Netclearance, providers of the biggest network of smart beacons, unveils the mBeaconCard; an all-in-one wearable identity card that enables access control, indoor location tracking, and contactless payments.
Instead of relying on smartphone apps or key fobs, the mBeaconCard allows employers in institutions such as hospitals and schools, as well as at conferences and events, to deploy a single identification badge infrastructure that can serve as an indoor tracker and proximity communication device. These smart cards contain Bluetooth LE and NFC chips that interact with designated readers to perform workforce analytics.
The mBeaconCard brings Internet of Things technology into the workplace with its employee safety uses. The badge has already been used in a project phase for a company that had lone workers out in the field who could be tracked. Through the embedded accelerator technology, an alarm could be raised if an individual stopped moving for a long period of time. The badge has further scope for building safety as it can be used as a way of monitoring individuals during an emergency evacuation.
“The mBeaconCard was developed to fill a gap in workplace analytics. Entry and exit points to a building are easy to monitor with secure turnstiles but there is not a robust solution on the market that can locate badges inside a building,” said Jonathan Duffy, executive director of EMEA Netclearance.
“Based on appearance, the smart badge looks like any other identification card. However, there’s more under the hood as each smart card contains technology that allows the card to be used for contactless applications and indoor wireless tracking,” added Jonathan.
The mBeaconCard smart badge combines a CPU, sensors, NFC and BLE capabilities in a single credit-card sized badge with ultra-low power consumption. This allows the beacon to operate for several years on a thin battery.
The cards provide data storage and can run customised software applications. The ample on-board memory can typically store multiple pieces of information that are all associated with one user identity so that a commercial reader system can process and feed the data to enterprise applications.
The Bluetooth LE capability provides indoor tracking and wireless proximity applications with a variable range of accuracy from a few centimetres to several metres. The cards are compatible with BLE-compliant smartphones and popular beacon profiles (such as iBeacon or Eddystone) thus opening a wide range of card and mobile app interactions.
The device joins the Netclearance leading portfolio of IoT gateways, including the mBeaconPay, which is paving the way for mobile payments in Scandinavia. All Netclearance solutions utilise low-power wireless technology and feature open server APIs, mobile SDKs, and advanced analytics capabilities.
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