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How To Plan A Successful Contactless Card Migration
by:
David Stallsmith Director of Strategic Initiatives at ColorID After an organization decides which type of contactless smart card will be the new ID card, the next steps are planning how and when to create and distribute the new cards, and replacing the readers. Here are some thoughts to consider and questions to answer while planning. |
SECURITY
If mag stripe or low frequency prox cards have been used to open doors, how urgent is the need for improved security? These legacy cards are so vulnerable to cloning that every locked door which is not actively monitored is vulnerable to being opened by a bad actor. The length of time that organization is comfortable living with this vulnerability defines the length of the card and reader migration period. Once new contactless technology is in place as the sole card technology to open any door, that door is technically secure. Organizations that have been concerned about this kind of vulnerability have moved swiftly, often upgrading all readers and distributing replacement cards in a matter of months. However, budgets, bureaucratic decision-making and other limitations have caused many organizations to migrate over a longer period, sometimes up to 5 years. |
MULTI-TECHNOLOGY CARDS
When many departments are involved, delayed or confused decision-making is common. In this case, the card office will often begin to issue new cards which contain both legacy technologies for use at existing readers, and the new technology for use with new readers. This allows cards to be rolled out at a pace which suits the card office, knowing that they can be used at all doors and other readers regardless of the reader replacement schedule. Not surprisingly, cards with additional technologies can cost twice as much as the original cards. So this path affords convenience and flexibility, but at a real cost to the card office.
MULTI-TECHNOLOGY READERS
There is a good chance that recently replaced readers and new readers in new construction are multi-technology models, capable of reading old prox and new contactless smart cards. Hopefully, the newer readers support the contactless technology chosen by the card office. If new multitech cards are being issued over a short period, readers installed going forward can be new technology-only, resulting in some cost savings per reader. On the other hand, if new cards are being rolled out over a longer period, multi-technology readers will have to be installed to read the legacy technology cards until they can be replaced.
It is important to turn off the legacy technology feature on multi-tech readers as soon as all legacy cards have been replaced. This step is often skipped, allowing the new readers and cards to offer no better security than the originals.
RECARD
Producing all new cards at one time can be a daunting task for a card office. A lot of organizations choose to issue the new cards over the years, which makes recarding a familiar process. Because of the long rollout period, multi-technology cards are nearly always used, resulting in a higher card price and extending the legacy technology security vulnerability.
Companies like ColorID can help shorten this process by offering services ranging from complete offsite card production to short term printer rental and skilled onsite staffing. The price of these services can be similar to the additional cost of multi-technology cards.
DO THE MATH
The impediments of bureaucratic decision-making and lack of departmental cooperation can sometimes be overcome with good information. ColorID has very helpful documentation which discusses the security concerns of legacy card technology and how to begin the steps of migration with the creation of an Identity Roadmap.
Financial information can be compiled by obtaining accurate price estimates of:
CONCLUSION
Priorities, concerns and limitations vary from organization to organization, meaning there is no single best path for migrating to new cards and readers. ColorID has helped many organizations navigate this process, from choosing the best type of cards and readers, to guiding interdepartmental discussions and providing development and recarding services. The goal of ColorID is to aid in the creation of your own Identity Roadmap and ensure that you have the most secure, convenient and cost effective products & services available today. This will in turn provide your organization the best options for identification system upgrades and expansion down the road.
When many departments are involved, delayed or confused decision-making is common. In this case, the card office will often begin to issue new cards which contain both legacy technologies for use at existing readers, and the new technology for use with new readers. This allows cards to be rolled out at a pace which suits the card office, knowing that they can be used at all doors and other readers regardless of the reader replacement schedule. Not surprisingly, cards with additional technologies can cost twice as much as the original cards. So this path affords convenience and flexibility, but at a real cost to the card office.
MULTI-TECHNOLOGY READERS
There is a good chance that recently replaced readers and new readers in new construction are multi-technology models, capable of reading old prox and new contactless smart cards. Hopefully, the newer readers support the contactless technology chosen by the card office. If new multitech cards are being issued over a short period, readers installed going forward can be new technology-only, resulting in some cost savings per reader. On the other hand, if new cards are being rolled out over a longer period, multi-technology readers will have to be installed to read the legacy technology cards until they can be replaced.
It is important to turn off the legacy technology feature on multi-tech readers as soon as all legacy cards have been replaced. This step is often skipped, allowing the new readers and cards to offer no better security than the originals.
RECARD
Producing all new cards at one time can be a daunting task for a card office. A lot of organizations choose to issue the new cards over the years, which makes recarding a familiar process. Because of the long rollout period, multi-technology cards are nearly always used, resulting in a higher card price and extending the legacy technology security vulnerability.
Companies like ColorID can help shorten this process by offering services ranging from complete offsite card production to short term printer rental and skilled onsite staffing. The price of these services can be similar to the additional cost of multi-technology cards.
DO THE MATH
The impediments of bureaucratic decision-making and lack of departmental cooperation can sometimes be overcome with good information. ColorID has very helpful documentation which discusses the security concerns of legacy card technology and how to begin the steps of migration with the creation of an Identity Roadmap.
Financial information can be compiled by obtaining accurate price estimates of:
- new technology-only cards vs. multi-technology cards;
- the real cost of the card office producing replacement cards vs. outsourcing the Recard; and
- the cost of hardware/installation for new technology-only readers over a short period vs. multi-technology readers over an extended period.
CONCLUSION
Priorities, concerns and limitations vary from organization to organization, meaning there is no single best path for migrating to new cards and readers. ColorID has helped many organizations navigate this process, from choosing the best type of cards and readers, to guiding interdepartmental discussions and providing development and recarding services. The goal of ColorID is to aid in the creation of your own Identity Roadmap and ensure that you have the most secure, convenient and cost effective products & services available today. This will in turn provide your organization the best options for identification system upgrades and expansion down the road.
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