CR80News Summer 2016

CAMPUS CARDS FOSTER TOWN-GOWN RELATIONSHIPS

A CONVERSATION WITH NEW NACCU EXEC

SECURING CONTACTLESS WITH MUTUAL AUTHENTICATION

CR80News ID TECHNOLOGIES IN EDUCATION SUMMER 2016 - ISSUE 23

DATA MINING THE CARD SYSTEM

DEBATE PITS STUDENT PRIVACY AGAINST EARLY INTERVENTION

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS 4 Editorial: Imagining the full potential of card system data mining 6 ID Shorts News and posts from CR80News.com 12 Data mining the card system Transaction data can be used to refine services and identify at-risk students, but privacy concerns abound 20 Fostering the town-and-gown relationship Campus card resides at heart of strong campus-community collaboration

UNIVERSITY ID CARD 12

DATA MINING THE CARD SYSTEM

24 With special event badges, bigger is often better A 'how-to' guide for issuing large-format IDs

26 A conversation with NACCU’s new Executive Director Dawn Thomas takes the reigns and begins new era 29 Blackboard active on acquisition front Both Sequoia and Higher One's CASHNet join Transact family 30 Rethinking card office service models ColorID's new CHOICE program aims for nationwide on-site support 34 Mutual authentication secures contactless Crytptography is vital, still many default to weaker card serial numbers 36 The evolution of ID card printing software

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS 39 Blackboard www.CR80News.com/MCPart1

2

CBORD

www.cbord.com/community

11 ColorID www.ColorID.com

40 Entrust Datacard www.datacard.com/CR80

27 Heartland www.1card.com

MUTUAL AUTHENTICATION SECURES CONTACTLESS

34

19 Identification Systems Group www.IdentificationSystemsGroup.com

15 MyPhoto www.studentidphoto.com

33 NACAS www.caspcert.org

23 NACCU www.naccu.org/2016

5

SARGENT

www.personacampus.com

FOSTERING THE TOWN-AND-GOWN RELATIONSHIP

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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$39 ($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 four times each 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 2016 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

Imagining the full potential of card system data mining ANDREW HUDSON, ASSOCIATE EDITOR, AVISIAN PUBLICATIONS

Our cover story explores the divisive topic of data mining the campus card system.

It’s a sticky subject that, for many, evokes concerns over student privacy and images of Big Brother.

But imagine there weren’t any limits on our use of card system data. No legal hoops to jump through, no backlash. What could we accomplish?

Take Billy, for example. Billy is a freshman who’s just left home for the first time.

He’s living in the dorms and is enrolled in a full slate of challenging courses. Things are coming at him faster than he can handle. Billy’s struggling, but unfortunately no one knows it.

Billy’s academic advisor – one of his first contacts on campus – only sees him for 30 minutes each semester. His RA may see him a couple times a week, in passing, as he heads to his dorm room. Billy’s professors see him in class for an hour or so a couple times each week – along with hundreds of other students – and that’s only if he attends.

And in the unlikely event that Billy decides to seek help, a campus counselor might see him for an hour each week if he keeps his appointments. With busy schedules and social calendars, even Billy’s roommate isn’t guaranteed to see him regularly.

The reality is that Billy’s connections on campus, however numerous they may seem, only see a small fraction of his day. But a campus card system knows Billy well and ‘sees’ him intermittently every day.

Every time Billy swipes into his dorm, visits the library, taps the attendance reader in class, plays basketball at the rec center, buys a coffee at the campus coffee shop, hits the vending machine between classes, or enters a dining hall, the campus card system is plotting data points that illustrate the picture of his day.

When Billy hits a rough patch those data points – and any subsequent blips in transaction patterns – can alert appropriate campus personnel. Hopefully, they will reach out to Billy before things reach dire levels.

It’s reasonable to believe that by examining card data patterns, the deterioration of physical or mental well being can be better identified, helping to prevent everything from poor academic performance and dropouts to campus shootings and assaults.

If we isolate key patterns of successful, engaged students – perhaps indicators like timely access to residence halls, regular dining hall visits, morning coffee purchases prior to class, consistent attendance – we can create a baseline for modeling. Likewise, the data points for struggling, likely-to-drop students will more clearly emerge.

In our imaginary scenario, we can help Billy. But how far is too far? What is the threshold for intervention when a student is struggling and won’t seek help?

These are questions that universities, students and parents alike need to address. It’s not a topic that can be ignored. Card data interpretation isn’t just possible; it’s already being done to various degrees on campuses across the country.

We need to find ways to use data responsibly, and with confidentiality, to affect change on a grander scale than simply refining meal plans or relocating vending machines.

Identifying students that are in need of either physical or mental support could well be the vital missing piece of the puzzle when it comes to preventing both individual academic failure and larger, violent campus tragedies.

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ID SHORTS HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE WEB

BUFFALO PROMOTION REWARDS ACCOUNT TOP UPS WITH FREE FUNDS This one’s for the faculty and staff. The University of New York at Buffalo ran a special promotion for its card-holding faculty and staff that add funds to their

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campus card’s declining balance account.

The reward? More funds.

According to a release on Buffalo’s official website, the promotion is being put on by the university’s Campus Dining & Shops and is open to all of the campus’ new and existing FlexiBULL Bucks account users.

Under the promotion, cardholders who added $100 to their accounts received $10 free, while individuals adding $50 received $5 free. Account holders were limited to a maximum $20 in free FlexiBULL Bucks.

The FlexiBULL Bucks plan – a prepaid debit account that is accessible only with

ID SHORTS

a UB Card – allows faculty and staff to add money to their campus cards to make purchases such as food, supplies and gifts, at various locations on and off campus, as well as at campus vending machines. As an added bonus, any food purchases made at Campus Dining & Shops locations using FlexiBULL Bucks receive a discount, akin to a tax-free purchase.

FlexiBULL Bucks can be added to a UB Card using a Visa or MasterCard.

Deposits are made online or by calling the UB Card Office. A CBORD campus, Buffalo also supports the use of a mobile device to top up FlexiBULL Bucks via CBORD’s GET mobile app.

DORM BREAK-IN SERVES AS REMINDER OF TAILGATING DANGER Two men posing as exterminators were able to gain entry to an Ohio State University residence hall and burglarize electronics from a dorm room once inside.

The men are believed to have tailgated a student to get past the building’s locked exterior doors.

“Based on the way they were dressed and their mannerisms, they convinced one of the students they were there as exterminators and they had a work order to spray for ants in his room,” said David Rose, Captain with Ohio State University Police to Columbus NBC affiliate WCMH. Pictures of the suspects have been pulled from high-resolution surveillance video inside the residence hall. The footage clearly shows the men entering through an outside door and entering the lobby. To better sell the exterminator story, the men were seen wearing an orange safety vest, a black backpack and a white insect sprayer canister.

Ohio State is well aware of the vulnerabilities associated with tailgating, and has been working on a “Don’t Tailgate” campus program to spread awareness.

The act of allowing others to enter a door behind you when accessing locked buildings, tailgating is perhaps the single biggest inhibitor to physical access and security. The university is warning students and staff not to let any stranger into the building who does not display a Buck ID.

SOUTHERN MISS REVISES ID ISSUANCE POLICY Concerns over student data security and identity theft were raised at the University of Southern Mississippi following a report in the university’s student publication, Student Printz. The story highlighted a policy at USM that enables individuals to acquire a student ID card by providing only their student ID number and basic information, rather than requiring a secondary form of identification at the time of issuance.

In response to the article, USM’s associate director of procurement and contract services stated that work was underway with university administration and the university police department to develop a new policy that would require students to provide state-issued IDs before being issued a USM student ID. In addition to the ID policy, the story also alluded to a larger concern over identity theft and student data protection.

In response to the story, USM officials penned a letter to the editors to clarify the facts of the old ID policy and provide information regarding the new policy going forward.

University officials stated first that the potential fraudulent acquisition of a university photo ID should not be confused with the protection of individual student data and records, which are protected by the university’s information security measures.

