Introduction
For years, RFID chip technology and RFID cards have been the backbone of any facility’s access control system. Not only that, but they’ve also assisted companies in managing their time and attendance needs.
As with any technology, however, it’s understandable to ask if RFID technology is still useful or even necessary, especially in today’s hybrid working environment. With new solutions like biometric authentication, it may be worth thinking about how you’re interfacing with your access control and time & attendance software.
Today, we’ll show you how we use modern biometric technology alongside RFID in solutions that include vIDix Control and vIDix Labor to build your understanding around this technology and how it’s changing.
How Do Biometrics Work?
Biometrics go beyond the more familiar RFID radio-frequency identification by using an individual’s unique biological characteristics. This could be from a fingerprint, a voice recording, or a facial recognition scan. The Thales Group defines biometric authentication this way:
Biometric authentication compares data for the person's characteristics to that person's biometric "template" to determine resemblance. (First, the) reference model is first stored. The data stored is then compared to the person's biometric data to be authenticated. In this mode, the question is: "Are you indeed, Mr or Mrs. X?"
You may have seen this sort of technology in futuristic spy movies, but it’s actually been around for quite some time. Up until now, however, there have been some barriers keeping it from widespread use. These include a need for increased public acceptance and a drop in price for what have been rather expensive sensors.
Today, those barriers have been erased. Take a look at most smartphones; while nearly all still require a PIN or password to unlock, a good chunk of them also come with a fingerprint reader or face recognition for an added layer of security.
With many modern access control systems moving to mobile apps on your smartphones (like the vIDix Go App), biometric technology will provide a more secure solution going forward.
The Benefits of a Modern Access Control System
Employee peace of mind in your workplace isn’t a new concept, but the focus on it is. Older access control systems may come with a higher risk of vulnerabilities, leaving workplaces to play catch-up when they should be staying one step ahead.
Fortunately, there are ways to modernize your access control system and keep it secure for many years to come. Workplace security solutions like vIDix Control now offer contactless technology and biometric card readers that ensure the safety, security, and health of today’s workplace.
Additional biometric features of vIDix Control include:
Mobile Credentials: Use a smartphone or tablet with a biometric lock to access doors, gates and more.
No Touch Biometrics: The No Touch Request-To-Exit Sensor uses IR technology to open a door or activate a device with the simple wave of a hand.
Facial Biometrics: This unique feature provides exceptional performance and usability for diverse access control sites, large or small.
For more reasons to update your workplace security solution, check out this blog on The Importance of Modernized Access Control Systems.
How Biometrics are Changing Time and Attendance
While biometric technology makes sense when it comes to workplace security, it’s also proven to be a game-changer for workplace management as well. That’s because the accurate measurement of absence and proper reporting of workplace attendance are fundamental to identifying potential problems. For instance, over 75% of employers lose money due to buddy punching, according to the American Payroll Association.
What is Buddy Punching?
Buddy punching is an industry term that refers to employee’s clocking in their coworkers when they are late or absent for their shift. This becomes a big financial burden for business owners.
New biometric time clock options can help to eliminate these inaccuracies. Our vIDix Labor solution uses Biometric Clocks with finger scanner technology to scan the finger vein pattern, rather than the scanning the actual fingerprint. This helps to avoid common fingerprint scanning problems, such as when fingerprints wear off or a hand is too wet.
Employees can feel safer when using a vIDix Labor Biometric Clocks, too. vIDix Labor does not store employee finger scans in the application; rather, the technology encrypts each finger scan, converting it to a random set of numbers instead. This keeps personal information private and safe for your employees.
Enhance Your Workplace Security and Management with Biometric Technology from Ban-Koe
Modern day security and employee attendance monitoring requires you to stay on the cutting-edge of the latest technology. That can sometimes feel like a burden when you have so many other needs for your business. Having a partner to handle these needs for you may offer the peace of mind you’re looking for.
We’re continually building and updating our systems to keep up with the modern demands of the workplace. For example, we recently upgraded our vIDix Access Control to Version 7 to provide workplaces with the most up-to-date solutions in both biometric and RFID technology, including:
Hands-free credential storage. Eliminate the need for physical cards, which may sometimes be forgotten or left behind. As a mobile feature, users may now store their credentials on a secure smartphone or smartwatch instead, thus removing any possibility of card cloning.
A new cryptographic software shell. Known as the Secure Identity Object or SIO®, the HID credential technology utilized by vIDix Control can evolve and respond to any future cybersecurity attacks as they happen.
Wireless locks. Though designed for easy installation, wireless locks also provide secure, unlimited credential validation while also removing the possibility of a determined hacker breaching a wired doorway.
If you’re still using an outdated time and attendance or access control system, or you’d like to learn more about the latest biometrics-enhanced features of vIDix Control Version 7, we invite you to reach out today.