CR80News Spring 2015

CR80News ID TECHNOLOGIES IN EDUCATION SPRING 2015 - ISSUE 18

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HIGHER ED PREPS FOR EMV ARRIVAL RETRANSFER REDEFINES DESKTOP PRINTING STUDENT IDS AS BREEDER DOCUMENTS? CARDS SPEED MAILROOM PROCESSES

S P P A N E G D I S NEXT U P M A C E G E R F E I L M T N E D U T S D AN Updating …

Make sure every visitor is a welcomed one.

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Upgrade from unsecured paper guest books to the robust security of our EasyLobby® Secure Visitor Management solution. With EasyLobby, you can identify who is in your facility and why, control access to secured areas, screen against unwanted guests and more. Just scan each visitor’s ID and print a customized badge in seconds. And it’s scalable, so you’ll get the protection you need as your company grows.

Request a free web demo at hidglobal.com/welcomed-cr80 © 2014 HID Global Corporation/ASSA ABLOY AB. All rights reserved. HID, HID Global, the HID Blue Brick logo, the Chain Design, and EasyLobby are trademarks or registered trademarks of HID Global or its licensor(s)/supplier(s) in the US and other countries and may not be used without permission.

Text it.

Tap it.

Launch it.

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“I’m teaching a new course, traveling the world, writing a book and trying to stay in shape. Every morning when I swipe my ID card, I enter this building on a mission to help my students succeed.”

— Neil G. Professor Risk Management

Every person in your program has multiple identities, and securing and protecting those identities is no small task.

Datacard® ID solutions enhance learning environments by safeguarding students and staff — creating a strong sense of community with trusted, long-lasting, secure ID cards.

Visit Datacard.com/CR80 to learn more by downloading your free ID Solutions Guide.

© 2015 Entrust Datacard Corporation. All rights reserved.

DATACARD GROUP IS NOW ENTRUST DATACARD

Enhance your students’ experience with a single, unified credential.

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Improve campus efficiency while enhancing the overall student experience.

Create a secure campus. Make student purchases quick and simple. Grant easy access to financial aid funds. Imagine your students’ experience when you provide a single electronic ID credential that opens doors, makes purchases, and carries currency.

Find out how to make student campus life more manageable, convenient, and safe.

Visit transact.blackboard.com/studentexperience

Copyright © 2015. Blackboard Inc. All rights reserved.

CONTENTS

CONTENTS 6 Editorial: Securing the identity chain Don’t let the campus card be the weakest link 8 ID Shorts News and posts from CR80News.com 14 Next-gen apps merge campus ID and student life A glimpse at the future student mobile app

HIGHER ED PREPS FOR EMV ARRIVAL

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20 Bringing snail mail up to speed Automation, student IDs streamline the campus mailroom 23 We’ll come to you The benefits of on-site service for your ID system 24 Campuses brace for EMV deadline New payment tech requires changes for cards, points of sale

28 How far is too far for the university ID? Voter ID, proof of age, breeder doc use raise liability concerns 31 From the director’s chair: Technology extends boundaries for auxiliaries 32 The road to a new transaction system Rhode Island School of Design rolls out GET, UGryd 34 Pre-printing gives cards a facelift Outsourced printing sharpens image, speeds issuance 36 Retransfer ups the ante for desktop card printers Quick, cheap and high-quality all within reach

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Blackboard

3

transact.blackboard.com/studentexperience

39 CBORD www.cbord.com

11 ColorID www.ColorID.com

Entrust Datacard

2

www.datacard.com/CR80

9 Evolis www.evolis.com

21 Heartland www.1card.com

40 HID Global www.hidglobal.com/welcomed-cr80

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Identification Systems Group

www.IdentificationSystemsGroup.com

25 NACAS www.caspcert.org

27 NACCU www.naccu.org/2015

5

SARGENT

www.personacampus.com

17 Tapingo www.tapingo.com

19 Wells Fargo www.wellsfargo.com

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CARDS SPEED MAILROOM PROCESSES

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STUDENT IDS AS BREEDER DOCUMENTS?

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Struggling with the transition to new credentials?

PERSONA Campus

TM

Access Control Solutions

MAGRATION noun |mag•ration|

Easy, affordable migration from mag stripe cards to smart cards and mobile access With PERSONA Campus™ access control solutions, you can: – Support mag stripe and contactless credentials, as well as HID Mobile Access® powered by Seos® – Transition mixed credential populations to a single credential as budget allows – Build in the flexibility to support emerging technologies such as mobile access PERSONA Campus™ solutions combine advanced, flexible software with a variety of offline, Power over Ethernet (PoE) and WiFi locks for customized access control that integrates seamlessly with other campus systems.

Learn how MAGRATION™ can help solve your campus security challenges: www.personacampus.com

Available from ASSA ABLOY Group brands: CORBIN RUSSWIN | SARGENT Scan this QR code using your mobile phone to learn more.

Copyright © 2015 ASSA ABLOY Inc. All rights reserved.

ABOUT

CR80News EXECUTIVE EDITOR & PUBLISHER Chris Corum, chris@AVISIAN.com EDITOR Zack Martin, zack@AVISIAN.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR Andrew Hudson, andrew@AVISIAN.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Liset Cruz, Autumn Cafiero Giusti, Gina Jordan ART DIRECTOR Ryan Kline ADVERTISING SALES Chris Corum, chris@AVISIAN.com Sales Department, advertise@AVISIAN.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS CR80News is free to qualified professionals in the U.S. For those who do not qualify for a free subscription, the annual rate is US$29 ($59 outside the U.S.). Visit http://store.avisian.com for subscription information. No subscription agency is authorized to solicit or take orders for subscriptions. Postmaster: Send address changes to AVISIAN Inc., 315 E. Georgia Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32301.

ABOUT CR80News CR80News is published twice a year by AVISIAN Inc., 315 E. Georgia Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32301. Chris Corum, President and CEO. Circulation records are maintained at AVISIAN Inc., 315 E. Georgia Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32301.

Copyright 2015 by AVISIAN Inc. All material contained herein is protected by copyright laws and owned by AVISIAN Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. The inclusion or exclusion of any does not mean that the publisher advocates or rejects its use. While considerable care is taken in the production of this and all issues, no responsibility can be accepted for any errors or omissions, unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork, etc.

AVISIAN Inc. is not liable for the content or representations in submitted advertisements or for transcription or reproduction errors.

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Submissions for positions on our editorial advisory board will be accepted by email only. Please send your qualifications to info@ AVISIAN.com

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PERSPECTIVE

Securing the identity chain Don’t let the campus card be the weakest link ANDREW HUDSON, ASSOCIATE EDITOR, AVISIAN PUBLICATIONS

The identity chain can be a fragile thing when you consider the number of possible weak links. These weak links can be the result of insecure, “breeder” documents – documents like birth certificates and Social Security cards that can be used to obtain other higher value identity documents like passports and driver licenses. Fraudsters often use these easier-to-acquire breeder documents to then apply for more secure IDs. In this issue, we consider the limits of the student ID card, what cardholder information it should feature and how far beyond the confines of campus it should be accepted.

While the student ID is, for the most part, well garrisoned within the walls of campus, there remain certain uses of the student credential – voter ID, for example – that may attach unintended value and thus risk to the student ID. The worst-case scenario is that a fraudulently obtained student ID is used as a breeder document to obtain more secure IDs. And should that fraudster use those newly acquired credentials for identity theft or criminal acts, the paper trail could lead back to the university.

A quick scan of the Social Security Administration’s web site shows that in order to obtain an original or replacement Social Security card, an applicant must first produce a U.S. driver license, state-issued ID card or U.S. Passport. But if for whatever reason these documents are not available, other documents including the student ID card will be considered.

While the student ID card can’t be used on its own, it’s an acceptable link in the chain nonetheless.

Using a university ID to orchestrate identity theft or other fraudulent activities is, of course, an extreme case. But universities should be mindful of the power that the credential can have when used for purposes beyond higher education or when cardholder information like birthdates or other sensitive data are included.

There’s a reason Social Security numbers don’t appear on the fronts of student IDs anymore, but as identity theft and fraud becomes more advanced, it may be worth it to pay additional attention to the student ID once more. If not for the sake of the cardholders, then it should be done to avoid the liability that a university could incur if its credential was used illegally.

The cards are great tools for accessing student-facing services both on and around campus, but their use may not be worth the risk when it comes to larger utilities at the state or federal level.

Even if the student credential were deemed a good fit for use beyond higher education, it would likely raise new questions when it comes to issuance. If the student ID is to maintain a place on the identity chain, then it would likely fall to the university to ensure that its link remains as strong as the others.

The simpler and perhaps safer option is to keep the student ID within the walls of campus, leaving those use cases that reach beyond the institution’s borders to other identity documents.

ID SHORTS HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WEB

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA OPTS FOR PIN ENTRY OVER HAND GEOMETRY Administrators at the University of Georgia have decided to institute PIN entry for physical access to buildings on its Athens campus, replacing an existing hand geometry system that has long been heralded as one of the pioneering implementations of biometrics on campus.

Prior to the new PIN system, students accessed dormitories, dining halls and exercise facilities by placing their hands over a biometric reader. Starting this year,

however students will use a combination of their student ID and a pin number to gain entrance.

UGA implemented hand geometry biometrics as far back as the 1970s to maintain student safety and prevent students from taking advantage of the university’s unlimited meal plan.

