Desk and meeting room booking made easy with ELATEC RFID

A large US-based corporation required an authenticated workspace booking solution to manage and optimise the use of 2400 desks and 200 meeting rooms in the US with additional meeting rooms in European offices. Two different types of building access RFIDcards were needed to authenticate processes within the third-party booking system.

ResourceXpress deployed the Aura range of meeting room screens and Qubi-3 desk devices for point-of-use booking and check-in. QED wanted to offer a touchless user authentication option for the screens and desk devices that would leverage the RFID badges employees already use for building access. The ability to offer contactless check-ins became even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ResourceXPress software system also allows administrators to program a safety perimeter around desks in use to support social distancing.

Need for RFID reader

QED Advanced Systems needed an RFID reader to complement their ResourceXPress desk and meeting room booking system that would work across Europe and the Americas.

Challenges

• Reader/writer must support multiple RFID technologies in use at the client’s US and EU offices, including both HID Prox (LF) and HID SEOS (HF)
• Must support contactless user authentication at point-of-use for desks and meeting rooms
• Must have a small form factor for embedded integration with desktop devices and meeting room screens
• Must integrate with the backend ResourceXPress software for a seamless user experience

The client also required the ability to easily manage a large number of widely distributed devices

Multiple card technologies for a multinational client

Because their client had multiple card technologies in use across its American and European offices, QED needed an RFID card reader that would support both HID Prox (LF) and HID SEOS (HF) card types.

The reader had to be able to parse card codes depending on the format to match the customers’ existing user database records. The client also required the ability to easily manage a large number of widely distributed devices. The readers needed to support remote configuration so firmware updates and patches could be deployed from a central management system.

Solutions

• The ELATEC TWN4 MultiTech3 reader supports 60+ RFID technologies plus BLE/NFC mobile applications and is certified for sale in numerous countries globally
• Compact size fits form factor of both meeting room screens and desktop devices
• Robust API supports seamless integration with ResourceXPress software
• Remote upgrade capabilities enable easy firmware updates

Results

• The TWN4 MultiTech 3 allows QED’s client to leverage existing employee badges to support access to shared office resources
• A single reader can be used across all global offices, simplifying inventory management and IT maintenance for both QED and their client
• Firmware updates and patches can be easily deployed for distributed devices from a central management system
• Touchless point-of-use authentication is fast, easy, and hygienic for employees

The TWN4 MultiTech 3 enabled easy point-of-use authentication and check-in for shared office resources. The universal reader allowed them to meet the needs of a large multinational client with a solution that supported multiple card technologies across different countries.

Touchless authentication is fast and hygienic; instead of entering a pin or passcode on a shared screen

Fast and hygienic authentication

Now, employees can check into a meeting room or instantly book a desk or meeting space using the ID cards they already carry for building access. Touchless authentication is fast and hygienic; instead of entering a pin or passcode on a shared screen or device, users can simply wave their badge.

With the ELATEC TWN4 MultiTech 3, it’s easier than ever for employees to access the resources they need. Furthermore, the flexibility of the TWN4 MultiTech 3 enables QED to deploy a single part number solution across all of the devices in use by their client, simplifying both inventory and management.

Compact yet powerful TWN4 MultiTech 3 

ELATEC recommended the TWN4 MultiTech 3, a powerful and versatile RFID reader that supports 60+ card technologies worldwide. It is also very compact and easy to integrate into a range of devices.

The TWN4 MultiTech 3 fits easily into both the Aura meeting room screens and the Qubi-3 desk booking devices. It also supported both the LF and HF card technologies in use by their client across their US and European offices.