The University of Arizona extends their SmartCity® system to include Biometric contactless Smart Card access system

SmartCentric Technologies International Ltd (SmartCentric) and The University of Arizona (UofA) today announced the successful conclusion of a pilot program at the UofA using the SmartCentric Biometric Contactless Smart Card Access system with plans to roll out the live system during May 2006.

The University has a very successful smart card system called the CatCard, which has been in place for several years and is based on SmartCentric’s SmartCity® Suite of Smart Applications. The new access system was developed by SmartCentric Technologies International Ltd in conjunction with Integrated Engineering, who also supplied the readers. It builds on the existing cards by adding a DESFire contactless (RFID) smart chip in addition to the contact chip currently in use.

Access is granted to authorized cardholders by waving their CatCard in front of the reader, and in some high security areas, also entering a PIN or using a fingerprint to verify their identity. The immediate benefits of the new system include increased security and longer life for the cards, as well as being quicker and simpler for cardholders to operate. Having a single card for all campus uses offers huge benefits to students, staff and faculty.

“The benefits of the system are very clear to us, and since they build on our existing card system it is a win all round. Until now, access was granted using a magnetic stripe on the card. With some users swiping their cards 30 times a day, high levels of wear and tear resulted on the the readers, the magnetic stripe, and the card itself. The costs of installing the system are outweighed by the security benefits and the cost savings in not having to re-issue cards that become unusable due to wear and tear," says Diane Tatterfield, Card Services Manager at the UA.

Kieran Timmins, CEO of SmartCentric, comments, “The University of Arizona continues to build on their system and are truly achieving their goal of a one card multi-application system, which provides benefits to the University and the cardholders alike. The addition of Biometric Contactless Access ensures that the University can provide a more safe and secure environment.”