Saturday, July 8, 2023 - In today's fast-paced business world, business cards are an essential tool for professionals. However, traditional business cards can be cumbersome, requiring multiple printings and often ending up discarded. Recognizing these challenges, a team of students from the Management Program at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) has developed an innovative solution known as the Tapfirst Digital Smart NFC Card. This groundbreaking innovation has successfully secured funding through the Program Pembinaan Mahasiswa Wirausaha (P2MW) by the Ministry of Education and Culture - Research and Technology Agency (Kemendikbud-Ristek RI).
The team, led by Ghalib Baharuddin, explained that Tapfirst simplifies the business card experience for customers. Instead of carrying a stack of traditional cards, customers only need to carry a single Tapfirst card. "Upon purchase, customers receive a card equipped with NFC technology and a personalized landing page on tapfirst.id," said Ghalib.
Ghalib, as he is commonly known, highlighted the limitations of conventional business cards. These include the inconvenience of carrying multiple cards and the difficulty in updating information once it's already printed. Traditional cards also pose challenges when transferring contact details to a mobile phone.
"Transferring contact information from a card to a phone can be quite tedious. However, with our product, Tapfirst, customers can simply tap their phone against the card's NFC technology, which redirects them to a website displaying their contact details such as phone number, company affiliation, email, and more," explained Ghalib, a Yogyakarta-based student.
Furthermore, customers can easily customize their Tapfirst profiles and design on the tapfirst.id website. Ghalib likened updating data in their product to changing a profile picture or status on social media.
Tapfirst's breakthrough success lies in its inclusion in the growing category of P2MW, which supports existing student-led businesses. Ghalib had been working on Tapfirst for a while but lacked significant funding. Thanks to the P2MW program, he and his team are now busy expanding and adding new features. To date, over 50 customers have joined the Tapfirst platform.
"Our pricing for one account and one card is around Rp89,000. However, we frequently offer discounts and promotions, making it possible to get the card for Rp79,000 or even Rp75,000," Ghalib added.
Ghalib is not alone in developing Tapfirst. He is accompanied by two other team members, Muhammad Farrel Yusuf Reyhan from the Management Program and Miftahul Andiko Putra from the Informatics Engineering Program. Together, they are determined to make Tapfirst a valuable asset in the business world, benefiting entrepreneurs, professionals, and the wider community. The team's business has been operational for seven months, catching the attention of Mr. Immanuel Mu’ammal, S.E, M.M, their mentor, who then recommended their participation in the P2MW funding selection process.
With the Tapfirst Digital Smart NFC Card, UMM students have truly revolutionized the business card experience, offering convenience, customization, and ease of use for professionals in various industries.
