Use of technology to secure premises is a fundamental necessity and the second thing people think about while using technology to make money remains first. Various Internet of Things (IoT) technologies are used to make physical objects smart, to connect physical world to the digital world. Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC) technology is one such technology that is capable of secure authentication at premises and enhancing security. Use of RFID to secure premises is already quite prominent in the form of smartcards, secure access control and real-time tracking of people but QR Codes offer a cost-effective opportunity to enable authentication and overall security enhancement at your housing society as well as workplace.
Barcodes and QR Codes
Barcodes have been in use for decades now. These are one-dimensional image with bars and contain a unique EPC or UPC number. These traditional barcodes are typically scanned using a laser/optical barcode scanner and allow you to store serial no. automatically.
QR Codes, on the other hand, are two-dimensional (2D) barcode image that are quick responsive (hence the name QR), and carry more encoded data than traditional barcodes. You can customize the QR Code with text, URL, image, PDF, SMS, and email, etc.
At present, QR Codes applications have exploded due to integration of QR Code scanning ability in the smartphone camera directly. In 2017, Apple Inc. was the first technology major to do this and the other smartphone manufacturers followed suit. With increasing use of smartphones throughout the day, people in marketing and advertising are specially creating QR- based marketing and ad campaigns. Not only that, QR based digital menus, brochures, website landing pages, email ads have also increased lately. The long pandemic also accelerated the use of digital payments in shops and QR Code is a big factor driving digital payments.
QR Codes for Authentication and Security
QR Codes have the ability to contain various types of data like text, image, phone number, email, address etc. it can be used as a digital ID cards which people can scan and get details about you, if you want the same and this is why QR Codes are a great tool for authentication and security purposes.
When it comes to authentication, technology like Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is far more efficient with its wireless communication, no doubt, but it requires extensive set up and costs are high. QR Codes can be created and encoded on World Wide Web for free and you can print and distribute amongst people. At workplace you can issue QR Code based ID cards to visitor which can be authenticated using a smartphone and staff member can do that seamlessly. You can share QR Codes digitally and manage visitor as well.
Let’s see some of the ways QR Codes can be used for authentication and enhance security:
1. QR-based Visitor Screening
QR-based visitor screening involves vetting potential visitors at your workplace and confirming their ID and intent and then granting them appointments. You can issue a QR code based form to gather relevant information and act on the same before confirming any visitor which will enhance the security significantly.
2. QR- based ID and workplace security
You can also issue the visitors a QR-based ID card that they can show at the entry gate(s) and staff members can scan and confirm. A QR based ID can contain relevant information like name of the visitor, purpose of visit and the validity of the digital customized ID.
Dynamic QR Codes also record the time and location of scan and thus provide you real-time tracking of visitors.
3. Digital QR Code Authentication
Additionally, a digital QR code authentication that lets people know that you’re allowed to be here (workplace or event etc.) is another great use of QR Codes. The authentication doesn’t have to be complex and it can, when scanned, just say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, ‘approved’ or ‘not approved’ and this will enable a great degree of security and transparency at various places.
QR Codes have become versatile and find new creative application in various fields. From smart menus to email marketing and website conversions, QR Codes have enabled a huge potential, connecting the physical and the digital world. It’s a cost-effective and efficient tool for authentication and security and various events, offices and industry premises where lots of people visit on daily basis and it’s hard to keep track of who visited and when.
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