The letter does acknowledge that a first-time student’s ID card could potentially be claimed by another individual, should that individual provide basic details of the student’s information. The functionality of a wrongfully issued card, as the letter goes on to clarify, would be disabled once the legitimate student claims the ID. To correct the loophole, USM’s Photo Services developed an internal procedure in late January that now requires photo

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identification at the time of new issuance of USM ID cards. The revised procedure implemented

by Photo Services is as follows: All students, faculty, staff and affiliates are required to show a government-issued photo ID in order to receive a university-issued ID card Those who do not own a valid form of photo ID may be verified using information related to their classification as a student (according to the offices of admissions and registrar) or employee (according to the university human resources) Any issues arising from the verification process or inability to properly identify an individual will be referred to the university police department for assistance in resolving the issues.

USM Photo Services also states that current USM ID cards have not been compromised, nor has there been any evidence of ID fraud as a result of the old process.

LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE IDS USED IN BIKE SHARE PROGRAM The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Office of Sustainability introduced a new bike rental program for students in need of a quick ride around campus. Students use their official Cajun Cards for rental of the bikes.

A total of 52 bikes are available at three stations scattered across campus, including 32 bikes at Cajun Field – the campus’ football stadium – 10 bikes at the student union and 10 bikes inside a heavily trafficked parking garage on campus.

To participate, riders must first visit the Geaux Velo website and enroll, providing

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a credit/debit card number or Cajun Card to receive a username and pin number.

Renters can enter their pin number – or swipe their Cajun Card— to receive a key at kiosks near each station. The key unlocks a bicycle and must remain inside a lock that sits atop the fender of the front tire while the bicycle is being ridden.

Rental costs for the bikes are free for the first hour, $1 for the second hour and $1 for the third. Hours four through eight are also free, with $1 charged per hour, every hour after that. Bikes are due back to the station from which they were rented by midnight.

CENTRAL TEXAS USING BIOMETRICS TO VERIFY STUDENTS ONLINE Killeen, Texas’ Central Texas College is using signature-based biometric technology to verify students for online courses and boost the overall security of online logins.

The BioSig-ID software authenticates students when logging in to the college’s learning management system.

The solution sees students login with a hand-drawn password that cannot be duplicated by another individual.

The rollout, which includes Central Texas’ some 50,000 students, features monitoring capability with the software’s forensic suite and provides the college with early warnings to potential fraud or academic dishonesty.

The college also wanted to avoid loan fraud tied to fake students dropping classes before the withdrawal date – a practice that can enable fraudsters to pocket loan funds with little chance of recovery by universities.

Per the college’s official website regarding distance learning proctoring policies, recent Federal legislation requires that all online courses have a system implemented to verify students in all courses, hence the implementation of BioSig-ID. Throughout the term, students will be prompted to validate their identity using the system, and BioSig-ID validation will be required during the course and prior to entering an exam. The college’s policy recommends a minimum of six validations should occur prior to entering the first exam.

When a student clicks on the exam they wish to take, they will be redirected to the BioSig-ID website to complete the signature validation. Once validated, the student is then returned to the exam to

ID SHORTS

begin. This process, according to the college, is referred to as “gating.”

Central Texas offers an instructional video detailing the new enrollment process to provide further assistance to students.

YOUR PHOTO HERE

OREGON UNVEILS NEW CARD DESIGN Campus cards at the University of Oregon are undergoing a significant redesign.

The new card design marks the first change to the Duck ID in some 10 years.

It was created through an undergraduate student competition, with the winner selected by a joint committee of professionals and students. The update was intended to bring introduce more creativity to the cards and update the generic look of the current IDs. “The current design is pretty much just a bus pass,” says Tamarra White, guest services manager at the UO Card Office.

“We wanted to bring the design into the present – the new design is a little more timeless than the current one.”

The student who created the winning design worked as a student graphic designer for UO Housing and will graduate this spring with a bachelor of fine arts in digital arts. The design pays tribute to the Oregon campus, highlighting campus residence halls and iconic university architecture.

The transition is purely aesthetic, as no changes are being made to the technology of the Duck ID. The design change will, however, require all students using their cards for access to campus buildings to update their card information with the proper building in order to continue access.

Students in possession of an existing Duck ID card will receive the updated credential free of charge. If not in possession of the old ID, however, a $22 fee will be charged to replace it with the new one.

STUDENT DUCK, OREGON YOUR PHOTO HERE

STUDENT DUCK, OREGON

COLUMBIA COLLEGE ADDS ID CHECKPOINTS TO BOOST SECURITY In an effort to boost campus security at Chicago’s Columbia College, a new access control pilot is being tested that requires students and faculty to present their IDs before entering campus-owned buildings.

Per a report from The Columbia Chronicle, the pilot began shortly after the New Year, and after receiving positive feedback from the college community, was extended to include additional campus buildings. The pilot’s initial buildings were chosen due to the layout of their lobbies – notably they had one entrance and saw high volumes of student, faculty, staff and visitor traffic.

Columbia College sits in the heart of downtown Chicago, and faces the same physical access challenges that often befall campuses in metropolitan settings. In

addition to the need to better lockdown campus buildings, the new pilot will also help deter thefts that have been common in some of the college’s buildings.

One department in particular that has willingly participated in the pilot is the college’s theater department, where property thefts have been prevalent. The pilot program would provide greater security for students and the theatre department’s property and also make it easier to identify students and guests in the building.

While checking IDs at the door won’t entirely deter theft, it will at least introduce a level of accountability and link visitors to an identity.

The college is in the process of evaluating where to expand the program next.

It’s a less than straightforward proposition, however, as the program could face logistical challenges in certain buildings based on the layouts of lobbies, the number of entrances and the amount of foot traffic.

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As for beyond the four walls of a campus building, Columbia College employs a security team that patrols the campus with one security vehicle, as well as by foot, on bike or Segway depending on the weather. The college has also recruited eight part-time security officers including individuals with Chicago Police Department and prior campus security experience.

WISCONSIN EXPANDS STUDENT VOTER ID LOCATIONS The University of Wisconsin-Madison is opening a second campus location for students to receive special voter identification cards in advance of Wisconsin’s presidential primary and spring election next week.

According to a report from the the Wisconsin State Journal, the university will open a second printing location for the voter IDs at the university’s Gordon Dining and Events Center, a building close to a number of dorms and student neighborhoods. The university also plans

to extend the hours that students can attain the IDs as part of a larger campus effort to accommodate and ensure Wisconsin students have what they need to vote.

The special voter identification cards are a standalone credential independent of the UW-Madison student ID, the Wiscard. The Wiscard is not compliant with Wisconsin state law that requires a photo ID to vote, so the university has distributed the free voter IDs since 2012.

Students have previously been able to get the voter IDs directly from the university’s Wiscard office located on campus.

Student groups and local officials have previously called on the university to make Wiscards voter ID compliant, but the university has stood firm on a separate credential. University officials stated previously that making the campus card voter ID compliant would cost the university hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, while specifics of Wisconsin’s voter ID law would mean that Wiscards would have to be replaced every two years to meet expiration dates.

The voter ID cards aren’t a requirement, as any UW-Madison students car-

rying a Wisconsin driver’s license won’t need the separate voter ID, and students who aren’t residents can still cast absentee votes in their home states. The university estimates some 6,400 students don’t have the necessary credentials needed to vote in Wisconsin and will need to get one of the special voter IDs. At the time of the report, UW had printed 1,240 voter IDs.

CAMPUS RENTS LAPTOPS VIA STUDENT ID Chapman University students can rent laptops for free in the Orange, Calif. campus’ student union as part of a project spearheaded by the university’s student government.

According to the Chapman’s student publication, The Panther, the kiosk plays home to 12 laptops in total – six Dell PCs and six MacBook Pros – that are available for students to use freely, provided there are no holds on their university account.

To check out a laptop, students simply swipe a valid Chapman ID card.

Students signing out a laptop will be required to sign an agreement holding them accountable for any loss or dam-

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ID SHORTS

age to the laptop, as well as a $25 per hour late fee.

The rental program was initially projected to cost between $30,000 and $40,000, but after selecting a $30,000 kiosk and factoring in the purchase of each of the 12 laptops, the cost of the initiative totaled roughly $50,000.

The Chapman University student government funded $29,700 of the project, with the university’s Information Systems and Technology department funding the remaining $20,000. The funds raised will cover the annual service fee and fix any issues that may arise with the laptops and kiosk.

Students can also check out computer

chargers from the union also using their Chapman IDs. The laptops, meanwhile, can be used anywhere on campus including dorms and classrooms provided they are returned on time.

