See EasyTrace in Action

EasyTrace solutions typically deploy one of two types of card technology:

• Swipe cards (also known as Magnetic Swipe Cards or Mag Cards)
• Proximity Cards (also referred to as RFID or Mifare cards)

Swipe cards:

A swipe card is a simple PVC card with a black magnetic stripe on the back. This stripe is encoded with a unique number which is recorded against the staff or student name within the EasyTrace back-end database, Infinity [link to Infinity dbase page]. This is the most cost effective solution, however cards normally have a lifespan of two years. Some educational establishments may require a barcode on the card for scanning in libraries, however EasyTrace can link data between the two systems negating the need for barcodes.

Proximity (short range RFID) cards:

Rather than pass a card through a swipe system, proximity or short range RFID cards work by being presented to a suitable card reader.

Mifare is the market leading proximity card. It allows for the greatest flexibility and integration with other smart card systems, e.g. library systems, cashless catering [link to appropriate product section], access control, print management. It can also include bar coding and magnetic stripe technology to give maximum versatility and future-proofing and meets the ITSO standard for card construction.

There are many types of Mifare or proximity card and it is important for all parties to agree on the type of card required, particularly in the case of access control.