More recently, according to a report in The Red & Black, students have expressed concerns with the biometric security system, citing specifically the spreading of germs as thousands use the readers each day. The existing biometric

system is also dated, bringing efficiency into question as well.

The university’s Bolton, Snelling and Oglethorpe Dining Commons were the first three buildings at UGA to use hand geometry scanners. Following the initial implementation, the biometric system expanded to 17 dorms and the student union shortly after the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Prior to instituting hand geometry, Georgia used magnetic stripe cards for student entry at dorms.

HID, VANDERBILT PILOT BLUETOOTH SMART FOR DOOR ACCESS HID Global and Vanderbilt University are trialing a new access control system feature that leverages smartphones and Bluetooth Smart. The pilot aims to demonstrate mobile’s capabilities as a convenient and compelling alternative to opening doors via keys and cards.

The pilot uses the HID Mobile Access solution that supports Bluetooth Smart and includes Mobile IDs, Mobile Apps, mobile-enabled iCLASS SE readers and the HID Secure Identity Services portal for provisioning and revoking Mobile IDs to a variety of Apple and Android devices.

Users can either tap their device or use the HID’s patented “Twist and Go”

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HOW DOES YOUR SCHOOL IDENTIFY ITS STUDENTS?

By providing student badges instantly with an Evolis card printer From basic identity data to the most advanced encoding features, student ID cards are an essential part to securing educational facilities today.

Evolis printers together with cardPresso software offer an easy-to-use and powerful system.

www.evolis.com

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gesture technology to open doors and gates from a distance.

HID previously tested NFC at Arizona State University with a select group of students and staff using NFC-enabled smart phones. In that pilot, participants could gain access to their residence halls and other secure access areas by tapping their handset against a reader embedded in the door and entering a PIN, rather than using their campus card.

In the time since, Bluetooth Smart has emerged as a competitor to NFC, potentially paving the way for a new mobile solution on campus.

The Vanderbilt pilot consists of approximately 15 participants that use their smartphones for door access at one or

cess, citing that the Secure Identity Services Portal made provisioning fast and easy,” Ball adds. “The university’s system administrators particularly liked how they could see the status of the invitation and each device all the way through the registration and provisioning process.”

Vanderbilt uses CBORD’s CS Access solution with integrated VertX access control panels from HID Global. CS Access is a fully integrated component of the CS Gold campus card solution, and the pilot required no changes to the CBORD system to facilitate the use of Mobile IDs on smartphones for access.

Participants used their own smartphones in the pilot and included Apple iPhone 4S, 5, 5C and 5S devices along

more of six possible campus entry points, including a parking garage. The entry points are equipped with mobile-enabled iCLASS SE readers configured to work with existing iCLASS smart cards as well as HID Global’s Mobile IDs. “A critical element of HID Mobile Access is its ease of issuing, managing and revoking Mobile IDs to smartphones,” says Anthony Ball, senior vice president, Identity Access Management with HID Global.

“The university provided positive feedback on the Mobile ID issuance pro-

with Samsung Galaxy S4 and Mini 3S handsets running Android.

“Vanderbilt University is a long-time CBORD client with a very innovative campus card and integrated security program,” says Max Steinhardt, president of CBORD. “Bluetooth Smart is a powerful new technology making the student experience more convenient and secure. We’re really pleased to partner with Vanderbilt and HID Global in this exciting pilot program to further demonstrate the value of mobile credentials in the university environment.”

CR80News

Spring 2015

The pilot has, thus far, been met with positive feedback from participants. For new buildings, Vanderbilt plans to install iCLASS SE readers so it can leverage the capabilities of mobile access in the future, while still retaining interoperability with legacy card technologies.

STUDENT PROPOSES ID CARD STICKERS WITH SEXUAL, MENTAL HEALTH CONTACTS A new student-led proposal at Columbia University is looking to place stickers on student ID cards that display contact information for sexual and mental health resources.

The student group is working with Columbia’s Community Health House to print some 8,000 stickers that list the contact information for Sexual Violence Response and Counseling and Psychological Services. The stickers are designed to fit on the back of existing Columbia student ID cards.

As reported by the Columbia Spectator, the project was inspired by a poster containing the contacts for these organizations that was placed on the back of a bathroom stall. The idea of the stickers is to make those resources more accessible for students, placing it in their pocket, rather than in a static location.

The backs of the Columbia student ID card already features the contact information for university emergency medical services, but there is just enough unused white space for the additional emergency contacts.

Columbia’s Residential Life group sponsored the purchase of the stickers – a grand total of $90 as the stickers cost just a penny each. Future plans include working with Columbia’s card office to print the information on each new ID card.

With sexual assault and mental health conditions on the rise on college campuses, making the appropriate resources

ID SHORTS

readily available to students when they need them most can be a vital service. As demonstrated by the efforts of Columbia students, these efforts can be as simple and cost effective as penny stickers on the backs of IDs.

WINDY CITY COLLEGE FACES LAUNDRY PAYMENT PREDICAMENT Contract changes and expirations have caused a crunch for University of Chicago students looking to top up their ID cards with laundry funds.

The University removed cash-to-card machines from residence halls at the beginning of this academic year, leaving

students with just two locations at which they can reload their ID cards for laundry. Now, rather than having machines located in residence halls, the students must report to two central locations, a campus convenience store and Bartlett Hall, a highly trafficked building that contains a dining hall and other student resources.

As reported by the Chicago Maroon, The University of Chicago’s student newspaper, the drop in card-topping locations is the result of new contracts for both library printing and the residence halls laundry services. The new laundry contract funds just two machines in lieu of the previous five.

TCU USES NEW SOFTWARE, MAG STRIPE READERS TO MONITOR SOCIAL EVENTS Texas Christian University is working with fraternities and sororities and university police to update its procedures regarding off-campus social events. At the heart of the new procedures is OrgSync, a software program that creates an online campus community that helps an institution connect and engage with its students.

OrgSync is designed to improve information sharing, track co-curricular involvement and generate reports on all data collected via ID card swipes at events. All Greek chapters at TCU now

C O L O R I D

IDENTIFICATION - BIOMETRICS - TRANSACTIONS

WWW.COLORID.COM

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ID SHORTS

handle their social event operations through the program.

As reported by university newspaper TCU360, Greek organizations must submit complete guest lists to OrgSync at least two days prior to an event. Additionally, all chapters are expected to purchase mag stripe readers to assist with event check in.

When an organization uploads their guest list to OrgSync, rosters will be reflected in the system and in the mag stripe readers. From there, students swipe their university IDs to determine whether or not they are on the guest list.

When attendees arrive for bus loading, they are required to swipe-in as they board buses to and from off-campus events. TCU Police insist that the new procedure is designed to boost student security.

DISCOUNTED STUDENT TRANSIT HAS ITS COSTS College students enjoy a number of perks and discounts thanks to their university affiliation, and one of the most common discounts, particularly for urban campuses is discounted public transit.

Bus and train fares certainly add up, and for students who leverage public transit to get to and from campus everyday, a discount card is an invaluable service. But what does it cost to provide that service?

As reported by The Chicago Tribune, use of free and reduced-fare Ventra public transit cards is being put under the microscope, as illegal card-sharing is reportedly costing the transit agency millions of dollars each year.

Now, new card enforcement measures are seeing transit employees paying

greater attention to photo IDs at turnstiles and conducting more consistent ID verification. While Chicago Police are not yet issuing tickets to violators, CTA officials have not ruled out that option should fraudulent card use continue.

As with other major metropolitan areas, Chicago’s “entitlement” cards are issued for discounted and free rides for students as well as low-income senior citizens and individuals with disabilities.

The student entitlement card provides full-time college students with unlimited rides during the academic year.

The increased card enforcement led to some 1,800 cards being confiscated for fraudulent use over the course of one month alone. The CTA estimates a loss of $3 million in revenue from those confiscated cards alone.

THE INCREASED CARD ENFORCEMENT LED TO SOME 1,800 CARDS BEING CONFISCATED FOR FRAUDULENT USE OVER THE COURSE OF ONE MONTH ALONE

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ID SHORTS

UNIVERSITY ENABLES STUDENTS TO UNLOCK DORM ROOMS VIA TEXT At George Washington University, students are unlocking their dorm rooms a little differently. For students without their GWorld student ID cards, getting into card-controlled dorms is as simple pressing ‘send’ on a text message.

The university tested the new system earlier this semester, giving residents the ability to connect their cell phone numbers to their online laundry tracker accounts. In return, the students were given a phone number that they can text to unlock their doors.

As reported by The GW Hatchet, University officials believe the system will be useful in situations when there isn’t time or it’s inconvenient to report to a residence hall key depot for a replacement access card.

The new program means the university’s GWorld cards aren’t required to enter rooms, but university officials intend for the text method to be a convenient alternative when a student’s card is lost or damaged, rather than a replacement for the card altogether.

One student who participated in the trial explained that the system enabled a roommate to enter the room while she was at the library elsewhere on campus.

Situations like this add a new level of convenience, saving a trip across campus, but could introduce a myriad of other security concerns as it adds another means for entry to a dorm room.

BADGEPASS ACQUIRES CARD SOLUTION USED AT MISS. STATE, OTHERS ID solution developer, BadgePass, acquired TotalCard – a cloud- or customerhosted campus card system – from Jackson, Miss.-based Software Data Systems.