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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UNIVERSITY ID Data mining the campus card system Transaction data can be used to refine services and identify at-risk students, but privacy concerns abound ANDREW HUDSON, ASSOCIATE EDITOR, AVISIAN PUBLICATIONS

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D CARD

People tend to break into a cold sweat when they hear the term “data mining.”

It’s a sensitive topic in a digital age – for good reason – and it’s perhaps one of the most complex issues that any industry has to face, higher education included.

Every institution with a campus card system is, right now, sitting on a veritable mountain of data. Every touch point where the student ID card is used across the campus and beyond – payments, dorm and building access, event ticketing and so on – yields a data point. The more data points, the clearer the picture becomes.

BUILDING A FOUNDATION The analysis or mining of card system data is not a new concept.

“I first realized potential in 2004 after reading early studies that used university email metadata to map and analyze social interactions on campus,” says Matt Pittinsky, CEO of Parchment, Inc. and assistant research professor at Arizona State University. As a co-founder of Blackboard Inc., Pittinsky saw the vast potential of student information and card system data, and after leaving the company he

ANALYSIS OF CARD SYSTEM DATA CAN SHOW INDICATORS OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND RETENTION, BUT EQUALLY IMPORTANT IS WHETHER IT CAN BE TACKLED WITH PROPER ANONYMITY

The data accrued by contemporary campus card systems can be used to refine campus services and business operations.

It can also help to identify potentially atrisk students through attendance, access control or transaction trends. Whatever the application, however, the decision to data mine a campus card system won’t come without considerable debate.

That is because the concept of data mining is controversial. While the practice isn’t inherently evil, it is dependent upon its execution. If done responsibly and with the proper oversight, there’s great potential to benefit both institutions and students alike. But to onlookers – including many students, staff and faculty – it is quick to be labeled privacy invasive and Big Brother-esque.

conducted academic research on the topic.

“It occurred to me that social interaction could be inferred from patterns between any two individuals on a campus and that physical co-presence and email interaction together could go even further,” explains Pittinsky.

These patterns help to form the framework for what can be gleaned from card system data. Pittinsky saw that analysis of card system data could be an indicator of student engagement and retention. “But equally important for me was whether it could be tackled with proper anonymity protections,” he explains.

Insights that can be gleaned from card data run a wide gamut. “First and foremost, business analytics can help a campus understand its use of physical

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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A STUDENT AND THEIR INSTITUTION HAS TO BE ONE OF INHERENT TRUST, AND THAT TRUST MUST EXTEND

TO THE USE OF DATA FOR ANALYTICS

resources, enabling auxiliary services to maximize performance,” he explains.

But it also extends to individual students. Finding patterns or changes in patterns of behavior could hint to problems that might impact participation or even student safety.

From an institutional perspective, there’s an unspoken charter to help students progress through their academic pursuits and matriculate. That should be the goal. Campuses can view data interpretation as an opportunity to help meet this goal, so long as they remain transparent about what they’re doing with data and how they’re going about it, he suggests.

The key advances in this area are in the tools and methods used to analyze data, rather than the card systems themselves, Pittinsky says. “It’s much easier to analyze flat file data structures and work with very large record sizes now compared to the mid 2000s.”

EXTENDING TRUST TO NEW DATA TYPES “The relationship between a student and their institution has to be one of inherent trust and that trust must extend to the use of data for analytics,” says Jeff Staples, vice president of market development for Blackboard Transact.

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The benefits of data mining from a student perspective At a high level, Heartland OneCard’s director of sales, Fred Emery, highlights three key student-facing benefits to mining card system data: 1. Enhance student experience. Tracking access enables proper staffing and hours of operations to handle the bursts of activity.

2. Identify at-risk students. Anticipating at-risk students to proactively keep them engaged before dropping could be a valuable service for students. This could also help in reducing receivables as well.

3. Engage students. Analyzing trends and behaviors enables the creation of programs to further engage all students. This can keep students active throughout their college lifecycle and beyond as alumni.

Any institution that utilizes a credential system to grant access to facilities, services and privileges is by default generating data that could be used to better serve the institution’s mission, its students and the student experience, explains Staples. “That said, the volume of data is not what’s most important – it’s about leveraging actionable data to drive better outcomes.”

Student-specific data is required to identify those at-risk, while anonymized data can help an institution identify trends and invest accordingly, he explains.

For years campuses have used card system data for financial reconciliation and reporting on permissions for events and services, says Fred Emery, director of OneCard sales at Heartland OneCard.

“However, the trend in recent years has been to delve deeper into the data to see how it can be utilized to improve business operations and student life.”

As technology has improved and the service expectations of students have increased, the conversation on how to use data has evolved.

“Students are much more savvy as it relates to expected service,” Emery says.

“This evolution has sparked campuses to improve service and shifted the discussion to expanded use of campus card data to help meet these needs.”

and these concerns will likely always be a stress point.

“The concerns are definitely valid,” says Pittinsky. “But they are healthy checks and balances to ensure that uses of the data are carefully vetted and designed with privacy in mind.”

When it comes to privacy, data can reveal more than just spending habits.

“Knowing where and when a person is on campus or which campus resources someone uses – the gym, campus coun-

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM Let’s stop here and acknowledge the sensitivity of the issue – student privacy. This is what causes many to balk at the idea of using card system data – or any data for that matter. It carries a certain stigma, cr80_ad_1.5-022216-2:Layout 1

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4:38 PM

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seling services – is deeply private,” says Pittinsky. “I believe there are appropriate uses of the data in aggregate form, but they are limited.”

Privacy typically comes at the expense of utility.

Analyzing card system data could be the difference between helping a student through a rough patch and seeing them drop out, but overly stringent limitations on its use could curtail this positive capability.

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The biggest benefit to card system data analytics is that it can be used to drive student success, says Grey Bartholomew, product manager at CBORD Bartholomew. “Studies show that a student’s sense of belonging or engagement is a significant predictor of degree completion.”

Any data analysis that’s used to determine an individual’s state of mind is going to be polarizing since it can feel like Big Brother, Bartholomew says. “It is time that administrators, parents and

students have an open conversation about the topic.”

He stresses that it’s vital to ask the tough questions. “When does an individual’s well being trump privacy?” “Are parents and students willing to sacrifice some level of privacy for personal safety?”

“According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, more than half of all students with a mental or emotional crisis withdraw from school, and more than half of those students never access campus crisis services,” Barthlomew says.

Mining requires ‘lots’ of data The simple fact is that most campuses have a significant amount of data currently available to them. “In most cases this data is widely distributed among many campus information systems – the card system being one,” says Grey Bartholomew, product manager at CBORD. Campuses that have a more centralized governance structure are much more equipped to leverage data from multiple systems, he says.

The amount and type of card system data that campuses have will vary from institution to institution, says Fred Emery, director of OneCard sales at Heartland OneCard. “It’s contingent upon the extent of the card program and the locations where transactions occur. The more locations that accept your campus card, the more data you may have.”

The amount of data could also be dependent on whether a campus is recording pass and fail transactions, as well as how long that data is kept within the system, Emery explains. “The possibility is there to have a large amount of data that can be analyzed by the campus to improve business operations and enhance student life, but many campuses have not thought about using the campus card data in this regard.”

When it comes to the managing data, Emery says that it’s up to the university to manage scope. “Expanding the use of a campus card system to different areas of acceptance will increase the data available and can help campuses leverage it.”

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“Identifying potentially at-risk students is possible when the card system transaction data can be interpreted to show changes in behavior.”

Campuses can use card system data to map the habits of successful student populations and those habits can help define what an engaged student looks like. “Quantifying this information enables the application of those successful habits to all students,” he says.

Even this seemingly harmless exercise can be troubling to privacy-sensitive individuals. The reason for the sensitivity when identifying at-risk students is that campus card data can reveal private information – where you were, when, and in some cases with whom.

“Software can act on indications of disengagement directly with a student without revealing the underlying conditions that triggered the risk,” Pittinsky says. “Risk indicators could also be based on multiple measures, such that the indicator does not directly reveal the underlying behavior.”

As an example, a data analytics package could notify a counselor of a potentially at-risk person based on a behavioral pattern setup by the campus. The counselor need not know any confidential details about the behavior or the indicators that triggered the flag. He simply needs to know to reach out and offer assistance should the student be in need.

