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| aptiQmobile will be available on Android NFC-enabled phones regardless of choice of carriers |
Organisations wanting to utilise Near Field Communications- (NFC-) enabled smartphones as their access control credentials for employees and students will be able to begin the transition through the use of aptiQmobile technology. Ingersoll Rand will be adding exclusive technologies that enable a secure peer-to-peer (P2P) NFC mode, letting organisations begin providing the convenience of using a mobile device instead of a key or badge ID. aptiQmobile will be available on Android NFC-enabled phones regardless of choice of carriers and will also work on unlocked phones. For the Apple iPhone, Ingersoll Rand will offer a case as an additional option in order to NFC-enable it.
“Our peer-to-peer solution provides several advantages. It makes aptiQmobile independent of any carrier, creating a universal solution, and it even works on unlocked phones. But, for many, its most important advantage is that it lets customers across multiple market segments from higher education to commercial offices deploy,” says Raj Venkat, Ingersoll Rand vice president of readers and credentials.
In NFC pilot programs at Villanova University and the University of San Francisco, users enclosed their iPhones in a unique case to create the NFC capabilities. University of San Francisco students have embraced the mobile approach preferring the convenience of using their phones to digging for their One Cards. VillanovaUniversity has found that using smartphones as badges saves time that can be better spent on other issues.
Students and employees will be able to use Android phones as well, without the need for this unique case. Employees in a current trial at the corporate campus of Heartland Payment Systems are using Android NFC-enabled smartphones and aptiQmobile for access control.
With the launch of aptiQmobile secure peer-to-peer technology, customers who are ready will be able to begin the transition soon. For those already using aptiQ™ readers, there is no need to replace readers. aptiQ readers can work with magnetic stripe, proximity, and smart cards as well as the aptiQmobile credential all in one reader, providing an easy migration path to upgrade credentials between any of those versions at their own pace. This also makes it easy for customers to continue to operate in a hybrid world of cards and mobile if needed.
