As an employee, have you ever wished you could track your time with just a simple card?
Not like the old card you used to literally “punch the clock,” but something like a debit card.
Or, maybe as an employer, have you ever wished you had a way to easily give your all your employees access to company files?
In the business world, the ability to mainstream processes, easily record data, and easily and quickly distribute it to employees is vital to a company’s bottom line.
Time costs money.
What is the answer?
So, what is the answer? How do you streamline the processes using the advancements in technology available to you?
One highly recommended option is by implementing the use of a smart card.
Smart cards bear a striking resemblance to your average debit or credit card – partially because they are one!
Have you ever used a card with a microprocessor chip or a chip reader? The answer is probably yes as your bank probably recently provided you with a new microprocessor chipped debit card.
If so, then you are actually already the proud owner of a smart card.
However, smart cards go beyond just your average debit card with a microprocessor chip in it.
Smart cards can actually store information and track data and come in the form of a contact or contactless smart card.
Advantages of a Smart Card
While they might look like your average debit card, smart cards are actually much more secure.
They offer persistent, protected storage
The average memory of a smart card is anywhere from 4K to 32K. But, you can’t just expect to swipe the card and pull all the information off of it. These cards use authentication and encryption technology that is much more secure than your average card.
Thanks to the microprocessor chip embedded in smart cards, the card can be programmed to require contact on certain areas of the chip and it can be programmed for specific industries.
Specifically, a contactless smart card uses radio frequency identification technology to communicate with the card reader wirelessly. These cards can range from a simple low-security memory card to a high-security crypto-processor card. These cards are increasingly beneficial for use in the transportation, retail, education, and identification sectors.
However, there are also contact smart cards. Contact smart cards are split into two separate categories: Microprocessor and Memory. The memory contact smart cards hold data and are intelligent, like a PC. The microprocessor contact smart cards hold data as well but are not intelligent devices.
Either way – whether you go with a contact or contactless smart card – you are provided with a wide range of security levels.
They bring processing power to the table
Since most smart cards have a small CPU, they can do things other than just provide the information stored on the card. Smart cards can also protect the information, for example, requiring that the user enters a PIN code to access the information – further increasing their security levels, as well.
If the user continues to enter the PIN code wrong, the CPU might require the user to wait an hour or even a day before trying again.
However, in some cases, the CPU might even require that you call customer service to retrieve a special code to unlock the device.
They can double as an ID card
In certain industries, a smart card can also provide identification. This can be used for access to rooms that are employee or position specific. Specifically, when a smart card is being used as a means of identification, it is a time that might require a PIN code to access.
How do they enhance employee performance?
The answer to that is simple…
They streamline the process. They give employees quick and easy access to information, specific office locations, and other data – such as time tracking – all at the ease of one small and portable card.
By making company files accessible via a smart card using a PIN code, employees can have all the information they need right at their fingertips without risking the security of the company’s documentation.
They also quickly, easily, and efficiently track employees time and/or access to specific rooms which can help cut back on overhead through proper tracking of time cards. By using smart cards, you can eliminate the need for a more involved time tracking system and can help streamline the process to ensure all employees are honest and diligent.
Conclusion
As smart card technology continues to improve through advancements in technology and other upgrades that become available, they continue to offer a safe, easy, and affordable means of storing and transmitting data.
By incorporating this advanced and beneficial technology into your business, you will find that there is less of a worry about the safety of company documents and about the accuracy of data tracking.