Still most agree that software alone cannot fully realize the potential of card system data. For all the value that quantitative analysis provides, qualitative interpretation will be a key component as well. Software often has trouble reading between the lines.

The use of data to identify at risk students will differ from campus to campus and it is important to clearly set guidelines for its use and access, says Heartland’s Emery. “Data collected electronically from a card system is not unlike data collected in other areas of a campus.”

Faculty use manual attendance records to determine a student’s grade; residence life checks on students that have not been seen at the dorm in a week; and libraries, parking and other campus entities contact students when behaviors or timelines are out-of-norm.

Each campus should investigate what they feel best meets their interpretation of policy and permitted privacy laws for their institution, explains Emery. “We use recorded grades to identify students at risk academically – it is happening now under campus guidelines, and it’s similar to campus card data uses.”

An analogy can be made to the use of fraud protection procedures with bank credit and debit cards. “You may get a call from your bank if your card is used in an atypical location,” explains Emery.

“In a similar way, campuses don’t need to delve too specifically into data to get the base information for identifying atrisk students.”

“I see campuses restricting access to data used for identifying at-risk students to approved administrators – perhaps within student life – that have the training to utilize the data properly,” says Emery.

REFINING PROCESSES Though the mining of card system data for student engagement and safety is only just emerging, it has been widely used

to refine a plethora of campus business processes and services.

CBORD’s Bartholomew explains that campuses have been leveraging card system data for food-service specific decision-making for many years. “An example of this would be the use of board participation data to tweak meal plan offerings to student preferences,” he says.

What is new, though, is the concept of

access times can help identify peak usage points at rec centers and other locations to better allocate staff and facilities. Dining halls can also adjust meal preparation based on average student purchases per period of time, wasting less food and providing fresher options.

As technology has improved and databases have become more open it has facilitated more effective data analy-

CAMPUSES CAN LEVERAGE CARD SYSTEM DATA TO TARGET MORE POPULAR FOOD OPTIONS, EXPAND HEAVILY TRAFFICKED DINING LOCATIONS OR FOCUS ON HIGH-ATTENDANCE EVENTS combining card system data with data from other systems to help with decisionmaking, says Bartholomew.

“Attendance, meal usage, venue usage, program use, location tracking, spending habits, and general movement habits are just some of the data points that can be gathered by a card system,” Bartholomew explains. “Campuses can leverage this data to better serve their student population by offering the more popular food options, expanding heavily trafficked dining locations or focusing on highattendance events.”

Considering the plethora of possible data points that card systems accrue, it’s easy to see how processes and services can be refined. Transactions alone offer a great deal of perspective on cardholder trends.

Mining this data for transaction volumes can help an institution better distribute vending machines, and analyzing

sis, says Heartland’s Emery. “It is now much easier to connect third-party report generators or business intelligence systems into the campus card ecosystem,” he adds. “Years ago data was more numbers in columns, but today it’s much easier to view data visually in graphs and charts and tie data together from multiple systems through APIs and open platforms.”

Institutions are able to use this card system data along with other biographical information – such as student class, major, various groupings assigned, residence hall and more – to further interpret data and tailor programs to individual needs, says Emery.

Transaction data can help show how students are engaging with the institution and inform investments accordingly, says Blackboard’s Staples.

“Investment and program management decisions aren’t limited to typical card program capabilities – they can in-

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clude everything from staffing to capital projects like facilities design and location,” Staples adds. “While card data can provide a good overview of student life outside of the classroom, matching it with academic data can provide a 360-degree view of activity to better reflect the entirety of the student experience.”

Use of student data of any sort, including campus card data, can be a concern to campuses as it relates to privacy and it is recommended that campuses review privacy policies to include card system data, suggests Emery. Many campuses already state that the card is the property of the campus and data may be used for internal purposes. It may be advisable

theory about behaviors or patterns that card data can reveal that has a meaningful impact on important outcomes like retention,” asks Pittinsky. “From there, stress test your data extraction, management and analysis methods for anonymity and security.”

“Don’t go fishing, and don’t throw data into a kitchen sink,” Pittinsky stress-

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IS IMPORTANT, AND IT SEEMS LIKE MALFEASANCE FOR A UNIVERSITY TO NOT LEVERAGE THEIR INFORMATION SYSTEMS TO IDENTIFY STUDENTS WHO TRIGGER RISK INDICATORS ESTABLISH A POLICY The key to making card system data analytics work on campus will be open dialogues with all campus stakeholders.

Establishing policies and best practices is a logical first step.

University Institutional Research Boards (IRBs) have a lot of expertise and guidance to bring. So, too, do faculty in the social sciences who regularly engage in human subject research, explains Pittinsky. “It’s important that campus stakeholders, like students and staff, are involved so they know what is being done – and not done – and why.”

Because the use of card system data to identify at-risk students is a newer concept, having a campus policy in place is essential,” says Heartland’s Emery.

“Many campuses already have policies that pertain to student data in general – how it can be used and by whom – that may be extended to campus card data.”

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to make developed policies available to students at issuance and online, and include the campus legal team to vet the use of the data.

A BALANCING ACT The framework for data mining card systems is already being laid, but it’s likely that campuses will test the waters gradually.

Student needs and expectations continue to evolve and institutions have to adapt, says Blackboard’s Staples. “We must acknowledge the balance between using data to better the outcome for students and ensuring privacy. If data can be used to better retention and graduation rates, then students should expect their institution to do so.”

Ultimately campuses need to consider what makes sense for their institution, its students and the goals it sets for those students. “Do we have a compelling

es. “Know what you are using data to indicate and make sure it’s an indicator that is worth the investment and risk.”

While privacy concerns will undoubtedly induce some level of worry, the potential benefits are no less valid.

“It’s a natural reaction to balk at the use of data to monitor students,” he says.

“Then again, student engagement is important and it seems like malfeasance for a university to not leverage their information systems to identify students who trigger risk indicators.”

Not using a facility for a prolonged period that a student regularly used before indicates that individual may have disengaged, explains Pittinsky. “At many campuses, faculty and staff may not see that pattern, but software can. So that’s the challenging choice.”

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Fostering the town-and-gown relationship Campus card resides at heart of strong campus-community collaboration Colleges and universities, no matter their size, are communities unto themselves. Each is a microcosm within which students develop both socially and academically.

But college communities represent just a portion of their larger, surrounding environments, and it’s vital that academic institutions be actively engaged beyond their campus borders.

The campus card is a key tool to facilitate this engagement. At first glance, the student ID forges connections within an institution’s walls, bringing together disparate agencies and providing valuable services to students and staff.

But its impact extends beyond the campus walls, enabling cardholders to engage with local businesses and merchants. It fosters interaction with the surrounding community in a mutually beneficial way – something commonly referred to as the townand-gown relationship.

BUILDING BRIDGES A strong tie between campus and community has far-reaching benefits, and many institutions work hard to fortify the relationship.

“Institutions want to be good neighbors in their communities, and in many areas around the country we hear of campus

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employees who are tasked specifically with strengthening the town-and-gown relationship,” says Sami Takieddine, director of operations for Commerce at CBORD. “Among the many tools available, the card program can be a fantastic means to very specifically support the local merchant base.”

Equally important to providing a valuable service to students, is the backing that a campus and its members can provide to the greater community. “When you can point to dollars spent out in the community with the college ID card, you can begin to quantify the support a university can give,” says Takieddine.

The relationship between a campus and its surrounding community is an important one for both community members and the future of the institution, says Fred Emery, director of OneCard sales at Heartland OneCard. “Students, faculty and staff often come from, and live in, the area surrounding a campus,” he says.

“The relationship with the local community helps to support programs and events at the campus, whether cultural or athletic, and can also assist in increasing admissions.”

“The campus community often helps the local economy to flourish with students and staff supporting local businesses, and campuses often contribute to the overall job market in the surrounding communities as well,” adds Emery.

As for strengthening this relationship, he says campuses have a number of options at their disposal, such as: payment and discount programs at local businesses use of facilities for local events membership offers for campus recreation and other facilities camps and conferences participation training of local youth by collegiate athletes mentorship or tutoring programs in local K-12 schools scholarships.

Enabling merchants in the community to accept the campus card as a preferred payment method is an important step in fostering the town-and-gown relationship, says CBORD’s Takieddine. “Even when it’s a more expensive alternative to debit or credit, accepting the campus card shows the importance of the student demographic to local businesses,” he adds. “Especially in smaller towns where the population is a majority campus-related, the spending power of campus cardholders directly impacts the community.”

