The Future of ID Cards

Take a look at your ID card.

Notice anything?

See something new?

If not, you’re not alone, let’s dig into why your ID PVC card rarely changes and what it’s going to look like in the future.

Home and building security solutions already have face detecting cameras and door locks activated by smartphone and mobile apps where you can control everything in the palm of your hand. But here we are, printing our photos on plastic cards like we have been for 20 years. WHY?

Yes, Cards Plus sells ID card printers but we are always eager to bring innovation to the industry and find the next best thing that will make your workplace safer and your job easier. So what about using smartphones and integrated cameras to bring our IDs to the next level?

There are three basic components of ID cards:

1. Making them

2. The safety they provide

3. The visual identification they provide.

Is a plastic card really needed for this?

The goal is to prove you’re an employee of the company to customers and other employees as well as secure your building so unwanted guests can’t get in. Using face-detecting cameras could potentially be used to authorize personnel, but they can be tricked with pictures and masks. A thumbprint scan can also be used but there is a lot of talk about the validity of fingerprints. Turns out those can be tricked too if someone really want to. The other option is using you phone’s Bluetooth or NCF capabilities as a proximity scanner but your left in the rain if you run out of battery.

Limiting access to a single ID card provides users with the peace of mind that no one can gain access without it. Same as an old school key and lock. Turns out the ol’ faithful PVC card never goes out of style or runs out of battery.

What’s better for displaying your credentials than an ID? Options are limited.

Our point is, ID cards will never be obsolete but they will change. They do a good job of solving a need for so many consumers and businesses but as demands change so do available features. We have seen innovations in the way of making print quality better, card

design easier and employee tracking and reporting more robust. Plus we’ll continue to see solutions get better.

For more information on the printing of ID cards or any other PVC cards, contact Cards Plus on 011 894 3914