News & Events Blog

“There are many trends and topics which will dominate the security industry this year. These include the growth of ‘smart security systems’ and ‘intelligent smart applications’ which add value beyond security, as well as the growing use of mobile credentials, wireless/offline locks and multi-modal biometrics. There will continue to be challenges within the industry such as the move from legacy technologies to a more secure smart card or an alternative form of credential, and with more and more manufacturers moving into areas that typically where not their core business, we will continue to see the adoption of more open standards and greater cross industry co-operation.”

With the threat of card cloning and door controller interceptions ever increasing, the industry recommendation is to use smart cards to secure credentials; but for many companies the move is daunting. For small companies the concerns are about cost, knowledge and selecting the best solution to meet their needs. Larger companies will have the additional concern of scale and how they physically manage the migration process and roll out of the new smart cards; especially if multiple sites and systems are deployed globally.

We hear a lot about Smart cards, but why? What makes them so great in comparison to traditional access control cards? First let’s look at traditional credential based access control cards, and then see what’s so smart about Smart cards.