TotalCard provides institutions the ability to manage financial transactions, track events and grant privileges to students and faculty via their student ID card. TotalCard applications include access control, point of sale, visitor management, time and attendance, event tracking, vending and laundry.

What makes the acquisition interesting is that TotalCard has largely existed in a vacuum. The solution was developed by a Mississippi company and rarely wandered beyond state lines.

Richard Tollison has worked closely with Mississippi State’s implementation and growth of TotalCard, beginning with the solution’s inception in the late 80s.

Tollison has since retired, but still works part time with the university and remains close to the TotalCard operations.

“Software Data Systems developed the TotalCard solution, and in July of 1989, the solution went live at Mississippi State,” explains Tollison. “MSU was the first to adopt TotalCard, and it remains in place at the university today.”

At the time that TotalCard was being developed, Mississippi State was seeking to replace an existing card system. As Tollison recalls, the maintenance of the old system was manual and tedious, and the opportunity for expanding the system was very limited.

The university selected Software Data Systems to rollout a new point of sale system, and shortly thereafter, jointly added access control. It became clear,

however, that a more comprehensive card system was necessary to better meet the needs of the growing campus.

Over time, Software Data Systems added functions, creating a one-card system that has supported the institution’s needs for nearly a quarter century. Today, the system is completely web-based, says Tollison.

TotalCard has since been adopted by Ole Miss for access control, a number of community colleges in Mississippi and its one out-of-state implementation at UC Santa Barbara.

Rather than developing proprietary hardware, TotalCard integrates with off-the-shelf hardware, says Tollison.

This enables an institution to leverage a variety of point of sale registers, access readers and print/copy stations.

“We are extremely excited to add TotalCard to the BadgePass product line,” says Phillip King, president of BadgePass. “We have consistently promoted the importance of establishing a true credential ecosystem. The acquisition of TotalCard adds more applications to that ecosystem.”

Explore online for up-to-the-minute news and insight on identity and security technologies for the campus and university market. Articles, podcasts and videos are added daily at CR80News.com

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A GLIMPSE AT THE FUTURE STUDENT MOBILE APP

S P P A N E G D I S NEXT U P M A C E G E R F I L ME T N E D U T S D N A Updating …

ANDREW HUDSON, ASSOCIATE EDITOR, AVISIAN PUBLICATIONS

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A “companion app” is typically defined as a secondary device that is used while participating in another activity – watching TV, playing a game, etc. The companion is used in an effort to interact with what you’re seeing and, in turn, find out more about it.

For a number of reasons, not the least of which is an incredibly tech-savvy student population, the concept of a companion app is ideally suited for the college campus. Students are never without their smart phone, they relish every opportunity to use it, and universities have taken notice.

Search either The App Store or Google Play Store and you’ll find countless apps targeting students and a host of university-branded apps that can be used for just all types of utilities. But what will the campus app look like going forward?

It may be that for higher education, the term “companion app” will assume a more literal meaning.

THE IDEAL VISION Here at CR80News, we’ve speculated that the mobile app will be an all-encompassing, daily facilitator for a student’s life on campus. It’s a theory that is shared with leaders in the campus community and may be closer to reality than fiction.

“Essentially you could apply the entire breadth of features and functions to a mobile iteration,” says Jeff Staples, vice president of market development, Blackboard Transact. “We will see students begin their student experience well before arrival on campus by leveraging the integrated campus app that delivers capabilities for both learning and living.”

As Staples sees it, many of those students will begin using these same tools during their K-12 years, prior to their first arrival on a university campus. “They will arrive as a more informed freshman, go straight to their residence hall, open the door with their mobile and begin their college experience in earnest,” says Staples.

The campus environment that Staples is alluding to is one where the institution will be able to deliver a coordinated mobile experience that takes the place of a multitude of disparate solutions and single-function apps. He says these many unique functions will come together in a comprehensive app, including vital services like event and door access, mobile ordering, payments, coursework, attendance, testing, safety and more.

“The objective is to enhance the student experience and deliver better outcomes, resulting in more engaged and supportive alumni who will continue to leverage the campus mobile solution for everything from event attendance to donations for the rest of their lives,” explains Staples. “Their post-graduation mobile experience will be tailored to their interests while on campus and evolve with them as their engagement with the institution evolves.”

The mobile experience itself will be multi-dimensional, ranging from responsive text to location-based services leveraging GPS, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and NFC. “The most successful campuses will create a ubiquitous use environment

is providing a platform to expand these services.

“With an app, students can transact anytime, anywhere. It offers that service through a device students treat with great care and is often protected with a lock screen, which adds a layer of security,” says Sarah Ledwith, product marketing manager at CBORD. “The app also drives revenue by giving students another easy way to make purchases from their campus card accounts.”

In Ledwith’s experience, universities want to offer card functionality through a single, mobile experience, rather than offer different services piecemeal through multiple apps.

“Although universities are often siloed, most recognize the need for a consistent student experience,” she says.

“They don’t want one app for account management, another for ordering, and so on. One app that covers a variety of related services is a much more popular idea.”

According to Fred Emery, vice president of OneCard sales at Heartland Campus Solutions, the use of mobile apps is actually extending the lifespan of the

THE MORE THE CARD OR APP CAN BE USED ANYWHERE, THE MORE IT WILL BE USED EVERYWHERE where the student doesn’t have to think ‘card or mobile?’ for a certain transaction or activity, but instead can simply leverage their mobile for the full gamut of activities on campus,” he adds.

BUT I ALREADY HAVE A CARD The foundations for this future vision can already be seen today.

Students rely on their universityissued ID card to facilitate the many services they need, but the mobile app

physical cards. “We’ve seen a decrease in damaged cards on the campuses using the app,” he says. Since a replacement app can be provided to the student at no cost, the capital expenditure on the part of the card office changes.

“Transaction volume increases which leads to an increase in revenue since it is often more convenient to use the app then take your card out of your wallet,” Emery adds.

Best of all, the mobile app can provide all these student services and campus

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The mobile admin: Apps not just for students While the student will be the focal point for the campus mobile app, the campus card vendors haven’t forgotten about the administrators that make these functions run. It will be vital for card administrators to have certain features and functions available to them to help facilitate the student mobile experience.

CBORD has considered the university administrator perspective in building out the company’s app. “We have employee-facing functionality that turns your smartphone or tablet into a point-of-sale terminal to accept card payments, and we also offer virtual security tracking when students are walking alone,” says Ledwith.

Heartland, meanwhile, has a stable of admin-facing apps designed to make administrative functions easier. The standalone admin app, called OneCard Mobile Admin, enables campus card office managers to check accounts and conduct system management. “You can do pretty much anything that a card administrator could do from their desktop including the ability to take a student photo and submit it directly to print,” says Emery.

Heartland offers other admin-facing apps including mAuthenticate and CheckIN that turn smartphones or tablets into transaction terminals. These apps enables campuses to use non-proprietary hardware to accept their campus card or a mobile device for meal plans and financial purchases as well as event entry and time and attendance verification.

agement, deposits, online ordering and marketing, through a single mobile experience.”

CBORD’s Mobile ID app has tallied some 20,000 downloads to date, she says.

Blackboard sees a promising future in the mobile app, as well; particularly as college students continue to turn to mobile devices to complete daily tasks.

“With such a high percentage of students toting smartphones, it just makes sense to allow mobile devices to perform all the same functions that the campus cards can do,” says Dan Gretz, senior director of product marketing at Blackboard. “And as more campuses become NFC-enabled, students are using their mobile devices for all of their transactions, with dining halls, vending, bookstores, laundry and access control being the most prominent.”

KEY FUNCTIONS benefits without requiring additional personnel.

WHAT’S ‘APP’ENING This ideal of a true companion app is a work in progress, but campuses and campus card providers have already made strides.

Heartland Campus Solutions offers its OneCard Mobile app. “We have found that campuses want something that will act as their central hub for student information as well as campus card transactions,” says Emery. “They would like the ability to configure the look and feel of the

app as well as add other campus information such as athletics and cultural events, dining hall menus, bus schedules and even the ability to contact campus safety.”

Emery goes on to explain that the number of implementations is on the rise.

“Almost every new campus is planning to include the app as part of its initial launch or in a phase two expansion,” he says.

“It’s becoming somewhat of a standard.”

Fellow campus card vendor, CBORD also offers a campus mobile app. “We offer the ability to open doors, make purchases, complete vending transactions and pay for laundry from a mobile device,” says Ledwith. “We also offer account man-

The campus card has added a number of functions to its repertoire over the years, and the mobile app would be wise to take note. One major component to the companion app of tomorrow will undoubtedly include physical access control, an idea that Gretz and Blackboard are keen to develop further.

Near field communication on mobile devices will enable students to access facilities, Gretz says. Door access will be vital because it’s one of the most important and frequent tasks for students, and as Gretz explains, shifting door access to a mobile app is already piloted.

