New College in Oxford is upping the level of security for campus buildings by integrating its student ID cards with an access control system. While the old students IDs featured magnetic stripes, the new cards will use Mifare contactless smart card technology. The access control system has been designed to control perimeter access to main building doors as well as individual student rooms. The system is also easily scalable in case future expansion is required.

Using online wall readers and electronic handle sets, the Mifare contactless access system guards against unauthorized entry to campus facilities, and operates as a virtual locking network. The handle sets read, receive, and write information from the Mifare student ID cards as students enter and exit the buildings. Each card contains encrypted access information that’s received and interpreted by the readers. And if a card is ever lost or stolen, it can be immediately deleted from the system.