Modern tri-tech transition readers are designed to speak multiple credential languages. They can read low-frequency proximity cards (supporting both ASK and FSK modulation schemes), high-frequency 13.56 MHz credentials, and authenticate against multiple secure protocols simultaneously. If one protocol is no longer needed, that language can be deactivated.
At Wavelynx, we build readers like this specifically to handle phased transition scenarios. Our original Ethos line can read legacy proximity formats while simultaneously supporting secure high-frequency protocols. For larger enterprises with existing proprietary keys, we can configure readers to work with those keysets while simultaneously provisioning new credentials on universal, interoperable standards like LEAF.
This architectural approach enables phased migrations. You can upgrade credentials building-by-building, department-by-department, even person-by-person, without creating access gaps or forcing everyone to carry multiple cards during transition.
The story doesn’t end there. What’s keeping security engineers awake at night in 2025 is the known fact that quantum computing will eventually break current encryption standards. We know this is coming, it’s only a matter of time. So the question is when, and whether your hardware infrastructure is prepared to adapt.
AES-128, while secure today, will need to evolve. AES-256 provides a longer runway, but the real future belongs to quantum-resistant algorithms like Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) with larger key sizes and potentially lattice-based cryptography.
This is why we've launched the new Wavelynx APEX reader line. Today, APEX will look similar to our Ethos readers in capability—same credential compatibility, same secure protocols. But APEX is built with significantly more processing power and cryptographic capability. When ECC and AES-256 become standard requirements, when post-quantum algorithms are finalized and deployed – which we know is coming sooner than later – APEX will support those through firmware updates.
So, it's not just about compatibility in credential-to-reader communication. Beyond universal compatibility, APEX represents a fundamental upgrade in cryptographic processing capability—a more powerful engine built for tomorrow's security requirements, not just today's.
Even then, APEX still reads legacy proximity cards. Not because proximity is secure—it demonstrably isn't—but because we know the reality of the industry, that transition takes time, and real-world deployments have real-world constraints.
A common fear comes up when we promote universal compatibility: if everyone uses the same standards, won't competition disappear? Engineering history suggests the opposite.
Consider I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) communication—one of the first low-frequency serial communication protocols developed in the 1980s for circuit board-to-circuit board communication. It became a standard. Did that kill innovation in embedded systems? Obviously not. It enabled an explosion of interoperable components that drove innovation up the stack.
The same pattern exists in secure communications. TLS/SSL became standards. Did that reduce innovation in web security? No—it shifted competition from "which proprietary encryption should we use?" to "how do we build better systems using proven encryption?"
Less technical but to the same point – when Tesla pioneered mass-market electric vehicles, they succeeded not by preventing competition but by driving innovation. Today, multiple manufacturers build EVs, each bringing unique strengths, but they all benefit from shared charging standards. The competition shifted from infrastructure lock-in to actual product quality.
The same pattern even holds for social media, smartphones, and every mature technology market. Standards enable competition on what matters: features, reliability, user experience, and value.
When everyone has access to the same building blocks—the same standardized screws to harken back to our World War I analogy, if you will—competition shifts to what actually matters: build quality, feature innovation, reliability, user experience, and value.
At Wavelynx, we embrace this philosophy and approach to engineering. Our founders—Hugo Wendling, Mike Conlin, and Mike Malone—literally built some of the first dual-tech readers in the industry. Mike Malone and Mike Conlin created the first dual-tech reader ever. They've spent decades working with cryptography and credential technology, and they kept running into artificial barriers– "you can only buy this product, it only works this way" – not because of technology limitations but because of proprietary protocols.
We want customers to choose Wavelynx readers because they're the best option, not the only option. That culture drives us to continue to innovate and build better products.
Standards only work if they're actually adopted. That requires more than publishing a specification—it requires knowledge transfer, implementation support, and community building.
This is why Wavelynx co-founded the LEAF Community with IDEMIA and rf IDEAS, and has welcomed over 30 community members to date to join the cause. As a manufacturer, we could have created "Wavelynx Universal" and tried to license it. Instead, we stepped back and asked: how do we create a body of standards run by industry experts, accessible to everyone, with real implementation support?
Our engineers regularly work with other manufacturers' engineering teams worldwide — explaining key management, secure provisioning, cryptographic implementation details. There’s no "contact Wavelynx for access" button with a long process of hoops to jump through just to get a phone call. Instead, our engineers meet daily and directly with other teams for genuine knowledge sharing to enable adoption.
LEAF differs from previous attempts at universal standards because it's built by people who deeply understand reader hardware, credential cryptography, and real-world deployment constraints. It's not theoretical—it's engineered to work with the millions of existing readers and controllers already deployed, and being innovated to work with what’s to come.
If you're considering more open, interoperable approaches:
Universal compatibility isn't about creating an infrastructure where one massive vendor controls everything. It's about establishing common building blocks—like standardized screw threading—that every manufacturer can use while competing on actual product quality.
The industry is moving toward its industrialization phase—the cooperative period where shared standards enable competition on innovation rather than lock-in. Organizations that understand this shift will have vendor choice, migration flexibility, and future-proof architecture.
Those who don't will keep dealing with incompatible screws while their competitors move forward.
Don’t miss part 1 of this series, “Universal Compatibility in Access Control: Learning from History's Mistakes,” to take a look back in time about how the access control industry began with universal compatibility, deviated away from it, and is now returning to interoperability.
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