Re-posted with permission from Elatec and edited.
Print management helps companies control costs, protect confidential information and share expenses fairly between departments. But what’s the best identity authentication solution?
PIN- or password-based systems are the default and are the most commonly used solution across the industry. But radio-frequency identification (RFID), NFC and Blue-tooth Low Energy (BLE) credential readers provide significant advantages in security, speed, simplicity, savings and user satisfaction. Not to mention being contactless and so hygienic. Here are why more companies are moving to credential readers for their print management needs.
Security
Passwords and PINs are easily compromised when users share them with colleagues, or a bad actor watches over someone’s shoulder to steal their information. PINs can also be easily miskeyed, releasing the wrong job to the wrong person. Whether accidental or intentional, if the job released includes confidential information—say, HR records or company financials—company security is compromised. RFID cards or mobile credentials used with a smartphone, typically assigned as employee ID and door access control, are less likely to be shared between employees and cannot be easily duplicated or hacked. Quality credential readers can be configured to read different outputs (e.g., binary, decimal and hexadecimal) of RFID cards, adding complexity that makes it nearly impossible for the information on the card to be copied or stolen.
Speed
The user interfaces on printers are not designed for easy entry of complex information. Frequent miskeys slow employees down and result in queues at the printer during busy times of the day. Usernames and passwords offer superior security compared to PINs but take much more time to enter—especially if employees must toggle between keyboards for lowercase and capital letters, numbers and special characters. While the time may seem insignificant, it can add up to a surprisingly large frustration for employees with frequent print jobs. RFID card and mobile credential readers improve productivity and speed up lines at the printer—employees just scan their card, pick up their job and leave.
Simplicity
Credential readers take advantage of technology that companies are already using. Employees can use the ID cards they already carry to get into the building to pick up their print jobs. (If ID cards are not already RFID, a special RFID sticker can be added to them.) Since employees typically always have their ID cards on their person, there is nothing additional to carry and no new PINs or passwords to remember. And RFID cards and smartphone credentials are easy to use, with virtually no training required—employees just present their card or phone in front of the reader.
Savings
The number one job for most IT departments is changing passwords and unlocking accounts. And no wonder—29% of employees in the U.S. enter more than 11 passwords a day! As we make password criteria more complicated and prompt employees to change passwords more frequently, it’s easy to understand why employees are often locked out of their accounts. Credential readers eliminate IT time spent troubleshooting for employees locked out of their print job, translating into measurable savings in IT time and expenses. Employees can also easily self-register their card or mobile credential for print management, further reducing IT time for setup and ongoing support. Since the readers can use existing employee ID cards or mobile app, there is no additional expense in producing and distributing new cards or mobile credentials.
Satisfaction
Time savings and simplicity translate into higher satisfaction for end-users. Users do not need to carry a second card, remember a new PIN, fumble around with a tiny user interface to enter a username and password or call IT to have their PIN reset. The credential reader just works every time.
These advantages add up to real and measurable benefits for companies that move from PIN/password entry to credential readers for print management and other applications.
RFID Solutions from the ISG
ELATEC is a world leader in identity authentication and extended access control solutions for print management and numerous other applications.
Talk to your local ISG expert about your print security needs and discover how our RFID solutions, like those from Elatec, could work for your organization.
