Proximity Cards & Proximity Card Readers 

At Gane International we have been using proximity cards and proximity card readers as an integral part of our time and attendance and access control systems for many years.  They provide a cost effective solution to controlling access and collecting time and attendance data.

Barcodes, our original choice of badge and reader technology, were a good and cheap way of issuing cards to many businesses for use with GaneTime.  However, due to the simple technology involved, users often wanted a more secure and modern card system.  Proximity cards offer more security as the actual badge number is physically encoded into the badge.  Gane use proprietary prefix and number technology to ensure that no 2 proximity badges are ever the same, so that even if a person is given a new badge, the old one will no longer work as it has a different internal number encoded on it, unlike barcodes which could, in theory, be reprinted.

GaneTime will happily use barcode and proximity technologies together, often with barcode readers used out on site locations, and proximity cards used for more prestigious office locations.  Our unique encoding and integrated badge printing software will match a unique barcode with the proximity number to permit an employee to have a single dual-technology card where necessary.

However, there are other benefits to proximity cards and proximity card readers that users may not be readily aware of.  Barcode technology is fundamentally an optical medium – readers interpret the barcode using optical or infra red technology.  This is therefore susceptible to dirt and other optical limitations.  On a construction site or in an industrial environment, this can often mean that barcode readers need regular maintenance to keep the optical readers clean and able to read the barcodes correctly.  Proximity card readers are contactless with the signal being passed by a normally inactive badge coming into close proximity with a proximity card reader.  Wear and tear on badges is therefore minimal, as opposed to some barcode technologies which actually had to have a physical contact between the read head and the barcode in order to read the barcode.  Barcode badges would therefore tend to wear out due to the abrasive nature of dust and dirt in the atmosphere and on the readers themselves.

With proximity readers operating at a range of up to two inches by default, people can even leave their badges in wallets, handbags, or on lanyards around their necks in order to clock or gain access to doors, turnstiles, or barriers without having to actually remove the card and swipe at a reader.

Convenience, speed, security and reduced maintenance costs are all reasons why GaneTime’s proximity card solutions and proximity card readers are the most popular card technology in use with GaneTime software solutions today.