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Access control has been quickly advancing in recent years, and it doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon, thanks to the versatility of the latest technologies. For example, with the latest addition of the use of RFID technology in today’s smart phones using the common near-field communications (NFC) technology protocol for Apple Pay®, Google Wallet™ and Android Pay™ is expanding into personnel and vehicle access control, and systems integrators are taking advantage of equipment interoperability to combine access control with secure payment.
According to market research firm IHS Markit, continued growth of access control in 2017 also will see new applications gaining traction, such as biometrics and mobile credentials. Examples include employee access control badges used for payment in cafeterias or vending machines, and even mobile phones can provide credentials for secure access or payment with NFC technology. In fact, all of FEIG’s CPR line of card readers support NFC technology for easy integration with mobile technology.
With an RFID reader and a contactless payment module, like cVEND, RFID can be integrated with access control in paid parking lots or hotel parking garages for simpler operation through interoperability. TIBA Parking has done just that, using FEIG equipment at a number of hotel parking lots for quick and easy, unmanned entry and exit.
As passive UHF RFID readers are extending their range, and tag costs are dropping, the technology also is being used to enable access control for authorized vehicles. Now more gated communities, warehouses and office parking lots are implementing vehicle access management using long-range RFID readers, such as the FEIG ID MAX.U1002 which acts as a stand-alone access control system. With a passive dual UHF/HF RFID tag from LINXENS the reader plus antenna deployed to identify vehicles entering or leaving a gated area, authorized vehicles simply slow down and drive through an automated gate, saving time and personnel costs associated with manned entry points. The same dual UHF/HF RFID tag can also be used for personnel access control such as entry into pools, gyms and clubhouse.
We’ve come a long way from the days when securing access to places and things required a lot of time and manpower. With the ease and functionality of RFID, access control systems will continue to get better in the future… And here at FEIG, we will continue to design our RFID products for use in secure access control, identification and payment systems.