologies in favour of high-frequency
contactless one-card technology for their
student ID programmes.
The Middle East is no different.
Universities in the region have started to
switch to smart cards in order to benefit
from the increased security and safety,
greater flexibility and user convenience.
Not only the security aspect, but secure
access technology saves money in the long
run, in so doing, dealing with budgetary
and cost-cutting issues.
Secure cards are now in high demand
in large enterprises, government offices,
educational institutions and the finance
sector. Organisations within these sectors
have been putting money into new
Upgrading to contactless smart card
technology bolsters physical access
to buildings while strengthening
logical access to networks, computers,
documents, data, student health and
financial records. Additionally, smart card
embedded technologies inherently thwart
fraudulent card use and card cloning, not
only ensuring secure building access, but
protection for other card uses such as debit
purchases or banking transactions.
Migrating to a smart, secure credential
can also eliminate the need for physical
keys, which can all-too-easily be copied
and are notoriously vulnerable to loss or
theft. Features such as personalisation,
lamination, engraving and encoding,
as well as embedded smart chips are
being increasingly adopted as additional
layers of security to protect employees
and visitors. In the case of educational
institutions, security of students is of
prime importance.
Cardholder convenience
Photo ID, residence hall key card, library
card, cafeteria pass, bus pass - how many
cards do today’s university students
juggle? With contactless smart cards,
institutions can combine of all of those
functions onto a single, highly secure
campus one card and not only streamline
their operations but greatly enhance the
campus credential experience for students
and staff alike.
Greater flexibility
Beyond on-campus convenience,
multi-application smart cards allow for
secure interoperability with off-campus
applications such as transit and banking.
What is more, with the added flexibility
that smart card technology affords,
new applications or updates to existing
applications such as library privileges or
dining plans, can be added or modified at
any time without having to issue new cards.
Efficiency gains and cost savings
Multi-function smart cards provide
improved security operations,
more efficient workflows and easier
management of ID programs for students,
faculty, and staff. Due to better risk
management with the increased security
of smart cards, universities may also
experience reduced insurance premiums.
Path to the future
Migrating to a unified, underlying
smart card technology platform for all
application needs gives institutions the
ability to transition at their own pace
as budget and resources allow - laying a
foundation for adding new technologies
and capabilities as they become available
or increasingly more affordable.
Universities in the Middle East who are
making the migration to a multi-function
smart card technology platform are reaping
immediate benefits. They have found
utilising one smart card for multiple uses
enhances campus security, provides greater
user convenience and flexibility, reduces
risk and generates new process efficiencies.
All these have led to significant cost savings,
while protecting technology investments for
years to come.
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