EMORY FORGES CONNECTIONS Emory University is a major participant in its surrounding Atlanta community. “Our view is one that enhances the quality of life through health care, research, cultural awareness and support and service,” says Lisa Bona, associate director of Student Financial Services and director of EmoryCard Services.

“It is critical for EmoryCard to foster positive town/gown relationships in order to provide options to our cardholders and, in turn, increase traffic to local businesses,” says Bona.

Bona’s own affinity for the town-and-gown relationship has been a facet of both her personal and professional life for quite some time. “I am originally from a small town in South Carolina and worked at the university in that town for ten years,” she explains.

“I have always believed that the relationships you create are vital to a successful, healthy way of life.”

Bona was given oversight of that institution’s card office, where those relationships became even more critical. “I brought that belief to Emory and have worked the last two and a half years on cultivating the relationships at my new institution,” she says. “We are seeing positive movement both in the community presence and in the vitality of the EmoryCard.”

The university had already established the Emory Alliance group, which is made up of university and community members, Bona explains. “I was invited to one of its meetings to share our EmoryCard goals and work with the group to grow our overall relationship,” she adds.

As far as the EmoryCard and its Eagle Merchant program, the goal is to enhance the cardholder experience, says Bona. “We always look to partner with the on- and off-campus community to provide an array of safe, secure options for discounts, loyalty incentives and rewards.”

'Dishing out' discounts EmoryCard Services had operated its own off-campus merchant program but last fall decided to investigate options for outsourcing the program. “The decision was made due to a lack of past success in marketing and program growth,” says Lisa Bona, director of EmoryCard Services. “I had experienced a successful program prior to arriving at Emory and knew that we needed to rebrand and revamp our program.”

Bona and Emory landed on third-party transaction processor, DishOut. The company’s architecture can work with any card system provider, food service company, merchant as well as any other on- or off-campus touch point, says Rory Hersch, co-founder and CEO at DishOut. Recently DishOut launched a rewards engine at several campuses and their surrounding communities. The system provides the technology and tools for merchants to communicate exclusive deals and discounts to the campus community through the rewards engine. “We have found this to be an excellent way to create a community feel and extend to merchants the institution’s hand to a great partnership,” says Hersch. “Merchants feel a sense of community and family by being a part of something that also operates on campus.”

On campus DishOut works closely with food services to utilize its rewards engine to generate higher meal plan and discretionary account deposits, explains Hersch. “Among our offerings are terminal and point of sale software and integration, merchant acquisition, transaction processing, funds settlement, rewards engine and round-the-clock merchant customer support,” he adds.

Emory’s Eagle Merchant program is leveraging DishOut’s loyalty and rewards component. “It is up to the merchant as to whether or not they want to provide a discount, loyalty or reward option, but that part is extremely enticing to the students,” says Bona.

When it comes to merchants partners, Bona says there’s no discriminating qualifiers and variety is welcomed. “We don’t focus specifically on a type of merchant. We do, however, look at proximity to campus and, most importantly, focus on merchants that we receive feedback on from student surveys, social media and other communications,” she explains.

Recently, Emory contracted with an external provider to help grow the off-campus program. “I contracted with DishOut to add a breath of life and newer technology into the Eagle Merchants,” says Bona. It has enabled her to focus on improving the town/ gown relationship through a communication plan that drives traffic to local merchants and educates the entire community about the card program’s value.

DishOut CEO Rory Hersch says he sees the impact a positive town-and-gown relationship has across his client base. “Building

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off-campus programs demonstrates that the campus is interested in their community’s economic success just as much as the institution itself,” he says.

Beyond off-campus programs, Emory builds the town-and-gown relationship through student internship opportunities and parttime jobs on or off campus, explains Bona. “In addition, students have out-of-class learning opportunities through volunteer service, sustainability initiatives, student organizations and more.”

A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE

The town-and-gown relationship has always been an important one, but that doesn’t mean institutions are resting on their laurels, says Heartland’s Emery. “Campuses are constantly thinking of new and outside-the-box ways that they can contribute to the surrounding community and ways that they can involve the local community as part of the campus.”

An improved town-and-gown relationship, in this way, can assist a campus to grow and thrive, stresses Emery. “It can mean an increase in admissions and possibly sponsorships or advertising from local businesses.”

As for the impact of the campus card, CBORD’s Takieddine explains the town-and-gown relationship can even transcend the almighty dollar.

“We work with several institutions in smaller communities where the campuses have decided to lower, or even forgo, the campus revenue share from the off-campus program in order to offer merchants the lowest rate possible to accept the campus card,” he adds. “By offering a very low interchange rate, these schools are demonstrating their desire to strengthen the town-and-gown relationship and overall student experience.”

Additionally, there are numerous examples of campuses that have incorporated parts of a meal plan to be used at off-campus locations, says Takieddine. “These campuses see fantastic participation rates in their programs, which makes for both happy merchants and happy students,” he says. “That’s usually a sure-fire sign of a successful town-and-gown relationship.”

Eagle Dollars in its cafeteria. This will The common thread in the town-and-gown provide another late night option for students and a lunch option for conversation is community. But community is campus employees. a matter of perspective. It’s easy to view an institution in terms of the immediate confines of In Spring 2017, the hospital will be campus, but it’s how a campus assimilates with opening a new wing and along with and cares for the larger community that pays it will come a number of new retail locations, says Bona. “The hospital real dividends. approached us with the desire to have In a modern era of higher education where students and employees partake in growth is the only constant, campuses must be these future options, and we both mindful of their surroundings. Forging lasting, agreed that the Eagle Merchant symbiotic relationships with the surrounding program could help.” community is key to a thriving campus environ“There is no doubt that the university, ment and a healthy community.

Unique partnerships strengthen town-and-gown at Emory EUH For Emory University, and others, the Expansion town-and-gown relationship has been September 2015 Progress Report a labor of love dating back to the institution’s inception.

Emory has ties to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Cancer Society, neighboring Georgia Tech University, the Carter Center, Coca Cola, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and many others, says Lisa Bona, associate director of Student Financial Services and director, EmoryCard Services at Emory University.

In addition to its longstanding partnerships, new ties are always in the works.

Currently, EmoryCard is working with Emory University Hospital to accept

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students, employees and Atlanta as a whole have benefit from the strong partnerships that Emory has built over its lifetime,” she adds.

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With special event badges, bigger is often better A 'how-to' guide for issuing large-format IDs TOM STILES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS GROUP

W

hen the topic of card issuance is discussed in the higher education realm, typically we’re talking about the standard CR80 card size – the size of a credit card. We often forget, however, that there are larger format credentials that can be used for a myriad of event, ticketing and conference environments.

This begs the questions, then, why would you need a large-format ID? And when does it make sense to issue a larger credential?

When it comes to the “why,” the answer can be simple. It provides a more readable identification credential that can easily be seen from a distance. You may, for example, want the larger credentials to be worn by event attendees or by staff. Which leads us to the “when.” Applications for larger format credentials can include conferences, camps, training sessions and access to special events like campus sporting events or concerts.

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Once you’ve determined that largeformat credentials are the way to go, the challenge becomes how best to produce these larger credentials – preferably in an easy way and without a high expense. Here are some choices and things to consider.

PLASTIC CARD PRINTERS You may want to issue larger plastic cards if you want the credential to be used more than once, as with a season pass, or if you want it to live on as a keepsake memento.

Durability is a major reason to choose plastic credentials.

There are a few card printers on the market that accept larger sizes. They range in price from $3,000 to $10,000 and support either direct-to-card, retransfer or ink jet card printing.

Although the printers will handle larger cards, many direct-to-card printers do not print the entire surface of a large-format ID. They are typically restricted to printing

the normal CR80 card size in the middle of the larger card. The remainder of the credential must be preprinted in this case.

This gives the ability to have a larger card, but limits how much and how large the printed info can be.

Another direct-to-card printer model prints on a credential that is the same height of a standard CR80 card (2.125”), but twice as long (6.57”). This creates a long, skinny credential that may not be practical for all use cases.

If retransfer printing is your preference, there is a model that can handle 3.375” x 4.875” cards, printing onto the vast majority of the larger card surface. The list price of this printer is about $7,500, and it produces 70 single-sided cards per hour at a cost of roughly $1.15 per card. To put that in perspective, the cost of the blank larger format plastic cards is about 15 cents each.

