By Andy Williams, Contributing Editor

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Hong Kong-based Octopus Cards Limited ought to be feeling pretty good about itself. Not only has it revolutionized transit payments at home-Hong Kong-but its arms are starting to spread to other parts of the world.

New Passport Card introduces new technology, new set of issues

By Zack Martin, Editor

Another type of travel document has joined the fray: the Passport Card. The ID card is being touted as an alternative to the traditional passport book, but is an additional technology that customs and border officials will have to be prepared to read.

Contactless company to benefit from new board member’s deep industry ties

In the spring of 2007, one of the most influential names in security shocked the industry when he announced that he was leaving the company that he had helped build. As the year came to a close, he resurfaced announcing that he would join the board of directors of a small, entrepreneurial competitor to his former employer.

Company takes pride in its 155-year history, as well as its bright future

By Andy Williams Contributing Editor

G&D prides itself on being the world’s number two producer of smart cards. But G&D is about more than just smart cards. For one, its genealogy dates back to 1852 when two men first created the company. For another, it prints banknotes, a lot of them for a lot of countries throughout the world. And for many, like the Federal Reserve in the U.S., it delivers the systems used to count and sort those banknotes and to weed out counterfeits.

NFC technology is sound, the interface is good, the partnerships have been formed, but … Will consumers use it?

By Ryan Kline, Contributing Editor

The widely talked about London launch of contactless payment devices is only a little over half of a year in, but London is making news again with its Near Field Communications (NFC) trial. Started in November 2007, major players in the telecommunications, banking and transit markets have come together to test NFC payments in both transit and retail environments.

Leading manufacturers offer new models to address changing needs of campus and corporate card issuers

By Andy Williams, Contributing Editor

A few years ago, demand among smaller organizations was limited for card printers that could print quality images on IDs with embedded technologies (e.g. smart cards, contactless cards, prox cards). But a lot has changed in just a few years with new regulations and growing demands for ever-greater security. Now, printer manufacturers are trying to keep pace, offering lower end models that can produce high quality images on embedded technology cards at a lesser price.

Major printer manufacturers including Datacard, Digital ID, Evolis, Fargo, and Magicard are all addressing this new sector with high function, high value models.

Contactless technology is nothing new for China. From the Great Wall to transit, contactless has been around for the past few years and, coupled with RFID usage (such as tags, etc.), makes the country–for now--the largest RFID smart card technology market in the world. That market is growing as the country gears up for next year's Summer Olympics.

By Ryan Kline, Contributing Editor

If a matrix barcode is not your thing, maybe a Mobot is more to your liking. From the end user perspective, QR Codes and Mobots work similarly – the user snaps a photo of the Mobot using a camera phone and the captured image is sent via the web to retrieve some special offer, product info, or initiate some type of transaction. But the Mobot isn’t a barcode but a realistic image with visual meaning for the user.

Barclaycard secures major advantage via exclusive deal with transit's Oyster Card

By Andy Williams, Contributing Editor

In London, MasterCard and Visa are in the midst of the world's largest contactless card launch to date but a smaller roll-out may have Londoners more excited as it involves their popular Oyster card. The Oyster card, which they use to ride the rails and buses, has been combined with a contactless and EMV-compliant credit card.

The bigger rollout, nicknamed the London Launch, has both credit card giants already rolling out cards in London that, by the end of 2008, are expected to blanket the UK. The contactless portion of the cards will handle payments of £10 or less.

By Robert M Fee, General Manager BU North America, LEGIC Identsystems

Establishing a corporate contactless smart card program can be a daunting task when considered in its entirety. While the physical security team might drive the project, the end result can easily turn into a corporate-wide, all-in-one credential that provides many departments with a tool to reduce costs, improve efficiencies, and eliminate waste. Best of all, it is also increasing security for environments that require both physical and logical access.

However, true convergence covers more than just IT and Physical access. It impacts the organization at all levels and in all departments. With this fact in mind, an enterprise-wide vision should guide your corporate ID program. The following article offers an overview of some key attributes that have helped launch successful contactless smart card programs.