The Advancement of Identification Card Technology
We sure do love our technology don’t we? The advancement of technology has changed and will continue to change our lives forever. Take the identification card for instance. Just a short 200 years ago, give or take a year, an identification card was a brief paragraph scribbled on a piece of paper. It might say something like, “Bob Smith is 5 feet 10 inches tall with blue eyes and blond hair. He has a scar on his left cheek” and that was the extent of it.
I guess that identification process would work if there were not too many 5 feet l0 inch guys with blond hair and blue eyes and a scar on their left cheek walking around. For security purposes we will propose that the system was a bit on the weak side. Security is one of the main reasons technology had to advance. It became a matter of protection. Protecting our identity, our investments, our employee’s and our property has led the way for technological advancement around the globe.
Identification cards have come along way since the days of hand written descriptions and they are used for much more than simple photo identification. Identification cards can be utilized for a variety of purposes in our modern world. First and foremost it is used as a photo identification process, the ability to match a face with the picture. The simplest of cards are used for this procedure. All the card needs is a photo and general personal information. A state driver’s license or state identification card is widely used for this purpose.
Identification cards today are designed with micro chips and coded strips that allow an enormous amount of information to be stored. These identification cards are known as smart cards and they are getting smarter everyday. These cards can be programmed to hold your medical history in case of an accident. It can tell medical personnel pertinent information, for example medicines you are allergic too, reducing valuable treatment time and assisting to avoid further injury.
Smart cards are now being used widely for access purposes. As an employee your identification card can be programmed to allow you access only to departments that meet your pay grade or position. An employee on the production line may not require access to a lab or supply room. Access has become a major concern for security over the years. It is imperative that those who intend to do harm be kept out of sensitive areas. An access card can do that.
Of course someone could steal an access card and use it. That is why today many cards are being equipped with fingerprint and eye identification technology connected. Identification cards and procedures have to stay a head of the curve. Unfortunately those who mean us harm obtain access to some of the same technology. It is vital that identification never be taken too lightly. The advancement of identification card technology and procedures will ensure that we do not.