Many of today’s colleges and universities are beginning to realize that moving away from traditional magnetic stripe (magstripe) and low-frequency proximity (prox) card technologies in favor of high-frequency, contactless “one-card” technology will provide their students, faculty and staff with a more secure and convenient on-campus experience.

Below are some valid questions which present legitimate concerns but just aren’t true.

Q: Do I have to upgrade everything at once?
A: Most institutions take a phased approach which is significantly easier to implement, rather than change out everything at once. If necessary, parallel systems can coexist for months. For example:

*Replace legacy cards with new technology-embedded cards while still preserving magstripe and/or proximity technology.

*Begin issuing new multi-technology cards and phase out old ones over time as students graduate.

*Replace magstripe and prox card readers with multi-technology readers, which will not only continue to support these legacy technologies, but also read more advanced, multi-function Smart Cards.

Q: We have too many access control technologies currently in place to migrate smoothly
A: Using multi-technology cards, you can usually migrate at your own pace regardless of the various access technologies currently in place. What many institutions do not realize is that a single Smart Card can securely house up to four different access control technologies including Weigand™, magstripe, low frequency, high frequency or contact chip.

Q: It’s not possible to support old and new application technologies at the same time
A: Applications that do not support contactless cards – such as library checkout services that still use magstripe or barcode – CAN remain intact and completely operational with multi-technology credentials. Just as multi-technology cards can support various access control technologies, they can also support various applications.

If your organization is challenged by the questions above or have similar concerns around the security of legacy technologies, we look forward to further discussions with your team. We take a consultative approach by asking smart questions that confirm if there is a better to help your company run efficiently and stay protected. Please contact us to share more details about your application, we will follow up with you promptly and look forward to exceeding your expectations with professional services.