A panel of ID industry experts provided predictions for 2006. One of these glimpses into the future will appear here each day during December.

By Andy Matko, Global Marketing Manager, Ultra Electronics Card Systems

The cards industry has been predicting for a number of years that contactless cards will take over, but it finally seems to be happening. What is driving the widespread use of Contactless cards? The Department of Homeland Security and its FIPS 201 card for U.S. government agencies has a lot to do with it.

But at least two other reasons are evident:

• Access Control applications for corporate and educational sites and airports.
• Payment card projects being driven by the major banks and credit card companies.

While the high profile government and bank projects are getting the media attention, it’s actually the use of contactless cards by companies, airports, and educational establishments for their own use that represents the greatest volume of contactless ID cards. The publicity from the government projects is making organizations think about the security and convenience aspects of contactless cards.

The ability to produce their own cards is one concern companies have. The technology to print and encode contactless cards with desktop ID card printers is well established, and users should not be afraid to specify contactless cards to enhance the security and user friendliness of their IDs.

Encoding and printing in one

Desktop printers, such as the Magicard Rio 2 or Tango 2, can be configured to have an inbuilt encoder. The encoder is used to program the personal details for the ID card (such as the user’s unique ID number, name, and access privileges). This is done in the printer, usually just before printing the card. The ID card printer becomes a one-stop card issuance station. A printed and encoded card can then be immediately issued to the applicant.

Overcoming printing challenges

But contactless cards can present a printing challenge. In the past, contactless cards were often "bumpy," with an uneven surface caused by the chip and antenna inside the card. The solution to putting an image on these cards was to print on a "stickyback" card, which is then stuck onto the contactless card. This is still an option where the user wants to re-use contactless cards, but of course it is not a very secure solution.

Most contactless cards nowadays are flat and can be printed on consistently. However, some cards, particularly those that combine contactless technology with contact chips, can still be difficult to print on consistently every time. This is where reverse-transfer printing comes in. This is a technology where the image is printed onto a re-transfer film, which is then laminated onto the card. Its advantage is that virtually any card can be printed upon, regardless of surface irregularities or material type. The Magicard Prima reverse transfer printer can also be fitted with various contactless encoders for one-stop card issuance.

Visit Ultra Magicard on the web at www.ultramagicard.com.

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