Blackboard is working with schools to ease the process of placing IDs on to

THE MOST SUCCESSFUL CAMPUSES WILL CREATE A UBIQUITOUS USE ENVIRONMENT WHERE THE STUDENT DOESN’T HAVE TO THINK ‘CARD OR MOBILE?’ BUT INSTEAD SIMPLY LEVERAGES THE MOBILE FOR THE FULL GAMUT OF ACTIVITIES ON CAMPUS

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THE COMPLETE MOBILE SOLUTION FOR CAMPUS LIFE

ORDER & PAY AHEAD Accurate wait time predictions for consumers with robust back-office tools for merchants MULTIPLE PAYMENT TENDERS Flexible payment options including available student cards, credit/debit cards and Paypal FULL-SERVICE SOLUTION Dedicated account management team, 24/7 customer service and tailored marketing strategies MARKETING AND LOYALTY Customized notifications and campaigns, in-app discounts and loyalty promotions MORE THAN DINING Versatile commerce platform for surveys, tickets sales, student groups and concessions

Tapingo is the complete mobile commerce solution for life on campus, providing a flexible and full-service platform for student life and auxiliary services.

“Over the last 2 years, Tapingo’s penetration has grown significantly. It’s become a big part of campus life and a really convenient way for our students to order throughout campus. For us, it’s a solution for a variety of things and more than just retail dining.” Elizabeth Nochomovitz, Director of Auxiliary Services at Case Western Reserve University

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mobile devices. “Once a student logs into their campus account via a smartphone, their campus ID is securely loaded to the device over the air, after which the phone can function securely as the ID card,” explains Gretz.

Heartland’s Emery echoes this sentiment. “We expect that we will see an increase in NFC use on campus, and I think for a while we will see the mobile credential being used as an enhancement to the plastic credential,” adds Emery.

As Emery sees it, the mobile app would also be ideal as a stand in to traditional event ticketing. “I can see, for example, where instead of printing paper event tickets with assigned seats, a virtual ticket along with other pertinent cam-

in place for the campus mobile app. And being that that the mobile app functions on regular mobile broadband or Wi-Fi, it will be simple enough to leverage a existing wireless networks.

Marketing and education, then, will play a pivotal role in adoption. Fortunately, if any population is going to use a mobile app en masse, it will be college students. “Students are the ideal demographic for using this type of technology,” says Gretz. “And as universities are looking for ways to provide enhanced services to their students, use of the smartphone is a natural addition.”

Simplicity will be vital to adoption.

“Creating a frictionless experience for the student is paramount,” Gretz says. “If

the standard campus card from a plastic device to more of a student experience.

“It’s no longer just a transaction tool, but an expansion of services as the credential becomes mobile and key functions are at students’ fingertips in one application,” Emery adds.

A TRUE COMPANION The term “companion app” could take on a different meaning when it comes to the university. The app could be introduced the moment an acceptance letter or email is sent to a student, configured and activated alongside the student’s first interactions on campus and carried along with them during their daily activities

IT’S NO LONGER JUST A TRANSACTION TOOL, BUT AN EXPANSION OF SERVICES AS KEY FUNCTIONS ARE IN A SINGLE APP AT STUDENTS’ FINGERTIPS

pus information could be pushed to you within the app,” says Emery. “This could also remind a student of a meeting with a counselor or a check out of campus housing.”

Emery also points out that the campus mobile app could prove just as valuable to university administrators as it will be to students. Since students can self manage through the app, reliance on card office staff will be reduced. “Additionally because transactions occur virtually over the network there is less wear and tear on physical card readers meaning less maintenance,” explains Emery.

FORMING HABITS Provided the proper terminals are in place to accept mobile transactions, much of the necessary infrastructure is already

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the mobile app isn’t at least as easy and convenient as the card, students won’t use it.”

CBORD’s Ledwith suggests that it’s a matter of getting students in the habit of using the app. “The same rule applies to the apps that we see consistently in onecard programs: the more the card or app can be used anywhere, the more it will be used everywhere,” she says. “The more student services that can go into an app, the more successful it will be.”

Social media can play an important role in adoption and use of an app, says Emery. “Consider running promotions where you get a discount if you use the app or are entered into a drawing if you download the app and go through the initial account configuration,” he explains.

Conceptually, a university can add anything they want to the app, taking

through to graduation.

While the traditional companion on campus has long been the ID card, the mobile app is likely to be the modern student’s best friend. From acceptance to commencement, universities have at their disposal the ability to provide students with information that will not only facilitate the college experience, but enhance it as well.

The campus mobile app has, in many ways, already arrived enabling transactions and physical access at pioneering campuses nationwide. It seems destined to become the hub for a student’s daily life. As more services are pushed to the Internet and greater technologies emerge, the campus mobile app will only continue to expand in use and utility.

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Bringing snail mail up to speed Automation, student IDs streamline the campus mailroom ANDREW HUDSON, ASSOCIATE EDITOR, AVISIAN PUBLICATIONS

Student services are constantly evolving, benefitting from advances in technology and business innovation. The campus mailroom or post office is no exception. Long the home to walls of locked metal boxes, it seems to be the latest university service undergoing a facelift.

It is easy to see that there have been major changes in both the volume and type of mail delivered. Still the need for the campus mailroom remains a reality.

In recent years, however, universities have

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turned to innovative processes in an effort to bring “snail mail” up to speed.

PONY NOT SO EXPRESS For many universities, mail delivery on campus has remained unchanged – relying on a sea of metal mailboxes individually assigned to each student. This system has been in place because, until recently, it worked. But shifts in mail usage and habits

have rendered the system inefficient and costly, giving rise to new ideas.

“The major dynamics are that regular letter mail continues to decline for students while package deliveries increase significantly,” says Renaud Rodrigue, vice president for higher education at Ricoh Americas. “It has really changed the way universities manage mail on campus.”

Despite this dearth of letter mail being sent and received, mailrooms are still packed with incoming parcels for students.

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“With the rise of ecommerce, ordering consumer products and academic textbooks online has created an influx of package deliveries to the college campus,” says Renaud. “The effect on the campus is twofold: it is an added burden for universities to manage this influx of packages and the physical space needed to accommodate and store them increases.”

Ricoh started to create solutions at the start of this paradigm shift of online shopping and ecommerce and has built a lineup of mailroom services that offer an alternative to the old way of doing things.

A vast majority of student mail centers were built before the Internet, let alone online shopping. “The challenge is that many mailrooms continue to operate today in the same manner they did when they were first built,” says Dale Walsh, senior strategy development manager at Ricoh Americas.

Inefficiency is a key concern, Walsh explains. “At the start of the fall semester, some of our universities are processing in excess of two to three thousand packages each day,” he says. “You can imagine the lines when you use the old-fashioned method of package pickup; it’s not uncommon under those circumstances for a student to stand in line for an hour to receive a package.”

LEHIGH UNIVERSITY Ricoh’s mailroom system is being used at a number of universities nationwide, but the company’s first implementation was Lehigh University. Lehigh was in need of a new system for an old service and was willing to make wholesale changes.

“Previously, Lehigh operated its student mail and package delivery out of a building in the middle of campus,” says Glenn Strause, director of printing and mailing services at the university. “Students picked up their mail from individual boxes, for which they had metal keys.”

Strause explains that the mailboxes took up more than 5,000 sq. ft. of space, in addition to the 600 sq. ft. of space needed for package pick-up and delivery. “During peak hours, as many as 30 students could be waiting in line,” she adds.

The only method available for shipping packages on Lehigh’s campus was USPS as Fed Ex and UPS were not available, says Strause. Moreover, students could not pay with their Lehigh student ID card.

The implementation of the new mail center changed virtually everything, explains Strause.

“Students now receive an email notifying them when a package or letter arrives, and the new implementations sped up package and mail processing significantly,” she says. “Average wait time for a letter or package pick-up has dropped from 30 minutes with the old process to just one minute. And the mail center now serves as a shipping location for USPS, UPS and FedEx.”

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EXPEDITING PICK-UP LINES The challenge at Lehigh isn’t unique. They needed a new system to handle the influx of package deliveries and the burden of growing lines. But sometimes a new mailroom process requires a new solution.

Ricoh’s suite of mailroom services includes an automated kiosk and sorting system that consolidates mail storage to a more compact space. Emails are sent directly to students informing them when mail has arrived. When the student arrives at the mailroom, they visit the kiosk and scan their student ID card. “We tie all packages and letters to a student ID number; that’s how we identify the student,” says Walsh.

Once the student has checked in at the kiosk, they confirm that they want to pick up their package at that time, and then they report to the pick-up window. The process resembles a drive-thru. Students

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order at the kiosk and by the time they get to the window, their package is waiting.

The kiosk addresses the student by name and details how many packages they have waiting, explains Walsh. It also gives students the option to either pick up a package or simply check the package status. Only after the student selects the pickup option does mailroom staff retrieve a package.

“Key details about the student, how many packages or letters they have waiting, the box number, the size details of the

Q&A with Lehigh’s Glenn Strause How has the new mailroom concept impacted campus?

The biggest advantages have been speed of service, the range of services we are now able to offer, the smaller footprint and location, and the mechanisms for reporting that were previously unavailable to us.

What challenges was Lehigh facing prior to adopting Ricoh?

The location of that mail center was needed for another University facility and a new location for student mail had to be found. Finding a similar space on campus was a challenge. In the end, Campus Square, the location of the University Bookstore and other shops, was selected as a convenient location for students. The next challenge was fitting into this new space of less than 2,000 sq. ft.

How are students using their university ID card in the mailroom process?

Students swipe their ID cards at a kiosk upon entering the mail center and can select whether they want to pick up their letter or package right then or pick it up later. If they select to pick up their letter or package, staff is notified through the automated system and their parcel will be brought to them at the counter. They also use their ID card to pay for any purchases using their GoldPLUS account.

package and the package’s location are displayed on staff monitors,” says Walsh.

