College Campuses Expand the Use of Mobile Devices Beyond Payments

December 31, 2015 by

Image credit: Kevin Dooley

Near field communication (NFC) technology has a wide range of uses, from location tracking to wireless transactions.

A recently published whitepaper by the Smart Card Alliance uncovered how fast-moving sectors are using the beneficial tool outside of payments.

The study revealed that college campuses are promoting the technology for identity verification, clearance and data storage.

Quinnipiac, Villanova and Arizona State University were the educational institutions mentioned in the paper.

The implementation of NFC in campuses has reduced friction in common transactions. In the case of dorm room access, admins can easily provide students with a digital pass during check-in, instead of relying on the duplication of traditional keys. The solution is fast, secure and completed in near real-time.

When it comes to costs, the schools cited in the study reported savings from the annual turnover process of re-keying dorm rooms.

Villanova is currently reaping the benefits from the change. It replaced combination locks with mobile phone activated doors.

The shift has also reduced the number of lockouts around the facilities. Reproducing a master key and one-day passes can be done instantly, through a centralized key management system.

The spread of wireless payments is contributing to the adoption of related technologies associated with smartphones in college campuses. Because students have their devices with them at all times, it makes sense for schools to add value to mobile usage around the campus.

“NFC is supported by comprehensive technology standards and payment applications using NFC have been deployed using industry standards,” wrote the Smart Card Alliance.

“However, many of the non-payment applications have no industry standards or have standards that are only just emerging. The lack of standards within each non-payment vertical (e.g., automotive, air travel) is a barrier to broad implementation of NFC applications and acceptance infrastructure.”

Related Articles