The final printing method leverages an ink jet plastic card printer that prints on special 3.5” x 5.5” ink-receptive plastic

cards. The retail price of the printer is pricier at nearly $10,000, but ink jet plastic card printers operate much faster than direct-to-card or retransfer card printers.

The cost for cardstock and ink is just more than $1.00 per card.

As a general rule, larger format cardstock will be a bit more expensive than the standard CR80 card size, either blank or preprinted.

INK JET CREDENTIAL PRINTERS A more affordable option, though, may be an ink jet printer that accepts a roll paper card stock. You’d sacrifice the durability of a plastic credential but would save with a more the cost-effective process.

These printers are used a lot for producing food or packaging labels. For credentials, though, the paper card would likely be inserted into a clear pouch, and then worn with a lanyard, bead chain or strap clip.

The price of ink jet roll printers start at about $1,300 – much less expensive than plastic card printers. The cost of the ink to print the credentials runs roughly 35 cents per 3.5” x 5.5” per card. As for blank paper card stock rolls, a ballpark cost is 10 cents each for 3.5” x 5.5”, based on an order of 10,000.

These units can print 450 cards per hour at a total cost per card of 45 cents. The ink jet printer option provides an outside-thebox alternative to large format IDs using affordable hardware.

CREDENTIAL WEARABILITY Regardless of the card material or print method chosen, the large-format ID is meant to be displayed and will likely require some kind of wearable attachment.

There are hundreds of different attachment options, and several of the common choices are presented below.

Plastic cards. If you choose plastic cards, you can have them slot punched. Their more durable nature means they don’t require a clear vinyl pouch for protection, but will instead require a strap clip. The cost for a strap clip is about 15 cents.

THERE ARE CARD PRINTERS ON THE MARKET THAT ACCEPT LARGER SIZES, RANGING IN PRICE FROM $3,000 TO $10,000 AND SUPPORTING DIRECT-TOCARD, RETRANSFER OR INK JET CARD PRINTING

Ink Jet paper cardstock. Less durable than their plastic counterparts, you would insert the paper cardstock into a clear vinyl pouch that costs about 20 cents each. The pouch can then be worn using a strap clip (15 cents), steel bead chain (20 cents) or a blank or custom printed lanyard.

For an added personal touch – and a bit of brand recognition – you can also choose a preprinted lanyard that features your institution’s colors and name. For larger cards or pouches, the lanyard recommendations are either open ended with two swivel hooks or a standard lanyard with wide plastic hook. The cost for either of these with custom printing is around 90 cents.

ID SOFTWARE The good news is you probably can use your current ID software. Check to see if you can create projects of different sizes and if there is a maximum size allowed.

Using your current ID software means you are familiar with it, and you will have the ability to import the data or connect to an external database as you don’t want to manually type all the credentials.

CREDENTIAL TECHNOLOGY Technology such as proximity or contactless chips can be built into the larger plastic cards. However, with lack of common sizes and limited use in the marketplace, the cost per card will be fairly high. Expect a minimum order and longer lead times. You may need to issue technology credentials if you have event staff that needs door access. The cost may be prohibitive to issue to all attendees.

For most applications, I recommend the use of barcode technology. This allows the

barcode to be printed when the credential is being personalized, so there is no real added cost. In addition, handheld barcode scanners are prevalent at most events. I recommend newer, 2D barcodes, such as QR code.

For either plastic or ink jet card stock, a UHF RFID chip/antenna can be added.

You might consider this technology if you want to have long a read range, and to read a group of people without them having to present the credential. However, introduction of UHF RFID technology creates other complexities such as how to program the chips and the purchase and installation of appropriate readers.

There’s no shortage of things to consider before making the decision to issue largeformat credentials. Printer cost, credential size, cost of ink/ribbons and choice of wearable attachments are all things to keep in mind. By navigating these considerations successfully, issuing large-format credentials can be a breeze.

At the end of the day, nothing is going to replace the standard CR80 card size we all know and love. But with virtually every campus putting on special events and issuing season tickets and event passes, it’s important to know all the credential options that are out there.

Your local Identification Systems Group dealer can help you navigate these considerations and provide a complete solution quote. Or feel free to contact me to discuss your specific requirements. I’ll be glad to help.

About Identification Systems Group (ISG) The ISG is a nationwide network of local experts in identification, security and tracking, providing high-quality, cost effective solutions backed by local support and the strength of our Professional Services Certification program.

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A conversation with NACCU’s new Executive Director Dawn Thomas takes the reigns and begins new era

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July 1 marked the official changing of the guard for NACCU’s Executive Director position, with Lowell Adkins handing the reigns over to the newly appointed Dawn Thomas. But Thomas has already spent much of the summer hard at work on various NACCU activities and settling in to her new role.

With the changeover at hand, we at CR80News felt it was the perfect time to speak to Dawn about her experiences in higher education, her past association work and her thoughts on a future with NACCU. We caught up with Dawn just prior to her jetting off to the Canadian Campus Card Conference and in the midst of full transition.

The transition was facilitated by Adkins and provided a valuable primer. “I don’t know anybody that’s been lucky enough to be able transition the way I have,” says

Thomas. “I feel fortunate that Lowell was willing and that I had the opportunity to learn through him.”

The move will mark the association’s first Executive Director change since 2004, but for Thomas it’s a role to which she brings established a body of work in higher education and association management.

“The main goals for anybody on campus or within a higher education association – really the whole reason you’re there – is service to students and the campus,” she explains.

“This was the direction I was heading all along,” adds Thomas. “I feel very lucky because I understand the environment and the goals of a college campus having worked in that capacity, but I also understand the goals of a higher education association, so I saw the position as a good mesh of my skills.”

EXPERIENCE IS KEY Thomas has been heavily involved in higher education throughout her career.

For the past 17 years, she worked with the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA). Thomas made the move to NACA as director of education and research, after working in student affairs for 11 years.

Thomas’ role evolved over her time spent with NACA, enabling her to interact with virtually every facet of the association’s management structure. “My time at NACA was incredibly valuable to me as I really established a strong foundation and experience in association operations and management,” she says.

Her time at NACA gave her perspective on the demands of the executive director position, as well as the value of having capable and driven colleagues to

from this editor: she’s not the only one.)

But she is diving headlong into as much industry information as possible, and posing questions to perhaps the best possible resource available, former Executive Director Lowell Adkins, NACCU members and its board. “I have a list of topics that I want to know more about, and have been pursuing them with extra fervor.”

What’s most interesting to Thomas, she says, is the rapid evolution of the card transaction system and the constant advancement of technology.

“When I started out in higher education, cards weren’t anything like they are today. They have evolved to full transaction management systems,” she says. “I think the evolution that’s happening on this front is intriguing. Technology has the ability to change and evolve so quickly in this space.”

SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS FOR NACCU TO PROVIDE MORE EXPERT INFORMATION ON EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AND ASSIST THAT WITH CONNECTIONS AND COLLABORATIONS THAT WE DEVELOP help shoulder the load. “I worked with closely one executive director at NACA for 16 years, and because of our longevity a strong trust was developed that enabled me the creative freedom, at times, to go out and solve problems,” says Thomas.

“Most people don’t stay in one association for as long as I did, but I think that the relationships that develop as a result of that longevity is part of what drives success,” she adds.

Campus card technolo gy, and its evolution, is also central to one of Thomas’ hopes for the Association. “Something that’s important for NACCU, and something that I would like to see, is for us to provide more expert information on emerging technology and assist that with connections and collaborations that we develop,” she explains.

PIQUING INTERESTS

“Looking at it from 30,000 feet, change is inevitable,” says Thomas. And while speculating about possible changes to NACCU is still a bit premature for the newly appointed Executive Director, Thomas does have her eye on some emerging trends.

“One of the things that’s out there on the fringes is that this industry has been

As anyone joining the campus card industry for the first time can attest, there’s a learning curve. Thomas admits that things have been no different for her.

“There is a whole list of acronyms that I do not know yet,” Thomas says. (A note

CHANGES FOR NACCU

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around for 20-25 years as we know it as NACCU,” Thomas says. “So a lot of people that started out in card management years ago in the early stages of the industry may be transitioning into retirement, and there will be a larger influx of new professionals coming in to fill these roles.”