“This information is used as a clue for employees to more quickly and efficiently find a package and get it to the counter.”

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YOU’VE GOT MAIL Beyond just expediting the pick up process, Walsh explains that additional space is a common request he hears from universities. Simply put, mailboxes take up valuable real estate.

This is where Ricoh’s High-Density Mail system comes in. “It allows universities to centralize operations by replacing the cumbersome, space-chewing metal mailboxes with a much smaller, mail sorting system,” says Walsh.

Rather than rows of metal mailboxes, the system uses folders to sort letter mail. The newly liberated space can be repurposed for package storage if need be or converted into another use entirely.

Lehigh implemented the high-density mailbox system and was able to free up a significant amount of space. “This system enabled us to shrink 5,000 sq. ft. of mailbox space down to 120 sq. ft.,” says Lehigh’s Strause.

The move to a high-density sorting system may seem like a wholesale transformation, but as Walsh explains, it’s more about consolidation than change. “Every student still has their own mailbox, it’s just in a much more compact area behind the counter. It essentially becomes a concierge service for students,” explains Walsh. “Students don’t have to check their mailbox, and they don’t have to keep up with combinations or keys.”

Ricoh’s mail services essentially operate as a branch of the postal service, and the company operates it on the university’s behalf. As Walsh explains, they typically bring in FedEx, UPS and USPS enabling students to choose between carriers and make shipping choices based on price.

Additionally, Ricoh accepts standard debit and credit as well as the student ID for payments.

A NEW MODEL As Walsh sees it, university mail centers can be grouped into two primary models: centralized and decentralized.

Centralized mail centers consolidate most, or all, student mailboxes in a single location such as a student union. Decentralized systems distribute mail from various locations – such as individual residence hall mailrooms – across campus.

The kiosk and high-density sorting tandem works best in centralized environments where a single mail center services multiple residence halls.

Walsh says the centralized method with new mailroom technology greatly simplifies operations. It enables a university to ditch the footprint that is so often occupied by physical mailboxes, not to mention the maintenance surrounding changing of combinations and locks at the end of each year.

A university can also lessen its dependence on a student’s physical address, he explains. Universities can leverage the student ID number in a centralized system and eliminate the confusion that occurs when students change residence halls or addresses.

“For us, the student ID is simply a unique identifier. We extract the student ID number from the card if it is present, and if not, we look it up,” explains Walsh.

He says the university provides a database of students and their ID numbers, usually on an automated nightly basis. “In this way, the mailroom application isn’t integrating with the card system directly, so it can work with any card system the university has in place,” he adds.

SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED Despite an overwhelming amount of communication now taking place electronically, the need for traditional mail remains and the need for package delivery seems destined to keep growing.

Whether it’s a textbook you nabbed online for half price, an impulse buy from your favorite online store or a letter from mom and dad, the campus mailroom continues to be an important lifeline on campus and tie to home.

We’ll come to you The benefits of on-site service for your ID system TOM STILES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS GROUP

When it comes to the maintenance and support of your ID card system, you have a couple of choices. You can have the system maintained by your local expert dealer or do it yourself using the manufacturer’s 800-number and depot maintenance program.

Over the years, ID card printers have become more reliable with a lower average cost. This commoditization is typical in the lifecycle of product technology and offers an advantage when it comes to choice and cost savings. These choices include the purchase of a backup card printer and service of the printer using a depot program.

Your ID card system is an investment and is an important part of a university’s overall identification and security program. It’s much more than just a card printer; it’s a system of many components that need to work together, as well as with other campus systems. In addition, a campus card administrator and their staff’s time is valuable, and working on a down card printer may not the best use of resources.

QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD BE ASKING Several factors should be considered when making a decision on how to support a university ID card system. A card administrator should ask the following key questions: Your Staff Do you or your staff have the time to stay on top of all of the details required to keep the system in peak condition?

Are you or your staff technically able to handle the ongoing updates, upgrades, cleaning and changes? What is that internal cost, and how much productivity is lost?

IT Department I occasionally hear that the IT department handles maintenance and service.

The “mysterious” IT department can be a catch-all for support, and they are generally overburdened. It is rare that IT staff has the knowledge to work on a device that has mechanical operations. If they do, will they have the time to perform scheduled routine maintenance? If responsibility is transferred to campus IT, are there internal charges for the service?

Costs Do you have the time to wait for a replacement printer to arrive? If not, do you have a backup printer or two? What is the cost of an on-site service agreement that includes all preventative maintenance, and how does this compare to a depot agreement? If you obtain an onsite agreement, could you leverage that to negotiate a lower price on cards and printer supplies?

REAL LIFE SCENARIOS Let’s walk through two possible scenarios to show the differences between on-site service and a depot arrangement.

Scenario #1 – Depot Service There’s a problem with your printer, you call the 800-number and spend some time troubleshooting the issue.

It may not be apparent if the issue is with the card printer, software, camera or printer supplies. In this scenario, you would need to retrieve the original packing box – that you would have had to save – unload the printer of its cards and ribbon because the ribbon may have personal data on it, pack the printer in the box and arrange to ship it.

Moreover, you may not be able to issue cards until printer is returned. When the printer is returned, the system may still not operate properly because the problem could be in other areas of the system.

In some depot programs, the returned printer may be a different unit. Your new printer may be older, and you may have to go through the process of updating your organization’s asset list to reflect the new serial number.

Scenario #2 – On-Site Service There’s a problem with your printer, but this time you call a local number and spend a few minutes reporting the issue.

A certified service technician is dispatched to your location to fix the problem onsite. The trained technician determines what area – card printer, software, camera or other capture devices – is causing the problem. The company keeps an inventory of replacement parts stocked locally, so downtime is minimal and you can be up and printing quickly.

While the technician is there they will keep you apprised of product and technology changes, install any manufacturer-mandated field updates such as new firmware, and perform any routine inspections to keep the system in good working condition and extend the its life.

THE ISG STORY Identification Systems Group (ISG) is a nationwide network of local identification system integrators, providing high quality, cost effective solutions backed by local support and the strength of its Professional Services Certification program. Each company works together to provide seamless nationwide support.

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Campuses brace for EMV deadline New payment tech requires changes for cards, points of sale ZACK MARTIN, EDITOR, AVISIAN PUBLICATIONS

Just months away, in October 2015, the more secure EMV payment technology hits the U.S. Many campus card programs and virtually every institution will feel the effects. If your campus has not started to plan, the time is now.

Europay, MasterCard, Visa (EMV) is a smart card standard used by the majority of the industrialized world for payment cards.

It started its global rollout region-by-region way back in the mid-1990s, and the U.S. is one the last markets to jump on board.

Payment card data breaches like those at Target and Home Depot are part of the reason that the move to the more secure payment technology is finally underway.

Another cited reason is that with the rest of the world using the technology, U.S.

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cardholders need EMV cards more and more when traveling abroad.

Why should colleges and universities care?

First, if an institution issues a combined student ID and branded debit card – Visa, MasterCard, Discover, etc. – EMV will change the card and how it is issued. The new cards will have to include the EMV contact chip in addition to any technology the university requires for on-campus functions.

This only impacts a select number of institutions, as campus cards with on-board branded debit functionality is not widespread. More commonly combined cards included non-branded debit – often called ATM cards – and more recently branded

prepaid accounts. Neither of these are impacted by these EMV rules. Often when branded debit is the offering, a separate companion card is issued so again, this would impact the bank card but not the campus ID. Second, all institutions will need to prepare to accept EMV payments at any and all locations accepting branded credit and debit cards or be liable for fraudulent transactions made on campus.

WHAT IS EMV? Traditional EMV payment cards have a contact chip, and when making a purchase the consumer inserts the card into a reader, enters a PIN and conducts the transaction.

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In the U.S. this will be slightly different, as consumers will insert their card and then sign for transaction, rather than enter the PIN. A major security benefit is that EMV doesn’t transmit the payment card number as it is shown on the card, but instead creates a one-time number that is usable for that specific transaction. If that transaction is intercepted, it cannot be reused and the card number is not compromised so fraud is reduced.

EMV will be big business in the U.S. with 185 million cards shipped in 2014, according to the Smart Payments Association.

While there isn’t a mandate for banks to begin issuing cards or for merchants to begin accepting them a liability shift takes effect in October is driving the migration. In the past, the merchant has been

responsible for covering the cost of fraud from payment cards, but the liability shift puts the onus on the party with the weaker technology – either the merchant or the card-issuing bank.

For example, if a merchant has upgraded the point-of-sale terminal and backend system to accept EMV but the issuing bank has not provided an EMV card, the bank will be responsible for a fraudulent transaction. The opposite is also true. If a bank has issued an EMV card but the retailer has not upgraded systems, fraudulent transactions will be the responsibility of the merchant.

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ARE QUIET Several banks with campus partnerships told CR80News editors that they will sup

port EMV, but none would reveal details of how they intend to do it.

Generally speaking, a campus with a combined branded debit and campus ID will first have to look at its card printer and find out if it’s capable of printing smart cards, says Alyssa Arredondo, director of Global Instant Issuance Marketing at Entrust Datacard. Additional changes to the software might need to be made in order to properly encode the chip on the smart card.

Preparations also need to be made to prepare for the financial impact of issuing these new cards. The EMV chip will drive per card costs up significantly compared to mag stripe-only cards, Arredondo says.

