Switzerland to get NFC-based ID services
A trio of Swiss companies, Swisscom, LEGIC and Kaba, are planning to make it possible for the country to securely integrate time and attendance recording and access control into daily business processes using NFC.
Swisscom is the largest mobile service provider in Switzerland, and is working under the moniker “Tapit” to develop a platform for NFC services. Additionally, with the aid of LEGIC Identsystems, Swisscom is preparing to launch its new IDConnect service, which supports applications like access control, ticketing or office automation on a smartphone with the Tapit application.
Tapit acts as an ecosystem for contactless applications and is intended for use in mobile payments as well as for access to buildings. Swisscom is already testing this access control at the company’s own office buildings. Tapit has a planned release for 2014.
Also keen on the partnership, LEGIC sees an opportunity to win over mobile service providers with an international solution. “What we are making possible here in Switzerland for the first time thanks to our cooperation with Swisscom, we want to gradually introduce in other countries as well,” says Klaus U. Klosa, managing director at LEGIC.
Kaba, meanwhile, is the first partner to integrate the solution for access control and time/attendance recording into the system. Now, employees of companies using Kaba solutions no longer need their usual badge, instead they can simply use their smart phone to gain access to the building.
Kaba is the first company to connect its time and attendance recording and access control solutions to LEGIC’s IDConnect. Kaba customers will have the choice to opt in to their NFC smartphone and IDConnect solution, with the alternative use their previous contactless smartcard.
LEGIC’s IDConnect enables for installation of contactless card apps onto a NFC-enabled smart phone. IDConnect, then, safeguards the authentication, data processing and communication between the back-end system and the network operator. With this, LEGIC assumes the role of Service Provider Trusted Service Manager (SP TSM), which is connected to the Root TSM of Swisscom.