In general, regardless of the type of company you work with it’s always important to talk to members to see what can be refreshed, says Thomas. “Initially, I’m not in a position to say that we need to change things. I feel it’s important that, as I come in, regular updates and info be

A NEW CHALLENGE: MANY PEOPLE THAT STARTED OUT IN CARD SYSTEMS IN THE EARLY DAYS ARE LIKELY TRANSITIONING INTO RETIREMENT, AND THERE WILL BE A LARGE INFLUX OF NEW PROFESSIONALS COMING IN TO FILL THESE ROLES

Industry-wise that’s something that we should at least be aware of, says Thomas.

“As it pertains to the future, I think that our members may change at a more rapid pace than they have before, because there are quite a few that have been with us since the beginning,” she adds. “That may be something for us to manage in the coming years.”

To tie things together, as new campus card professionals come into the industry it will be vital to gather their thoughts regarding what they want and need from their Association. NACCU, Thomas says, intends to be abreast of the changes in new professionals and remain agile to their needs. It’s a process that will begin almost immediately.

“Starting day one, I’ll be developing relationships with the current staff, and working with the board to define the goals that we would like to see realized so that we can continue to move the Association forward,” Thomas explains. “There’s a strategic plan that guides this, but I think that our goals need to stay fresh. We also will consider the thoughts of current members to find out what they want and to define best services via an omnibus survey.”

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shared,” she explains. “Again, from 30,000 feet, it’s important to say ‘here’s what I’m seeing, here are some opportunities, and these are some potential collaborations that I think we can establish.’”

In particular, Thomas sees opportunities to connect and align with other industry associations like NACUBO and NACAS, for example. “I think tapping into those other entities, and collaborating with them, will only serve to increase the social capital of NACCU,” she says.

THE ROAD AHEAD As for the much-maligned job interview question: Where do you see yourself in five years? Thomas has a vision.

“I think that if NACCU is doing the job that it has always done, which is paying attention to what members want, then the Association will be in good stead. But I also believe that you should never rest on your laurels,” she says. “The members are the association. The programs and technology may change, but so long as that focus remains central, the longevity of NACCU will continue. I want to keep that focus.”

It’s the goal of every association to provide and enhance services to its members,

says Thomas. “At this juncture, and knowing where NACCU is, I know it’s important to the board to be intent on growing membership and working with industry professionals and campuses to stay on the edge of what’s evolving in the field,” she adds. “That’s all very exciting and I would hope that any Executive Director, present or future, looks to those components to help more campuses and assist with greater knowledge, networking and learning opportunities.”

And on the topic of networking and learning opportunities, Thomas attended her first NACCU conference earlier this year in San Francisco. It was an experience, she says, that left an impression.

“I have been a member of many associations, professional groups and societies, and I can truly say that I walked away from the NACCU conference feeling like this was a group of campuses and industry professionals that were really intent on doing the best for the community,” says Thomas. “That’s not to say that there’s not competition out there, I’m not so naïve, but there were positive conversations occurring that were helping people to look at new and different ways of meeting campus needs. It was refreshing, and it was such a good experience.”

As time drew short on our conversation, Thomas made sure to drive home her excitement at beginning her time as NACCU’s Executive Director and highlighted the effort put forth before her to establish the Association.

“One thing that really stands out is the work that has already been done for the development of the NACCU community and its relationships, and I believe wholeheartedly in continuing that,” insists Thomas.

“That is one of my main goals. It is vital for NACCU’s continued success and growth.”

Everyone at CR80News would like to welcome Dawn to the NACCU community, and we wish her all the best in her new role as Executive Director.

Blackboard active on acquisition front Both Sequoia and Higher One's CASHNet join Transact family

T

he acquisition team at Blackboard has had a busy few months adding two new ‘strings to its bow.’ The company first purchased Sequoia Retail Systems in late May for an undisclosed fee and then followed up just two months later with a massive $260 million purchase of CashNet, the remaining assets of Higher One. Sequoia Retail Systems, a provider of comprehensive POS solutions for educational institutions, brings a significant addition to the Blackboard Transact solution suite. It delivers new dining, retail and bookstore POS and inventory/operations management capabilities to Blackboard Transact, the education technology company’s campus ID, security and financial solutions arm.

Mountain View, Calif.-based Sequoia traces roots back to its founding in 1984 when it began servicing college bookstore operations. Today, the company outfits more than 300 clients with POS, retail bookstore and inventory management solutions. An exclusive focus on the education market has, from the outset, enabled Sequoia to leverage the campus ID to make purchases online, on a mobile device or at a register.

Sequoia has long been a key partner of Blackboard Transact, serving as one of a small set of approved POS solution providers. The acquisition will serve to build on the existing, decadelong partnership.

“We’ve continued to be impressed over the years with Sequoia’s innovation and single dedication to the education community,” says David Marr, SVP for Blackboard Transact. “Given the parallel paths of our long-term partnership, commitment to the campus community and the students we serve, we wanted to put our support behind Sequoia to further accelerate innovation and service levels.”

It’s a move Marr says just makes sense. “People have said for years that it was only natural for our organizations to join together. We’re culturally an elegant fit,” he says. “We both care about students in a sincere way, we take pride in how we serve our clients, and we hold ourselves accountable.”

A FUTURE WITH SEQUOIA Blackboard Transact will remain committed to providing campuses with a choice of multiple technologies including POS solutions, noting that the acquisition will not impact the company’s commitment to its other valued POS partners, including Micros, NCR and Vivonet.

“People may ask what this means for our clients that have other POS systems, but as demonstrated throughout our solution portfolio, we’re absolutely committed to offering client choice,” says Jeff Staples, Vice President of Market Development for Blackboard Transact. “We support a variety of POS options today and will

continue to do so. Similarly, we look forward to providing the same outstanding solutions and service to those Sequoia clients who may have a card system from another vendor.”

Sequoia, too, will remain dedicated to its roster of independent college bookstore clients, with Blackboard’s resources expected to empower Sequoia to further reinforce its offerings and services.

CASHNET PAYMENT PLATFORM ACQUIRED IN $260 MILLION DEAL The recent acquisition of Higher One’s CASHNet payment processing platform, adds another key service line and a significant base of both customers and revenue.

Per the terms of the agreement, Higher One Holdings, Inc. entered into a definitive agreement to sell the company to an affiliate of Blackboard for $5.15 in cash per share. The all-cash sale price represents a 37.3% premium over the closing price of the Higher One Holdings shares on June 29, 2016 at an equity value of $260 million. The transaction is expected to occur in the third quarter of 2016.

The asset to be purchased is Higher One’s CASHNet line of business, which provides secure bill presentment, online and in-person payments and student payment plan services to more than 700 campuses.

CASHNet, initially acquired by Higher One in 2009, was the single remaining piece of Higher One following previous transactions that resulted in the sale of the refund distribution, student banking and other component parts.

“After contacting approximately 60 potential bidders and multiple rounds of competitive bidding and negotiations, Higher One is confident the substantial all-cash premium offered by this transaction maximizes shareholder value and is in the best interest of our shareholders, customers and employees,” says Paul Biddelman, chairman of the Higher One Board of Directors.

Blackboard Transact President and COO, David Marr, addressed the acquisition in a blog post on the company’s website and highlights the importance of the CASHNet platform in the deal.

CASHNet will be a natural complement to Blackboard and Blackboard Transact in supporting institutions, Marr says. “This acquisition recognizes our understanding of the dependency between student financial management, teaching and learning, and student engagement across the entire educational experience.”

Marr made sure to distance the CASHNet offering from the maligned Higher One refund management service, saying, “with almost 30 years serving the education community, and predating Higher One, CASHNet should not be confused with Higher One’s former financial aid ‘refund’ business, which was recently sold.”

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Rethinking card office service models

ColorID's new CHOICE program aims for nationwide on-site support

Imagine that it’s orientation and you’re printing student IDs by the dozen. You’re churning out cards until you blow out a printer, bringing the operation to a grinding halt and leaving students lined up out the door. It’s a nightmare scenario for any card office, but whether it’s a high-issuance time or just standard day-to-day use, losing a printer is a mission-critical problem.