Even more significant costs arise if the campus utilizes technology cards, such as contactless, and these must be reissued.

Questions remain as to who will cover these reissuance costs?

Campuses that issue non-branded debit cards need not worry about EMV, at least not for now. Similarly, branded prepaid cards also are not impacted by the current liability shift. Experts suggest, however, that these are only the first steps and future rules may expand areas of impact.

ACCEPTANCE ALSO AN ISSUE

What your campus should do to prepare for EMV There’s a lot of confusion about EMV, what it is and how it’s going to impact campus card banking relationships. For example, a Midwest university interviewed for this article reported that it began issuing EMV cards in January.

Upon further investigation, that wasn’t the case. They were issuing a new contactless card that can be used for closed-loop payments on campus, but this is quite different from EMV. The campus card includes Visa-branded debit so the program does fall squarely into this fall’s liability shift impact.

There will likely be some big changes coming to that card program if the card-issuing bank decides to avoid the liability shift and issue EMV cards. New equipment will have to be used in order to encode the contact chip, updates to backend systems will be required and existing cards will need to be reissued.

Universities with these types of programs need to work with their financial service partner to find out how they will accommodate these changes, determine a plan and decide if any modifications will be enacted in the coming months in advance of the October 2015 deadline. The liability shift is a only months away, so if banks aim to hit the deadline new cards will have to be issued when students come back in the fall.

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The EMV piece that will impact far more institutions involves the acceptance of branded payments cards – the many situations and locations in which the campus operates as the merchant.

Any campus that accept credit or debit cards should be preparing for the liability shift. Point-of-sale systems in the bookstore, dining facilities and even vending machines will have to be upgraded if branded cards are accepted and the university wants to avoid the liability shift.

According to one campus card industry expert who wished to remain anonymous, card providers and campuses are racing to meet the liability shift. Upgrading pointof-sales systems, payment terminals and back-end systems is a priority so universities will be in compliance in order to accept EMV cards by October.

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How far is too far for the university ID? Voter ID, proof of age, breeder doc use raise liability concerns The voting process understandably garners attention, and in 2014 much of the spotlight fell upon the campus card. In states across the country, senators and representatives called for university-issued photo IDs to be used as an official form of voter identification while others rallied to restrict this use.

When it comes to voter ID, states are accepting everything from tribal identification to gun licenses, but they are still split with regards to the campus card. In 2014 at least four states were considering new legislation – Arizona, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas – while at least 15 others already accepted the IDs. On the surface, this type of use for non-campus functions might seem like a positive step for campus-issued IDs. But as you add functionality to a credential, you increase its value, and in tandem, the likelihood that people might work to create counterfeits.

Whether voter ID, age verification or use as an identity document when applying for accounts or other IDs, serious questions emerge.

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What should be the limits of the student ID? What identifying information should appear on the card? And is it best to curtail its use to institution-specific functions, or let it be more broadly accepted?

UNDERSTANDING OFF-CAMPUS In some instances, use of the university ID beyond the confines of campus can offer a great resource to students. Obviously, off campus merchant programs expand dining options and can serve a necessary function. Similarly, university-sponsored discount or loyalty programs can save students money and promote positive relationships between an institution and its surrounding community.

But these are fairly innocuous uses, more for convenience than for identity. Sure a card could be a target for counterfeiters for use in a particularly lucrative discount program, but the resulting damage would be minimal.

This might not be the case, however, for a card that can serve as a breeder identity document. Breeder documents are accepted as a form of valid ID when applying for another credential such as a state-issued ID or driver license. Additionally, it can be a breeder document if accepted for establishing services such as utilities, phone or financial accounts, as these can serve as a link in the chain for establishing a false identity or assuming another’s identity.

VITAL INFORMATION The modern campus card often carries both the data and perception of an official government-issued ID. But when it comes to the use of that credential for unintended purposes, where should accountability lie?

When determining the range of potential uses for the student ID, Jay Summerall, vice president Blackboard Transact, stresses that the institution should consider its mission and how the ID supports

that mission. He uses the example of birth dates and IDs. “It would be highly unusual for an institution to want to step into the shoes of a state DMV or federal agency and try to convey the age of the cardholder for various purposes like purchasing alcohol,” he says.

Robert Huber is a campus card business consultant and runs RHA Consulting. Huber stresses that universities should practice caution when it comes to extending campus card use beyond the walls of the campus. He offers a list of items that universities should avoid printing on their cards.

This may seem like an obvious one, but Huber reminds not to include a Social Security Number on a student ID. This was common in the early days of the campus card, but it is a practice that has been banished in this era of identity theft.

Huber also implores universities to avoid the temptation to print the date of birth on a campus card as well. “Printing a birth date promotes the production of fraudulent campus cards and increases the potential liability to the university,” he says.

He stresses that the campus card should not be used for verification of legal age. “Although the legal age of the cardholder can be verified by an electronic check of a campus card system, it’s best for a university to confer with

costly replacement process between notifications, scheduling, labor, cost of materials and student inconvenience. “Card validity should always be facilitated and documented electronically by the campus card system,” he says.

Fred Emery, vice president of OneCard sales at Heartland Campus Solutions, agrees when it comes to both birth dates and expiration dates. He says mobile applications and other terminals – rather than a visual check – should be used to verify these pieces of information in the modern world.

Thankfully, the days of printed or stickered expiration dates are over on the vast majority of college campuses.

“Some campuses we work with will print an expiration date on the card, however the majority of the campuses will use an online check against the database to verify expiration, student status or birth date as needed,” says Emery. “Personally I recommend that unless it is a requirement of local law for state use of the card, then a birth date should not be printed on the card to minimize possible liability and misuse.”

As for the voter ID issue, Huber sees this as more trouble than it’s worth for the university. “Voter regulations vary between states and are subject to fluctuating political and court decisions,” he says.

This lack of standardization could result

IT WOULD BE HIGHLY UNUSUAL FOR AN INSTITUTION TO WANT TO STEP INTO THE SHOES OF A STATE DMV OR FEDERAL AGENCY AND TRY TO CONVEY THE AGE OF THE CARDHOLDER its legal counsel regarding this process,” he says.

Issue dates are another piece of information that has been considered in the past. Huber feels universities should avoid printing an issue date on a campus card as this it could be another source of fraudulent use.

He says the same goes for expiration dates, which may also make for a more

in costly and last-minute replacement of cards if rules change and the ID’s use is required for the function.

BEYOND CAMPUS WALLS The concern when it comes to the uses of a university ID beyond campus is whether or not fraudulent use is a realistic threat. Some insist that the last

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States accepting campus card for voter ID Alabama (from an accredited Ala. university with photo)

Mississippi (from an accredited Miss. university with photo)

Arkansas

Missouri

Florida

Montana (with photo)

Idaho (from an accredited Idaho university with photo)

New Hampshire

Kansas (issued by an accredited Kan. university) Michigan (from any accredited university with photo)

Rhode Island

Virginia (from an accredited Va. university with photo) Washington (with photo) Wisconsin (with photo, a signature, an issue date and an expiration date no later than 2 years after the election)

South Dakota (from an accredited S.D. university with photo) Source: National Conference of State Legislatures

thing a university needs is for its credential to be used as a breeder document to obtain other official forms of identification. Others take a less stringent approach.

“I think this is dependent upon local laws and how it will be used,” says Heartland’s Emery.

“It does add another level of complexity to the card since the campus now must accept greater responsibility for the accuracy of information portrayed on the card and within their system.”

Emery recommends that in states that allow the use of a campus ID as a substitute state credential, universities should ensure that adequate processes are in place to confirm student identity and restrict access to data held within the ID production system.

Blackboard’s Summerall agrees. “It would be up to the issuer of an ID as to whether or not the campus card offers sufficient proof of identity. As to be considered a breeder document, however, the risk would be very high,” he says.

“It would be highly unusual for an institution to offer the level of identity verification that would ensure the level of validity required by a city, state or federal agency responsible for credential issuance,” says Summerall. “The issuer’s risk tolerance would have to be quite high to support this, particularly with the relatively low security – e.g. lack of holographics, etc. – that most student IDs feature.”

PROPER CONFINES

(AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

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The student ID has grown to encompass a great many functions on campus, and the possibilities continue to grow. But with this growth, experts say there should be limits.

Existing off-campus programs provide students with a valuable resource, while enabling the university to bring in revenue and forge a stronger relationship with local merchants. Beyond that, however, use of the student ID outside the campus confines carries with it liability that an institution may not want to inherit.

The question going forward, then, may not be if the student ID can be used beyond campus walls, but rather should it?

FROM THE DIRECTOR’S CHAIR:

Technology extends boundaries for auxiliaries RON CAMPBELL, CEO, NACAS

As an Association Executive, I meet a number of business leaders who believe their products can enhance services, support student outcomes and even expand revenue opportunities. I have also witnessed numerous innovations that have forced college administrators to re-think solutions and business relationships.

These companies and their emerging products should not be overlooked because of their lack of market share, but rather they should be embraced. In 2014, I visited many NACAS member institutions that were celebrating these partnerships, which delivered technology to address their operational challenges.

The boundaries in 2015 will be defined by how far you are willing to creatively expand the use of technology for your organization or institution.

But how do we identify partners, technologies and services prudently?

