Norway Post goes with multi-app smart card from HID
26 June, 2014
category: Contactless, Corporate, Smart Cards
Norway Post needed a new physical access control system to increase security while also attempting to do some future proofing and add functionality to the employee ID.
Norway Post is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, and operates under two brands – Posten and Bring. Posten covers services to private customers and Bring is aimed at business customers for mail and logistics in the Nordic region. The company has more than 20,000 employees and more than 1,400 points of sale in Norway via traditional post offices and in-store post offices in retail outlets such as supermarkets.
The implementation was focused on Norway Post’s Robsrud Terminal, where more than 60% of all the mail in Norway is handled. The Nordic postal and logistics has worked with HID Global since the mid-90s and looked to the company for a new system.
The new system needed the following requirements:
- Offer a card solution that was interoperable with various HID card readers and Norway Post’s three different access control systems.
- Provide the ability to upgrade their readers but not all the existing controllers.
- Support multi-functional applications such as time and attendance, canteen payment and secure printing.
- Support multi-technology cards, enabling them to migrate from existing legacy technologies to newer technologies.
- Enable Norway Post to keep their established Corporate 1000 format whilst upgrading to higher security.
- Enable sustainable material to be added to cards and extend the lifetime of cards used in harsh environments.
The new solution for Norway Post includes HID Global’s multiCLASS
SE readers that support multiple technologies on a single card including standard iCLASS and HID Prox. The new cards supplied to Norway Post were manufactured with a high-durability composite material.
The cards are being used for secure access control, discounts on railways, payments in canteens and access to vehicles. It’s also being used for secure printing and scanning in the office as well as time and attendance. “It has improved our security and lowered our costs, since it is much easier to replace a card than a key if you lose it,” said Arnfinn Nordheim, security director at the Norway Post.
From a business perspective, HID Global’s advanced access control solution with its multi-functional card resulted in significant cost savings. In addition, HID Global’s solution could be easily integrated with Norway Post’s existing technology systems, allowing for seamless migration from magnetic stripe cards to contactless smart cards.
A video on the project can also be viewed below.
