5 benefits of using the Mifare Smart card for your business
The Mifare smart card is a worldwide payment and ID card.
Introduced in 1994 to solve transport issues around the world. Urbanisation and overcrowding led to more and more people using public transport. Making it difficult to handle ticket payments and check everyone's ticket before travelling. Leading to free-riders and criminals using their facilities.
Mifare did away with this by providing a secure payment solution for transport. Ensuring that everyone that had a Mifare smart card paid their monthly fee, granting them access to transport.
Everyone knows how efficient the Oyster card is in London. Allowing users to go on multiple means of transport with one card by topping it up with pay as you go.
Today, Mifare is used in almost every industry. Including sporting events, corporate businesses, festivals, loyalty programs, transport facilities etc...
Mifare is the best security solution out there for your business and here is why.
How does Mifare work?
The Mifare smart card has an RFID chip embedded in it. This chip stores all your important information at a high frequency of 13.56MHz through encryption.
Encryption means that only people with access to their unique Mifare smart card can gain access.
Swiping your card on the reader sends secure communication between the card and reader. Granting you access to the facility.
Shutting off the communication once you have gained access.
Therefore, preventing criminals from copying your card.
The problem of cloning
Cloning is where criminals copy your cards information onto another card or key fob using a cloning device.
Cloning equipment is easily accessible and can be bought online on Takealot by anyone. Hackers or criminals can easily clone your cards without being noticed.
Therefore, gaining access to unauthorized areas and posing a huge security risk to you and your employees or customers.
Cloned cards
The 125KHz proximity cards are susceptible to cloning because they have no encryption and have a larger reading range. Meaning that you can wave or swipe in the general direction of the reader and it will grant you access.
As a result, criminals can copy your important information easily using their cloning equipment.
Therefore, Mifare is the safer option.
The benefits of Mifare smart card?
Mifare has the ability to store a lot of information on its memory. Providing security solutions for access control and payment at a relatively low cost.
You can store your information on wristbands, key fobs or cards. Providing alternative options for your company and its needs.
1. Convenience
Waiting in long lines is enough to make your customers switch to your competitors. With Mifare, you can load money onto your card (every month or pay as you go) and skip the ques.
Therefore, preventing overcrowding and the potential spread of the virus. Providing a great way to enhance your employee or customer experience.
2. Security
Smart cards provide private access to restricted areas. Only those with restricted passes may enter. Encrypted information on the card protects your information from being cloned. Therefore, ensuring that no unauthorised criminal gains access to your business.
3. Cashless payments
In today's world, cash is not the best form of payment. It can easily get lost or stolen. Carrying a huge wad of cash is not convenient and ruins the experience.
Therefore, cashless payments create a risk-free environment where employees and customers can pay for food and drinks with a prepaid Mifare smart card all in one swipe.
4. Data collection
Mifare smart cards allow you to gather data on your customers as never before. Giving you more information about who your audience is and how you can improve their customer experience and overall satisfaction.
Therefore, building a better customer relationship.
5. Tracking and tracing
Time and attendance tracking ensure that workers are where they are supposed to be. Creating a better understanding of the daily running of the business as a whole. Adjusting strategies and improving overall business performance and productivity.
Mifare tracks the movement of people working at the business or event at all times. As a result, they can pinpoint exactly where employees are at all times. This information can be extremely important during times of emergency Locating your staff quickly and easily.
Importance of Mifare smart card in industries
1. Events
Gain access and provide payment solutions for festivals, amusement parks and stadiums. Used as key fobs, cards or wristbands at these events.
Great way to reduce contact during the pandemic as you do not need to physically touch anything. Providing a solution for when events start to open up again when many more people are vaccinated and safe.
Example:
Rocking the daisies music festival. Held every year in the Western Cape, Darling region. Upon arrival, festival-goers are given a wristband for payment and access. Loading payment onto the wristband as a pay as you go mechanism and creating a cash-free zone.
Paying for food and drinks and accessing areas permitted to your ticket payment using your wristband. Specific to this event and cannot be used elsewhere. Therefore, allowing you to cash out after the festival has ended.
Great marketing tool for your business. Allowing your customers to take away their wristbands after the festival has finished. Showing their friends and family the special event.
2. Public transport
Public transport has used Mifare since 1994. Improving over time, the multipurpose card allows you to load money and gain access to their services by a pay as you go method. Providing a more secure and smart solution to all the transport industries in the world.
Example
Buscor and Gautrain South Africa have done very well for themselves with the introduction of Mifare. This platform provides their customers with a convenient way to load money onto the card every month and gain access to their facilities. Creating a risk-free environment that is cashless and convenient.
We did the cards for Buscor and Mifare has solved many issues that they were facing.
- Security - Reducing fraud where passengers cannot enter the transport facility if they have not paid. Blocking passengers cards if lost or stolen. Preventing criminals from accessing their money or information.
- Time & overcrowding - By having a pay as you go monthly payment, customers do not have to wait in long lines paying for their tickets. Presenting their paid card and granted access. Preventing the spread of Covid-19 and providing a safer environment for all.
- Data collection - Obtaining important information about their customers and how they can better serve them.
Running smoothly ever since Buscor is happy with their Mifare smart card.
3. Employee access cards
Used in corporate workplaces as employee cards. Used to gain access to the corporate building and as a means of payment for lunch at the cafeteria. Your employees will never have to wait in lines again.
Managers are able to have an overview of how the business runs daily. Providing a great way to increase productivity and monitor time and attendance. Producing a more productive and efficient business.
Example
Phezulu procurement enterprise is a medical and hospital equipment distributor that uses our access control cards.
How it works:
- Heat technology scans their employees searching for fevers or temperatures in relation to COVID-19 symptoms.
- Employee will pass the heat test.
- Only then will the employee be able to use their Mifare access card to enter the building.
Therefore, providing a safe and secure environment for everyone.
Using our card for time and attendance to monitor their staff too and increase their productivity as a business. They have benefited a lot from this device and will continue to use it in the future.
What is DESfire smart card?
The Mifare DESfire is the newest and most secure platform on the market. Being one of the highest standards of card security currently available. Having a larger memory than the other Mifare cards, it is the best card.
Equipped to fight any hacker or criminal:
Having an additional layer of encryption reduces the risk of cloning the card technology.
The reduced reading range means that you cannot wave or swipe the card over the reader. Instead, placing it in front of the reader until access is granted.
Therefore, DESfire is the most secure platform in the world.
What is the future of Mifare?
Increased technology around the world has shifted towards mobile smartphone devices. But this does not mean the end for cards.
Mobile will not replace cards completely. Instead, cards will be replaced by smaller convenient alternatives including key fobs and wristbands. These devices are more cost-effective and do all the same functions that smartphones can do. Just at a cheaper price.
Urbanisation is expected to increase and many cities will move towards smarter technology. Therefore, adopting this technology in everyday use. Preventing overcrowding, virus spreading and theft. Providing a better place for everyone.
Conclusion
Mifare has come a long way and is continually improving over time. Used in almost every industry, Mifare aims to make the world more secure and accessible to all.
If your industry is stated above and you want to find out more, please contact us. We want to help you provide a more secure, convenient solution for your business.