I believe that industry associations can, and should, play a key role. We have a tremendous responsibility to seek opportunities that provide learning and exposure for our members.

Associations will be tested as they seek out partnerships that deliver information and share new knowledge to support their membership. We must encourage the crossing of lines, and show by example that our association landscape is not a battlefield for membership, but rather that our member institutions are a landscape to be shared with one common purpose in mind – student outcomes.

NACAS has taken on the challenge of innovation.

We have partnered with CR80News in a very unique way to provide information to our membership. This information is critical to the work that our members are responsible for as it relates to campus services, campus identity and campus cards.

We are also collaborating with key business partners to host educational programs on campuses and extending a free invite to all who are willing to learn.

Finally, we are seeking out partnerships with other associations that allow our members the opportunity look at their institutional landscape with colleagues where mutual cooperation is plays a central role.

I am excited about 2015 and I look forward to learning more from our friends at CR80News and the spotlight that they shine on our institutions and business partners. In future issues, this column will allow our Auxiliary Service leaders to share ideas about how the student ID extends throughout the campus enterprise and across auxiliaries. Here’s to a great year filled with new ideas and innovations.

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The road to a new transaction system Rhode Island School of Design rolls out GET, UGryd

For many universities, managing student transactions can be a bear. Between numerous campus departments, account types and maybe even a dated card system, the daily task of reconciling student purchases can be an undertaking.

New transaction systems and account management software have put the power back into the hands of campus administrators, making a once troublesome operation more efficient and convenient.

The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) knows this first hand, as the university launched a new transaction system this year, leveraging CBORD’s GET and UGryd solutions.

ONE STEP AT A TIME The university’s move to GET was a long time coming, says Richard Tamborelli, manager of ID card services at the Providence-based institution.

Tamborelli remembers a system in place roughly ten years ago that saw students visit encoders to put funds onto a junk stripe. “That system wasn’t secure because if a student lost that card, they lost their money along with it,” he explains.

The university had a declining balance account system that was used for printing and laundry, but couldn’t add funds online, says Tamborelli. “You had to go to a cash value station, insert paper bills and swipe your card to add funds.”

Not being able to load fund online as well as the inability to cancel funds if a card was lost meant RISC wasn’t seeing a lot of deposit volume, recalls Tambo-

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relli. “We found that students were only loading $5 or $10 onto the junk stripes; nobody wanted to load up $100 and run the risk of losing the card and the money.”

Prior to launching GET, the university had made changes to its junk stripe program. The system enabled students to keep their money a little bit safer, associating declining balance funds with the student’s ID number, rather than the physical piece of plastic. Nevertheless, Tamborelli and RISD administrators saw room for improvement.

“It was a very fragmented system.

Students were having to interact with separate operations for laundry/vending machines, the RISD bookstore, as well as dining and meal plan accounts,” explains Tamborelli. “Students had to go to a lot of different places to manage those various accounts on their cards.”

This inconvenience was a primary inspiration for the university’s recent move to CBORD’s GET system. “We wanted a one-stop shop, so to speak, with web and mobile access,” says Tamborelli. “We wanted to eliminate the inconvenience and combine all important student resources in one place.”

The jump to GET Funds has seen the RISD bookstore dissolve its previous, standalone account and join the RISD Bucks program alongside the university’s print/copy, vending and laundry accounts.

As Tamborelli explains, however, the added convenience of the new system was only part of the equation. “Our focus was both convenience and security for the student,” says Tamborelli.

Following the move away from junk stripes, the university saw the amount of deposits increase. “This suggested to us that the security of the card was a major issue for students,” he adds.

‘GET’TING SITUATED Despite its smaller population – RISD boasts a full-time enrollment of roughly 2,500 – the need for a more convenient transaction system was still a paramount concern. To aid in the process, RISD turned to those who use the system most, the students.

“We spoke to students and found that they enjoyed the convenience of going onto the university site to see their RISD Bucks accounts,” says Spencer Dhupa, lead application specialist for the university. “We designed it so that the student can actually see where they made a purchase – the exact store, laundry room or print station.”

To add to the convenience of viewing past transactions, students can also add money round the clock, something that was not possible prior to GET’s mobile capabilities.

In addition to speaking with students, a team from RISD spoke directly with the vendor to build out a comprehensive implementation plan.

“The system includes UGryd for offcampus merchants, GET for student declining balance accounts and CBORD’s Odyssey PCS Web Sales. There is also a separate integration with Pharos for print/copy and a Sequoia integration for the RISD bookstore, Dhupa says.

LESSONS LEARNED Despite major parts of the RISD implementation being hosted by CBORD, Tamborelli and his team found that getting the various departments within the university on the same page was vital.

“In general, all systems on campus had to be standardized to be sure that all information was consistent,” says Tamborelli. “We had to pull the various accounts and departments together to go in a single direction; it just took a bit of elbow grease.”

The elbow grease was worth the effort for Tamborelli and his card office to get a more robust transaction system. “It’s one place to see everything,” he says. “It’s a lot easier to help a student that walks into our office because I can look at their record see everything – their purchase history, deposits, etc. – and make any necessary corrections.”

There were growing pains to the implementation, as the new system added transaction services to his card office’s responsibilities. “We did primarily access control. We had access to view the transaction system before, but it was limited and we had to consult with other departments to reconcile transaction issues,” Tamborelli explains. “It was somewhat convoluted.”

This new system effectively makes our card office the one-stop shop for everything related to the RISD ID,” says Tamborelli. “It’s driven new traffic to our office, but students previously had to visit multiple locations around campus to resolve those account issues.”

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Pre-printing gives cards a facelift Outsourced printing sharpens image, speeds issuance Whether to pre-print static areas of the institution’s cardstock or rely on desktop printers to add all the elements on the fly is an important and debatable topic. There are tangible benefits – both in terms of the cards themselves and the process of issuing them – for a university that pre-prints its cardstock. But there are also drawbacks related to flexibility and timeliness.

ColorID’s higher education and K-12 market manager, Tim Nyblom, spoke with CR80News about when pre-printing card stock is appropriate, why a university should consider it, and most importantly, how they should do it.

WHY PRE-PRINT? “Pre-printing is for universities that want a professional-grade cardstock and recognize that cost is not the primary concern,” says Nyblom. “It creates a longer lasting card with superior color quality and provides a

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more robust final product than a standard desktop printer can yield.”

Professional aesthetics and longer lifespans aren’t the only benefits. As Nyblom explains, pre-printing enables a university to expedite the issuance process, as there is less area for the printer to cover, allowing the ID card to be completed quicker.

“Pre-printed cardstock using lithographic or digital presses is made via layers and the artwork layer is protected by a thick clear sheet of laminate,” explains Nyblom.

“Desktop ID printers print on the outside layer of a manufactured card and thus is prone to fading over time.”

Pre-printed cards offer a noticeably better print quality that cannot be matched using a desktop ID printer, he says.

“Pre-printed cardstock gives you 3,000 DPI (Dots per square inch), whereas desktop ID printers can only reach 300 or 600 DPI,” he explains. “It also allows a university to utilize the Pantone Matching System to recreate their brand’s specific colors.”

MORE THAN ONE WAY TO PRE-PRINT Deciding whether or not to pre-print is just the first step. Next is choosing the printing method and whether to do the work in house or outsource to a third-party vendor.

As Nyblom explains, there are three preprinting methods that a university can choose from: lithographic printing, high definition/digital press printing, and dye sublimation.

“In house pre-printing is usually done with a high issuance desktop ID printer utilizing the dye sublimation method,” explains Nyblom. “This method is good when low quantities, single-sided printing or monochrome (one color) printing is needed.”

Nyblom stresses that the in-house method using a desktop dye sublimation printer is not to be confused with outsourcing via lithographic or digital press printing.

“Once a card has passed through a desk-

top ID printer, you don’t want to print on that same side again as the print head and ribbon can stick to the already printed cardstock,” he says.

In the campus card market where card fronts are almost always personalized to the individual, in-house dye sublimation pre-printing is typically only considered for static card backs as a time saving measure.

This is not the case, however, with other printing methods. “Having your static design pre-printed via a lithographic or digital press first and then printing your variable information with your desktop ID

Nyblom. “The cards are built up through different layers of materials including clear plastic, PVC and PET.” Another avenue is High Definition printing, otherwise known as Digital Press printing. This method is ideal for low to mid-level quantities from 500 up to 10,000 cards, while still offering up to 3,000 DPI print resolution.

The main difference from Lithographic, as Nyblom explains, is that digital press plastic sheets typically consist of only 21 cards per sheet. “Universities that opt for digital press can still utilize multiple colors for their cards and incorporate Pantone

PRE-PRINTING IS FOR UNIVERSITIES THAT WANT A PROFESSIONAL-GRADE CARDSTOCK AND RECOGNIZE THAT COST IS NOT THE PRIMARY CONCERN printer is the best route to take,” says Nyblom. Variable information often includes elements such as cardholder photo, name, ID number and barcode.

Nyblom explains that lithographic printing is ideal for large quantity runs of 5,000 cards or more. The printing is of an extremely high quality, offering a 3,000 DPI resolution, and has the ability to print a large number of colors, including specific spot colors – often referred to as PMS or Pantone colors.

“In this process, the cards are manufactured from large plastic sheets consisting of 28, 56 or 70 cards per sheet that are then cut down into individual cards,” explains

colors for their unique and custom branding,” he adds.

