White Paper

D24Secure NFC™ Multi-Format Contactless Card Technology

General

D24Secure NFC™ Multi-Format Cards were developed by DigiOn24, primarily for Access Control and NFC Mobile Applications, to allow the easy upgrade of existing cards and readers to a highly secure, open platform, forward-compatible contactless smart card technology, which allows users to keep their current Card ID numbers and Wiegand formats, adding cutting-edge encryption, site-specific card and reader passwords and mobile applications at a cost savings of up to 30% compared to typical Proximity cards and readers.

D24Secure NFC™ Multi-Format Readers are Universal Replacement Readers, which are compatible with Wiegand Input Access Control systems, and are available in indoor or outdoor versions.

D24Secure NFC™ capability also allows a clean, elegant Single-Card Solution for the merger and consolidation of multiple access control systems with different data formats and numbering schemes.

The Need to Merge Access Control Systems

In 2017, according to a survey of CEO’s by Ernst and Young, 57% of major corporations expect to actively pursue acquisitions in the next 12 months, and 49% of them have more than 5 deals in the pipeline. (KPMG puts the likely M&A figure at 84% for 2017.) Mergers and Acquisitions are driven by a desire to acquire innovation and competitive advantage, product expansion, and the ability to respond to transformation in the market place.

What this means for access control integrators is increased requirements to merge access control systems and to unify cardholder populations across multiple facilities using different access control system manufacturers, different card technologies and different data formats. Since M&As are done to cut costs and eliminate duplication, costly proposals for upgrading and replacing control panels, cabling and software may not be well-received.

Problems with Merging Card Technologies

While there are software solutions for merging access control systems at the head end, as most system integrators know, it gets complicated down at the card reader. Problems include:

  • Cards with different technologies and different Wiegand data formats.
  • Unknown or unsupported data formats.
  • Obsolete card types –price increases, long lead times, or no longer available.
  • Unsupported control panels – no way to change card format or support multiple formats.
  • Formats with limited Card ID Range (26 or 35-bit formats running out of card numbers).
  • Incompatible numbering schemes (random vs. sequential or 16-bit vs. 37-bit).

What is needed to merge systems economically is a card which can store multiple numbers and Wiegand formats, and a reader which can transmit the appropriate format to the connected system.

The Multi-Format Solution

Since new cards will be required at most M&A sites due to updated corporate logos and card graphics, this presents the opportunity to do a complete card and reader replacement, with DigiOn24’s unique D24Secure NFC™ Multi-Format Technology. The cards can contain multiple card numbers and multiple Wiegand Card formats, and the DigiOn24 reader can be set to output the correct data and format for the panel to which it is connected.

DigiOn24 also offers customized solutions for individual sites, such as creating a customized card programming database using CSV files for incompatible or non-incrementing numbering schemes used by different access control systems. This allows a single-card solution without reprogramming the access control databases.

How it Works

D24Secure NFC™ Multi-format cards are programmed with multiple Card ID numbers and data formats, each with its own site-specific password.

D24 Secure NFC™ Multi-format readers are installed in place of the pre-existing readers by simply connecting them to the existing Wiegand reader cables.

When a card is presented, the reader compares its internal password with the passwords associated with Card ID numbers encoded on the card, selecting the correct card data, which is transmitted to the control panel in the exact same format used by the original card and reader technology.

The D24Secure NFC™ technology upgrade is completely transparent to each access control system used in the merged system.

  1. Each card contains two Card ID numbers with associated format passwords.
  2. The Card ID’s have unique formats corresponding to the access systems in buildings A & B.
  3. Readers connected to each Building have the format password associated with that building.
  4. When a card is presented, the reader compares its password with the card data, selects the format corresponding to the correct building and sends the data to the access control system.

How D24Secure NFC™ will save you money

  • Single Card Solution – eliminates the cost of multiple cards per cardholder.
  • Lower Card Replacement Costs – D24Secure NFC™ cards are 30% less than proximity cards.
  • Eliminate legacy cards – annual price increases, longer lead times, and eventual obsoletion.
  • Universal Replacement Readers use existing Wiegand cables—no rewiring.
  • Avoid costly access control system replacement or upgrades.
  • Avoid costly Multi-technology Cards and readers.
  • Avoid running out of card numbers (common with 26 and 35 bit formats).
  • Avoid the cost of installing parallel readers.
  • Add site-specific passwords and encryption keys at no additional cost. (Compare with leading contactless smart card technologies).