Mobile Phones Kick Out ID Cards

Staff of SK Telecom (CEO Pyo Moon-soo) will no longer use staff identification cards and mobile phones will replace the function of the cards from Friday.

About 500 of staff and executives in the Finance Center will use mobile phones instead of staff identification cards when they enter to open doors, or get a pay roll deduction from the cafeteria. From September, 4,000 staff will use the so called `ID phone` in over 10 buildings of SK telecom.

What enables mobile phones to replace staff ID cards is an IC chip which can be embedded in the back of the main body of a cellular phone. Personal details of staff stored in the cards before can be transferred to IC chips and this enables staff to open doors or make transactions as if they are using TV remote controls rather without having to swipe cards or put the cards close to readers.

As an IC chip can store around 64KB, it can also replace 10 identification cards or credit cards and hence making it possibly to throw away all one`s cards.

SK Telecom has launched a new service enabling mobile phones to be used as library membership cards and 7 libraries in the Inchon area are currently using the service. The company is also expanding its service to general corporations that want to enable mobile phones of their staff to be used as identification or membership cards or gift vouchers.

Seong-Yub Ra cpu@donga.com