For almost 15 years, contactless RFID cards and tags have been changing the access control landscape. While the market has grown exponentially over that period, it is only recently that the cards and readers have evolved from simply transmitting numbers to complex multi-application card and reader environments that can perform multiple functions including security and encryption with flexible card structures. Advances in technology have made contactless cards and readers a must-have for all a company’s security and access control needs.

Contactless card technologies

According to research analyst Blake Kozak, IMS Research, although smart cards are being used more in European countries than in the U.S., smart cards in the U.S. are beginning to see large growth, with proximity cards still taking up the greatest portion of the market. “Multi-technology readers are popular at the moment because they allow an organization to futureproof themselves,” explained Kozak. “Simply stated, this allows users to continue using their current technology until the funding and/or time is right to upgrade their system. The multi-technology reader will then allow them to upgrade more seamlessly.”

There are a variety of contactless card technologies available in today’s market. Proximity cards are the most prevalent, primarily because that’s what end-users are accustomed to using. These cards and tags communicate at 125 kHz and work when a card is brought within the area of the RFID field created by a reader. It’s very simple and easy to use, but is usually only good for one application. From a security standpoint, this card can only be secured using a specific format in the card or with a matching format between the card and reader. There are, however, newer and better options available.