Understanding Corporate 1000 Proximity Cards, Part 3

Part 2 of this blog series covered a description of the Corporate 1000 Proximity Card Program by HID and a number of the benefits it can provide larger organizations. In addition, the cost and general program requirements were also addressed. Part 3 will address bit format, platform compatibility, and implementation of Corporate 1000 proximity cards.

Corporate 1000 Proximity Card bit format compatibility Corporate 1000 prox cards feature a 35-bit format and are therefore not compatible with other bit formats. If the HID cards your organization is currently using are not the 35-bit format, you have the option to replace all of your existing cards simultaneously or to gradually transition into the Corporate 1000 Program. If the latter option is chosen, you will need to consider these possible constraints: If your facility is using a format that is not 35-bit, it needs to be determined whether your existing access control platform is able to manage two different formats at the same time. If it is not able to manage two separate formats concurrently, there are two options.

All users located at the facility would need to be re-badged with an ID card in the new format; or
An upgrade to the existing platform would be required so that both ID card formats could be managed simultaneously.

Regardless of the facility, it’s critical to verify the existing or proposed access control platform can manage the Corporate 1000 35-bit format. There are older platforms that are not capable of the 35-bit format. A small number of newer platforms have similar limitations.

What is a Corporate 1000 Prox Card Start Number? A Corporate 1000 prox card start number is necessary because there could be an issue with duplicate card numbers if two or more bit formats are being used on the same access control platform at the same time. In order to prevent this, you can choose to start your card numbering on the new 35-bit format at the highest card number currently in use at your facility (HID recommends using a card start number of 66,000 if you are uncertain of the highest card number in a 26-bit format currently in use at your facility). For example, assume that the current format in use is a 26-bit format with a facility code of 100. The existing card numbers in use range from 1 to 20,000. The plan is to transition to a 35-bit format over time. This means that the existing hardware/software configuration will be reading and managing two bit formats simultaneously. Two cards are to be entered into the system, namely:

A 26-bit format card, facility code 100, and card number 25
A 35-bit format card, company ID code 150, and card number 25

There's a possibility that the access control hardware/software configuration will report both of these cards as card number 25. Although the cards have different bit formats and facility/company ID codes, the system may not be able to differentiate the two, based on the same card number being used. For this reason, many end-users choose to start their card numbering above the highest card number currently in use. If you are not sure of the highest card number in use and a 26-bit format is in use, it's safe to use a card start number of 66,000. If you're unsure of how to start or how to transition to the Corporate 1000 Prox Card Program, an ID Professional is your best first step. Call today at (800) 321-4405!