Keep forgetting your ID card? US company offers RFID chip implants to staff instead

Welcome to the future of work!

A US company called Three Square Market (32M) is offering RFID chip implants to staff so that they can get round the company's offices more quickly, with an ID that can't get lost, left on the train, or stolen.

The company says that it is expecting about 50 of its staff to actually apply to become a number, but claims that it is an option, not a requirement. It doesn't say how many people work for it in total, though.

It does explain that the chip will grant access to the company break room, the printer/photocopier and the "micro-market" (which sounds like the vending machine, but is in fact more like an industrial-revolution-era company store).

Funnily enough, the company says that the same technology is used in corporate ID cards, with the only difference that one goes in your wallet and the other is implanted in the actual body, and can't so easily be handed in when a member of staff resigns or is made redundant.

"RFID technology or radio-frequency identification uses electromagnetic fields to identify electronically stored information. Often referred to as 'chip' technology, this option has become very popular in the European marketplace," says the company.

"The chip implant uses near-field communications (NFC); the same technology used in contactless credit cards and mobile payments. A chip is implanted between the thumb and forefinger underneath the skin within seconds."

32M has a curious focus on this micro-market thing, which it turns out is actually a sort of small shop. It explains that there are many benefits to offering your workers a retail outlet and that chipping people will help drive the stores forward.

"We foresee the use of RFID technology to drive everything from making purchases in our office break room market, opening doors, use of copy machines, logging into our office computers, unlocking phones, sharing business cards, storing medical/health information, and used as payment at other RFID terminals," said 32M CEO, Todd Westby, before running out of words.

"Eventually, this technology will become standardised allowing you to use this as your passport, public transit, [and] all purchasing opportunities.". 32M's business is in what it calls micro-mart software, which no doubt explains its focus.