I have heard for several years that “smart-card” technology will replace current card technologies and yet it hasn happened. What, if anything, is changing this trend to smart cards?
Several years ago, smart cards were touted as the future of card technology. Unfortunately, most of the cards being offered were “contact” smart cards that required insertion into a reader. For security access control this was a significant step backward in technology, as most companies had recently upgraded to proximity cards and readers from magnetic stripe technology or another technology. The ease of use and convenience of a prox transaction was not something end users were willing to give up. In addition, for the first several years, contact smart cards were significantly more expensive than proximity cards. Still another issue was the wear factor of a contact reader and card in terms of maintenance and durability. Over the past few years contactless technology has evolved and semiconductor manufacturers are delivering much more competitive price points. Today you can purchase a high level of security in a contactless smart chip technology that is comparable to that of a standard
