Proximity cards are used by companies and organizations that want to make a certain building or area only accessible by authorized personnel. They are referred to as "prox" cards or access cards.
To make this work, a proximity reader is installed and proximity cards are given to trusted employees who need access a secure area or building. They are required to pass their proximity card near the prox card reader for the door to open. The general distance between the card and the reader is about 2-1/2 to 20 inches, depending on which type of card reader is used.
Prox cards do not usually make contact with the readers as they do not need to be swiped. Because the cards do not make contact with readers, they tend to last longer than a card with a barcode or magnetic stripe.
Proximity cards can "read" small amount of data, like an identification or access code that is typically validated by a remote computer. It's important to note that writing data back to a prox card is not possible.
Prox cards can be used anywhere within a company. The cards can be used for access to computer networks and any other resources the company wants to control.
For more information about proximity cards or to find the proximity card solution that's right for your organization, call an ID Professional at (800) 321-4405.