While the other methods mass produce printed cardstock, dye sublimation printing is done one card at a time on preassembled ID cardstock, and is generally used for low-volume printing. “The dye sublimation process will apply color to the cardstock one color at a time: yellow, magenta, cyan and then black,” says Nyblom. “Since this process only uses a four color process, it is not able to match PMS (Pantone) colors. It’s a process that is excellent for quick turn projects, low quantities and variable printing jobs.”

THE CASE AGAINST PRE-PRINTING Still, pre-printing cardstock may not always be the answer. “If a school is just launching their ID card program, I’d suggest starting off with utilizing a blank cardstock first,” Nyblom says. “This will allow them to adjust and change their card design to what works for them. After the university gains more experience and has identified what matters to them, then I would suggest migrating to a pre-printed cardstock.”

Traditionally, the arguments against preprinting highlighted the lack of flexibility it carries. Once a large quantity of cards is ordered and printed, changes to card design are not possible. If these changes are mandated any remaining inventory must be discarded.

Additionally, inventory management becomes more crucial. If cards run out during the middle of an orientation session, it can cripple the issuance process and take weeks to replenish supplies.

Finally, for small quantity issuers preprinting may not be cost effective despite its benefits.

FINAL THOUGHTS Pre-printing is a great way for a university to expedite its card issuance, while also boosting the overall quality of its campus IDs. By understanding the pre-printing options that are available and the institution’s specific requirements, pre-printing can offer a significant value add to campus card services.

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Retransfer ups the ante for desktop card printers

Quick, cheap and high-quality all within reach AUTUMN CAFIERO GIUSTI, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, AVISIAN PUBLICATIONS

Fast, cheap or good. The old adage says you typically can’t have all three. The same has been true when choosing a card printing technology, but things are changing.

The direct-to-card method has long filled the “fast and cheap” niche. The newer retransfer printing method delivers the “good” in the form of superior image quality. More recently, it’s become cheaper, too.

Lower costs and a rise in chip card use are driving up the demand for retransfer card printers. In addition to the high-quality images, the technology also enables over-the-edge printing and printing on uneven surfaces often found when cards contain chips or other embedded technologies.

This is due to the way color is applied to the card during in the imaging process.

The direct-to-card method uses a print head to apply dye from a printer ribbon directly onto a plastic card. This tends to be faster and less expensive, but often provides a noticeably lower quality

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image and misprinting on uneven surfaces. It also causes wear and tear on the sensitive and costly print head, particularly as it encounters hard edges and surface imperfections.

The retransfer method addresses these problems by applying the ribbon’s dye to a separate clear transfer film. This film is then attached to the plastic card as a single overlay so the print head never comes into contact with imperfections in the card’s surface or its hard edges.

Today, secure applications from driver licenses to government IDs and corporate badges to student ID cards are moving to retransfer printing at an increasing rate.

COMPANIES OFFER BOTH Evolis is the latest card printer manufacturer to leverage retransfer technology with the addition of its Avansia printer. Evolis introduced the new line of printers late in 2014 after seeing an increase in

demand for higher quality cards, especially in government applications.

“Avansia gives us access to different segments in transportation and government that we didn’t have access to before,” says Gerardo Talavera, managing director for the Americas for France-based Evolis.

The Avansia printer line complements the company’s existing line of direct-tocard printers, and as Talavera says, the two printing technologies cater to the needs of different markets.

He says retransfer printing generally serves markets that require cards with higher durability, security and image quality. Direct-to-card offers a lower cost alternative for high-volume print jobs in which a card’s life span and image quality are of less concern, such as short-term ID badges and loyalty cards.

What makes the Avansia printer noteworthy is that it prints images at an ultra-high 600 dpi resolution, whereas the current standard for most high-resolution printers is 300 dpi. Talavera expects 600 dpi to rapidly become the new standard for ID printing.

Government and financial institutions prefer retransfer printing because it enables printing on different card materials with uneven surfaces and embedded chips. To further improve image quality in such situations, Talavera says the Avansia includes a built-in card flattener.

Retransfer printing is a more complex technology and costs more. It tends to be about 40% more expensive, Talavera says, for both printing costs and the price of the unit itself.

Direct-to-card printing is ideal for inexpensive, entry-level print jobs that might require single-side printing with only a photo and text, such as convention ID badges, he says. There’s also greater speed with the direct-to-card method, which can make it more appealing for larger printing jobs.

The Avansia prints 140 cards per hour while direct-to-card printers produce 180 cards per hour.

GAINS IN MARKET SHARE Insiders predict interest in retransfer printing to grow rapidly in the coming years.

Today, reports suggest it accounts for about 15% of printer sales, up from just 5% a few years ago.

“Over time, that might even get up to 20%,” says Connell Smith, vice president of distributed issuance, supplies and secure technology products for Datacard. The retransfer market is growing faster than the direct-to-card market, he notes.

Experts attribute that rise to the increase in the use of smart cards and the fact that

“There was always this desire to print on these types of cards, and this really was the way to do it in the most effective manner,” he explains.

THE CASE FOR RETRANSFER Datacard’s Smith points to three reasons why organizations prefer retransfer printing.

One is for over-the-edge printing in which the image is prominent. Direct-tocard printing produces images that don’t bleed over the edge of a card, and that can create a white line around the border of the

THE HIGHER-END RETRANSFER PROCESS ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT 15% OF DESKTOP PRINTER SALES, UP FROM JUST 5% A FEW YEARS AGO costs are coming down for all types of printing. It used to be that a printer that provided good print quality cost $4,000 or more, but today it could cost just $2,500.

At the same time, interest continues to grow for traditional direct-to-card printing.

For printer manufacturer Zebra Technologies, more than 70% of the company’s printing revenues come from low to midrange direct-to-card printers and printer media, says Kelly Ambriz, senior product manager for Zebra.

At both ends of the spectrum, Ambriz says sales are strong with printing unit revenues hitting record levels in a recent quarter. “The market is good right now, and we expect to see that into next year, too,” he says.

Through its Fargo printer line, HID Global has offered both printing methods for a decade and a half, says Jim Meier, senior director of product marketing for HID. He says the growing demand for technology cards drove the addition of retransfer printing to HID’s offerings in 1999.

card. That might not be an issue for grade school student ID badges, but a financial institution wants a more sophisticated card appearance, he explains. By printing onto a clear film, the retransfer method can produce over-the-edge printing without any white border.

The second is for the flatness of cards.

If a card isn’t flat or even, a direct-to-card print head won’t be able to transfer the image reliably. “This is one of the reasons I think retransfer has grown,” Smith says, referring to the increase in the use of smart cards that often have a dimple on the card where the chip is embedded.

The third reason for using retransfer is that it enables printing on a wider range of plastics. Whereas direct-to-card printing works only on PVC plastic because of its porous surface, retransfer can accommodate multiple print surfaces, including sturdier materials such as polycarbonate and PETG. Although PVC accounts for about 90% of the cards printed in the world, high-end government cards sometimes call for stronger types of plastic.

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HOW DOES RETRANSFER TECHNOLOGY WORK?

Flattener

The card is printed in two phases: 1

The card design is printed by dye sublimation on a transparent film.

2

The printed film is then fused to the card using a thermal bonding process.

Card

Heat roller And then there’s added security. Retransfer printing can enable the higher levels of card security by allowing the incorporation of techniques – such as a holographic and other visual security elements – in the transfer film and overlay process.

Cards printed with retransfer film make it easier to detect fraud. “If an attempt to alter the image has been tried, it is easier to detect because the film will be affected,” Ambriz says.

Print head

Clear film

AN OVERSTATED ADVANTAGE? Despite individual preferences for one print type over the other, Smith contends that there are ways to achieve a similar outcome with both direct-to-card and retransfer printing. Because the technology is basically the same as retransfer from a printing perspective – you can have a 300 dpi resolution on both – in general, the quality can be similar on the two, he adds.

“When people talk, they push retransfer more. But it’s all in the implementation; it’s not in the fundamental technology, even though there are perceptions out there that one may be better than the other,” he says.

Although some promote retransfer as providing a better image quality, Smith says that may not always be the case. “Both types of printers can create high-resolution images, so there’s not one better than the other in terms of image quality,” he says.

At one point, Datacard started printing cards with both retransfer and direct-to-card printers and showed the end result to partners and customers for feedback. Smith says

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Color ribbon

Source: Evolis

people could not reliably pick out which print type was which. “Depending how well it’s implemented, you can get very good results with direct to card,” he says.

Even with direct to card, the printer can print an image very close to the edge of the card. Smith believes the future of card printing will focus less on printing the image and more on the printer’s other capabilities, such as incorporating protective laminates or security features such as holograms.

FORTIFYING CARDS THROUGH PRINTING Vendors are working to bring more durability and security to cards through printing.

There is a push to make retransfer film sturdier to address markets such as finan-

cial cards. “This is a card you’re going to swipe frequently as you’re making your purchases,” says HID’s Meier. “The image will wear after a certain number of swipes, so adding durability makes the card last longer.”

More high-definition print heads are finding their way into the retransfer space, too. Like Evolis with its Avansia line, other manufacturers are exploring printers that can produce 600 dpi images.

Even as new advancements come into play, Talavera contends that there will continue to be a need for both printing technologies. “I don’t think there’s really good or bad,” he concludes. “You need to match the printer to the needs of the end user and what makes sense for their budget.”