Wavelynx’s NFC Wallet: Pioneering Access Management with MIFARE

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 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.”

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