Proximity Card Market: Why Supplier Choice Can Make a Big Difference
Companies take their security seriously. They need robust protections that safeguard their personnel and sensitive information, but they also need streamlined security that isn’t too onerous or annoying.
Employers don’t want their employees wasting time trying to move throughout the workspace, just like the nuisance is something employees want to avoid. Many organizations, non-profits, and companies rely on proximity cards to get the best of both worlds, but finding the right supplier is important.
Here are a few things you should be on the lookout for to know you’re on the right track.
Options Galore
The best proximity card supplier is one who delivers exactly what you need, rather than one with a narrow focus that only has one or a few types of cards. They should have proximity cards and accessories from North America’s leading suppliers, like Honeywell, ADT, and Keyscan, as well as a range of options.
For example, there are traditional proximity cards, clamshell, HID, magnetic stripe, key fobs, composite, and more.
Versatility
The best proximity card suppliers can customize your cards so they fit your existing door card reader. You shouldn’t have to replace an entire system to adjust to a new type of card. Whether you have a 26-bit, 35-bit, 37-bit, or 172-bit card reader, they should be able to adapt to you instead of the other way around.
Proximity Cards Make Granular Access Easy
One of the best features about proximity cards is the way that they enable every employee to access every space they’re allowed to enter with one single card. Nobody has to carry with them a ring of keys and try inserting different ones in the door to see which one works.
Instead, one proximity card opens every door they’re authorized to access. This gives employers granular control over who can go where. As an employee moves up in the ranks, they may get access to certain storage spaces, boardrooms, or other areas more junior employees aren’t meant to be. All a company needs to do is update and modify that employee’s proximity card accordingly, and they can go about their business.
Security is Reliable
Convenience is great, but it should never come at the expense of security. Thankfully, there’s no trade-off! The most convenient proximity cards are also the most reliable.
While proximity cards have existed for many years now (think about hotel key cards you may have used on vacation), the technology inside has progressed considerably. Proximity cards have embedded metallic antenna coils inside which store encoded data.
Inside each card is a unique sequence of numbers, which then gets read by an HID proximity card reader. The card reader will then verify if the numbers match what’s inside the company’s internal database, and if they do, the door will unlock.
Printing Cards Yourself
Organizations want to onboard new hires quickly and it helps to control as many elements of that as they can. The leading proximity card suppliers also sell the equipment necessary for companies and other organizations to print their own identity cards, so they don’t need to contact someone else and wait for them to do the printing.
The leading suppliers of proximity cards have tools and equipment you need to cut out the middleman and take matters into your own hands. That way, you can speed up processes internally and handle them sooner without depending on factors out of your control.
Who Uses Proximity Cards?
Proximity cards have become increasingly popular in hospitals, universities, administrative buildings, non-profits, and companies across sectors. There are many scenarios where it’s essential to grant some people easy access while barring entry to others, and proximity cards have flourished in them all.
Look for a Canadian-owned supplier with years of experience under their belt. Organizations of all types rely on their proximity cards, and you can, too.
Do Proximity Cards Need Maintenance?
Even the best proximity cards will last longer if you are mindful of a few things to prevent wear and tear and help secure data storage. Ideally, you should keep your card somewhere dusty and airborne particles can’t reach, like a flexible vinyl holder that also protects it from damaging UV rays.
If you hold the edges of your proximity card instead of the finished surface, you won’t cause distortions. When your card is dirty, 99% isopropyl alcohol can help clean up lingering residue. Usually, proximity cards will work if you keep them in your wallet, which is doubly convenient — you don’t need to remove the card from your pocket and put it back each time, and it also protects the card and keeps it from getting dirty.
Careful Not to Demagnetize It
As with keeping proximity cards clean so as to keep the data stored on it secure, the leading proximity cards also can be demagnetized after repeated exposure to a magnetic field. It could be a zipper or button.
This can happen when the cards are stored loosely in a pocket or bags. The same flexible vinyl holder that prevents it from getting dirty can also keep it from getting demagnetized. It usually isn’t a problem, but it’s something to be mindful of. If your card stops working, this could explain why.
Custom-Printing
The best proximity card printers can do custom printing so the cards people carry match their organization’s branding. Think about it. People carry their proximity cards with them day in and day out.
It’s often a very visible symbol of their organization, and it’s a potent one, too, since it represents what lets people get in the door. The proximity card is literally and figuratively a key to the company, so it’s a great canvas on which to exhibit your organization’s branding.
You may not think about your proximity card once you have it because it works so quickly and smoothly with just a tap. However, when you’re in the process of choosing a supplier, consider the above and find one that can tick off every box.
