In an age where everything we do can be stored and monitored on a device the size of our palm, there may seem to be few reasons why one would wish to hang any information around their neck, particularly in paper form.
With iris recognition now science fact as opposed to science fiction and with such technology having a one in 2 billion chance of being misread, microchips and computers are likely to be the future of identification, even for smaller companies, leaving the likes of staff lanyards completely superfluous.
Except, that isn’t necessarily the case, and lanyards are evolving with technology. From lanyards that allow important data chips to be worn around the neck and in turn easily accessed, to medical records that can be kept easily to hand for those with medical conditions and who will no longer need reams of tags when a simple data device can say far more, there is a great deal of potential for lanyards to still be used right up until the point that we start implanting such information on microchips inside people themselves.
Furthermore, ID lanyards are not just about keeping security on one’s premises, and instead they are also a very effective and simple way of gaining the trust of customers or potential customers at home or out on the street. Whilst scanners may be used more widely in the future, for those companies that simply need to put names to faces or ensure individuals are in the right area, simple identification lanyards will remain more than enough, and far cheaper than electronic counterparts will be even ten years down the line.
So, don’t give up on lanyards just yet. Not only are they a great way to gain trust and prove identity in many different circumstances, but many people simply enjoy keeping them as mementos of the places they have been, the companies they have visited or even the jobs they have held in the past.