Thanks to the continued advances in technology, and the many applications smart cards lend themselves to, smart cards have proved to be hugely beneficial for a wide range of industries. Hence, when the question ‘where are smart cards used?’ is asked, the answer, very often, is potentially anywhere where a key or card would have been used in the past.

In this post, we’ll highlight some of the industries and markets where smart cards are used and offer some vital solutions.

When examining ‘where are smart cards used?’, it’s often more useful to look at the solution required, and then work backwards from there.

Let’s take a look at some business requirements, and see how a smart card could help alleviate certain pain points.

Can Smart Cards Help With Time & Attendance Tracking?

Smart cards can be a great solution to help businesses track the time worked and attendance of their staff.

Time and attendance systems are crucial for businesses that need to track and optimise employee working hours accurately. Systems such as this help companies track hours, keep records for wages, monitor productivity and much more.

An essential aspect of time and attendance systems is the use of smart cards, which allow employees to check in and check out of work. The transaction is instantly relayed back to the T&A system. Time and attendance systems such as this are common in businesses across many different sectors, so finding solutions that work is vital, and smart cards could just be the perfect solution.

Can Smart Cards Help With Authentication?

Smart cards can be an innovative solution to help businesses with their remote authentication needs.

Mobile workforces are a crucial part of the modern business world, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that many businesses now require a more secure solution for authentication and validation, to enable their staff to access systems they need. At present, passwords or multi-factor authentication are often relied upon, both of which can be easily hacked or exploited.

To solve this problem, our team can install and support HID’s award-winning DigitalPersona® end-to-end multi-factored authentication solution. So, whether your staff require new credentials, you need to update your existing access cards, or you simply need something a bit more advanced, like a biometric fingerprint reader, Universal Smart Cards can help with all your authentication needs.

Can Smart Cards Work Within The Education Sector?

Smart cards are utilised extensively throughout the education sector, being used every day in schools, colleges and universities.

Due to their ability to perform multiple functions, smart cards are the perfect solution for recording attendance, providing access to certain areas, providing IT access to internal systems, and much more.

With smart cards, educational establishments can do away with clunky, outdated systems and move towards a more streamlined way of operating. What’s more, educational environments using smart cards instantly acquire a higher level of security and also facilitate an enhanced service, both to staff and students alike.

Can Smart Cards Be Used In Hospitality And For Memberships?

An essential objective for the hospitality industry is to provide a positive experience for their customers, and smart cards could be the perfect solution many businesses in this sector are looking for to do just that.

That’s why many modern hotels and hospitality chains have already adopted contactless smart or proximity card technology as a primary solution, to enable their customers to access rooms, buildings and other areas (such as gyms). Not only does this provide a better, more efficient experience for customers, but it also delivers an enhanced level of security and better tracking for the company.

On a similar theme, membership schemes can be another area where smart cards can shine.

Businesses using smart card technology to promote their membership deals and clubs can not only allow their loyal customers access to a dynamic range of applications and promotions, but they can also do it safe in the knowledge that the technology is secure, reliable and convenient. Thus, smart cards can enable companies to demonstrate value and encourage brand loyalty, whilst driving engagement and growth.

So, if you’re in the hospitality industry and need a new, modern system to increase customer convenience and make your business more effective, look no further than Universal Smart Cards.

Can Smart Cards Help With Identification?

Despite the wide range of digital systems now being introduced into the identification market, physical ID cards still have a vital role in delivering effective identity confirmation.

Universal Smart Cards can print smart cards with certain security features that can be personalised to an individual, offering the perfect smart card solution for identification cards. Physical ID cards, especially those with a smart chip, also allow two-factor authentication for that added level of safety.

Can Smart Cards Be Used For Access Control?

Smart cards can be the perfect solution for businesses that function with access control systems.

Access control systems now have a vast range of applications, which can extend to the access of buildings, rooms, floors, containers, lockers and much more besides. These systems have experienced accelerated growth in recent years thanks to the rapid evolution of technology, particularly in the areas of wireless technology and cloud-based platforms.

In line with this, smart card based systems are also expected to experience a significant growth in popularity in the coming years, particularly as they are proven to be more reliable than electronic standalone locks or biometrics. Plus, smart cards have the added bonus of being able to handle additional benefits, such as monitoring and recording employee data.

Contact Universal Smart Cards For Your End-To-End Smart Card Needs

The above-mentioned systems are only a few of the ways smart cards are being used to suit the needs of modern industries. To learn more about smart cards’ broader usage, check out the ‘applications and markets’ section of our website.

Are you looking to learn more about smart cards or implement smart cards/card readers into your business operations? Then get in touch with our helpful team today to discuss your requirements.