A smart card is a unique device that allows users to perform countless applications more efficiently. A smart card looks like a credit card, and it has a chip inside it to store data, which is then used to interact with card readers to provide access, information, or authentication.
Smart card technology has evolved since its inception in the 1960s. The primary areas for smart card implementation have traditionally been transportation, banking, commerce, and access authentication, but there are other areas that are growing in importance and could be transformed by the use of smart cards in the near future.
Here’s where smart cards are currently making a big difference.
- Healthcare Applications Are Transformed With Smart Cards
An increasing number of healthcare institutions are using smart cards to streamline admin and help prevent fraud and unauthorized access. Smart cards in the healthcare setting store patient ID information as well as their medical data. The cards are used to immediately access all relevant medical information for treatment plans, as well as providing access for patients to appropriate areas of the hospital or healthcare facility.
One significant advantage of using smart cards to store patient data is that the information is complicated to access by unauthorized people. Smart cards provide encrypted security as well as robust user identification features such as digital signatures. The use of smart cards in healthcare settings is set to rise rapidly in the near future.
- Education is Streamlined With Smart Cards
Smart card technology improves how schools and colleges manage their student population, as well as providing a more streamlined system for school administration. The use of smart cards in education is becoming more commonplace. Smart cards are used for recording student attendance, providing access to areas of the building depending on the student or staff profiles, making payments for activities or tuition, providing an easy way to pay for school meals or snacks, and providing access to facilities at the library.
- Providing Convenient Access With Electronic Passports
Electronic passports have taken over from the traditional paper passports in hundreds of countries around the world. The smart cards contain a chip that stores biometric and other data to identify the user and provide access across borders. In the future, e-visas and electronic entry and exit stamps are expected to be included in the smart card so that the same card handles all immigration applications.
Smart card technology has moved on since the beginning when smart cards were used in only limited situations. Now, smart cards are more secure and better able to handle different kinds of admin and access tasks that would previously have been too complicated. As smart card technology improves, the potential for smart cards to handle even more everyday tasks is evident. Any potentially problematic issues associated with smart cards will also be solved as the technology progresses.
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