In 2023, Colorado-based
Wavelynx Technologies , a leading supplier of
secure and interoperable access-control solutions, became the first to support
NFC-based wallet solutions
using MIFARE in access management on both iOS and
Android devices. For facility managers, the ability to scale the solution across all users is a game changer.
“Being available on both platforms means that everyone can use an NFC Wallet credential, independent of their device type.”
Robert Lydic, President at Wavelynx
NFC Goes Beyond Bluetooth for Security and Scalability
With the new NFC-based mobile credentials everyone — employees, students, faculty members, staff, residents – can have a
credential that is not only tied to a familiar device, but also offers a familiar experience, from start to finish.
“Using an NFC mobile wallet for access completely changes the entire user experience for credentials. From a convenience
standpoint, it’s unmatched. From a user-experience standpoint, it’s quick, easy to adopt and highly reliable. And from a
security standpoint, user data is housed directly in the device itself, making it incredibly secure.”Robert Lydic, President at Wavelynx
Beyond Bluetooth
Until NFC was made available by device manufacturers, many developers, including Wavelynx, went down the path of creating mobile
credentials using Bluetooth. But Bluetooth wasn’t originally intended for access control—it has proven to have a number of
limitations, in terms of scalability, security and consistency of the user experience across devices, when used for mobile
access.
Commenting on Wavelynx’s recommendation of NFC over Bluetooth, Lydic explains that they “still offer Bluetooth as an option for
those customers involved in small- to medium-sized businesses, who simply want to open and close a door. But if you want a
widely scalable solution that has a mobile extension, NFC is the way to go.”
Security is another reason why Wavelynx recommends NFC over Bluetooth. As Lydic puts it, “people want access solutions that are
secure, easy-to-use, easy-to-administer and globally compliant. People also want higher security with a better user experience.
With MIFARE 2GO
mobile credentials, you’re getting both. NFC-enabled mobile wallet is the best a person can get and it’s trusted in so many
other aspects of their lives. Wallet simplifies the user experience, is trusted by third parties and is consistent with all
other user experience people have with their mobile devices.”
“As a company, we know that NFC is the more secure, more scalable, more user-friendly option when looking to implement mobile
solutions at a facility. In terms of user experience, convenience, security and scalability, it’s the best solution.”Robert Lydic, President at Wavelynx
MIFARE Makes Secure NFC Access Possible
Wavelynx made the decision, in 2014, to standardize their access-control solutions on NXP’s
MIFARE DESFire
products, which are NFC compatible. They did so for several reasons.
MIFARE DESFire offers high security and provides protection mechanisms to prevent cloning or sharing of credentials, uses AES
cryptography to secure authentication, encrypt communication, and prevent sniffing, relay attacks and other forms of
manipulation.
Also, because MIFARE DESFire supports multiapp and multisite solutions, employees, faculty members and students can do more than
open doors, using their MIFARE DESFire credentials to confirm their identity, make purchases or ride public transport. What’s
more, since MIFARE DESFire is fully compatible with NFC, as defined by the ISO 14443-A specification, MIFARE DESFire credentials
translate seamlessly from physical smartcards to NFC-enabled mobile devices like smartphones and wearables.
Now, that there is an NFC chip in every mobile device, companies can use NXP MIFARE 2GO, the cloud-based service for issuing and
managing MIFARE credentials, to create an access-control device companies can trust and end users can feel confident using. Says
Rob Lydic, “NXP’s MIFARE 2GO cloud service was a natural continuance of our growth with MIFARE and NXP.”
An Easy Upgrade to NFC and MIFARE
Lydic is quick to point out that the in-place infrastructure can quickly transition to wallet-based access. “Wavelynx readers
are multi-tech systems that can easily make the transition from low-frequency RFID solutions like Proximity to MIFARE- and
NFC-based smartcard and mobile credentials. The infrastructure can transition slowly or all at once, depending on what’s best
for our customers and their end users.”
Just the Beginning
For Wavelynx, this is only the start of what’s possible with NFC Wallet. The company has a presence in every vertical market for
access control and intends to address a wide range of use cases, including commercial, corporate, multi-family and higher
education.
As far as Lydic is concerned, the sky’s the limit. “The NFC Wallet experience is superior to anything that has ever been available
in the access-control space. We’re seeing amazingly rapid adoption in every sub-vertical we address.”