For most offices, the first step would be to troubleshoot the problem and hope that the printer can be fixed internally. If not, placing a call for local depot service or to the printer manufacturer will be in order. It’s often a lengthy and stressful process that can leave card issuance down until a replacement or loaner printer can be shipped.

ColorID has recognized some of the inefficiencies in this process and with the company’s new CHOICE Support Program is seeking to personalize service support for each institution’s needs. The program marks a first in that it sees a depot service

to advance identity management solutions institution wide,” says Smith. Each institution tailors its approach to both support and advancement, selecting from a menu of services and options.

THE MENU CHOICE was developed with input from many of ColorID’s campus clients. The new program has already been rolled out to a host of campuses, including Harvard, Northwestern and San Diego State University.

“We rolled it out, cherry-picked some campuses and ran the idea by them,” says Smith. “Of the eight institutions we showed it to initially, six signed on almost immediately, and there was positive feedback from the other two.”

He explains that the program’s formation is the result of working with employees and clients to determine what services campuses need and fill in gaps that exist

CORE INTEGRATORS HAVE THEIR PRODUCT SETS, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS OUTSIDE THEIR PORTFOLIOS THAT STILL REQUIRE SERVICE provider offering on-site support, something only previously offered by local systems integrators, says Danny Smith, executive vice president of ColorID. CHOICE is designed to be comprehensive, maintaining a card office’s current processes and also helping plot a course for future implementations. “In addition to support, the program provides options

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with other service options.

“We provide products and services to about 1,200 universities, and we are engaged with a lot of migration and technology projects,” Smith says. “Core integrators have their product sets, but there are a lot of things outside their portfolios that still require service.”

When an institution considers a migration we’ll start by visiting the campus to learn about the existing environment and goals going forward, explains Smith.

“It’s common for us to provide a technical presentation to campus stakeholders on emerging identity trends and technologies – contactless, biometrics, mobile and other solutions.”

The purpose of these initial meetings, Smith says, is not to decide on a particular technical solution or direction, but to provide perspective and create dialogue between campus stakeholders. “In some cases, these campus agencies have never collectively discussed an institution-wide identity management strategy,” he explains. “It’s a great starting point and it has helped establish collaboration across campus.”

SAN DIEGO STATE’S CHOICE For many years, SDSUcard has enjoyed a good relationship with ColorID mostly regarding supplies, printers and production applications, says Paul Carlisle, manager of the SDSUcard Office at San Diego State University. “They’ve always taken the time to answer questions regarding changing card technology, and we value them as an information source.”

Carlisle sees the CHOICE program as an asset in a market of ever-evolving technology. “Card technology moves inexorably forward, and while we use a contemporary platform at SDSU, the conversation is now moving toward multi-level devices and arguably to eventually eliminating cards entirely,” he says.

For Carlisle, stakeholder meetings – a menu option under CHOICE – have been

critical. “It was vital to educate and demonstrate how new technology and applications may be of value,” he explains.

The driving force behind bringing CHOICE into SDSU’s solution process was residential room access, says Carlisle. The wear and tear on cards within residence halls led SDSU to the decision to migrate to contactless credentials.

SDSU launched the contactless cards in June, and Carlisle credits ColorID for aiding in the process. “The support program brought an important level of technical savvy to address production problems and make this a seamless transition,” he adds.

FINDING THE RIGHT FIT While SDSU used one of the options from CHOICE’s menu of services there are other options. Smith explains that there are cer-

tain criteria to identify the right candidates for this type of program, and crucially, how a campus can navigate the menu to get the most out of the program.

Smith notes that the program won’t be an ideal fit for all institutions. Small schools

The profile of a typical CHOICE customer is a card office that employs multiple printer stations, and where it’s missioncritical that those printers are always functioning, Smith explains. “The ideal customer is also utilizing contactless cre-

CAMPUSES THAT CAN REALLY SCALE THIS AND BENEFIT ARE THOSE THAT HAVE LARGE OPERATIONS WHERE IT’S MORE THAN JUST PRINTERS with minimal equipment, consumables and service needs are likely already well served by existing depot service models.

“Campuses that can really scale this and benefit are those that have large operations where it’s more than just printers,” he says.

dentials or considering doing so in the future. They may also have an interest in other advanced identity technologies such as biometrics and mobile.”

ColorID will provide a campus with a sample CHOICE proposal that gives a de-

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tailed breakdown of all the services offered under the program. The campus makes its selections from the list of offerings and selects the duration for the program. Most contracts, Smith says, range from three to five years.

A NEW APPROACH TO SERVICE As Smith sees it, the traditional, regional model of on-site service has given way to a national model. “It’s not about protecting territories anymore,” he says. “The paradigm of local service being a good value has shifted, as customers see that they receive more value having an experienced expert provide service and support.”

With the regional model, we were hearing from campuses that the earliest that an on-site service technician could arrive would often be the following day, and even then they might not have the required parts, explains Smith.

Under traditional printer replacement or depot service, campuses would be sent a new replacement unit and lose their old one. It’s a model that Smith says some campuses disliked. “It would be like if your

WITH DEPOT SERVICE, YOU MAY BE SENT A REPLACEMENT AND LOSE YOUR OLD PRINTER. IT WOULD BE LIKE YOUR CAR BREAKING DOWN AND AND A MECHANIC GIVING YOU A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CAR BACK car broke down and you took it to the shop for repair, and the mechanic gives you a completely different car back,” he explains.

As for pricing, Smith says the CHOICE program is comparable to what most institutions are currently paying for on-site printer service and preventative maintenance programs – plus they get valueadded consultation and other services.

CHOICE IN ACTION The program’s Instant Loaner option for printers can deliver both convenience and flexibility. If a campus orders four printers and opts for the Instant Loaner option, five printers are shipped. The fifth unit remains the property of ColorID to be kept on-site at the university. When a printer goes down and can’t be repaired, the card office can

CHOICE at Harvard

Harvard University is leveraging ColorID’s CHOICE Support Program to maintain the institution’s multiple Datacard SP 75 printers.

“During the printers’ factory warranty period, we routinely shipped them back to either Datacard or ColorID for repairs,” says Susan Richelson, Associate Director, Campus Service Center at Harvard University.

“When they came off of warranty last spring, I was looking for the most cost-effective solution for repairs and preventative maintenance that would not require shipping printers,” she says.

“ColorID created a maintenance plan that was within our budget, provided bi-annual, on-site preventative maintenance and support of their technical team on demand.”

It’s a service that Richelson believes could benefit other campuses. “It allows us to have technical support on site in the spring prior to our busiest time of year and again in the fall after we have put the printers to hard use,” she explains. “While the ColorID team is tuning up the equipment, they work with my staff to ensure they are trained in cleaning and maintenance and answer questions about equipment settings, upkeep, and so on.”

Harvard has already leveraged the program, having had on-site service technicians visit campus this spring. “They tuned up and repaired all of our printers both at our Cambridge and Boston campuses, and the service was excellent,” says Richelson. “They worked with us to decide how to preserve the machines by repurposing parts from existing machines or using new ones in the smartest way possible.”

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swap the broken unit out for the Instant Loaner printer and ship the malfunctioning unit back to ColorID. “First the campus calls us to see if we can fix the printer over the phone, and if not, we activate the Instant Loaner,” Smith explains. “They can either ship the malfunctioning printer back to us or our service technician can repair the printer on their next scheduled maintenance visit.” The Instant Loaner can also include customconfigured units.

There is a variety of maintenance packages including an annual visit or twice per year option. Users can also access exclusive webinars, seminars and a custom web portal built for the campus. “We offer a price lock guarantee for all consumables – ribbons, cards, etc. – for the duration of the institution’s CHOICE agreement,” says Smith.

AT YOUR DOORSTEP ColorID employees staff the on-site service portion of the program.

“All of our current technicians – five on staff – are certified and trained, and are the ones jumping on planes,” says Smith.

“We’ll do a Chicago trip, for example, and coordinate with all our campuses in the area.”

One of the on-site services being offered is a system review where a product manager evaluates the entire card system operation, and within ten days provide a detailed report with recommendations for future-proofing and refining the system.

Smith says that with CHOICE he’s most proud of the fact that the customer is the one making the decisions. “We can coach them and explain the benefits of each service, but it ultimately comes down to the client and their needs – it’s their choice.”

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Mutual authentication secures contactless

Crytptography is vital, still many default to weaker card serial numbers MICHAEL GIUSTI, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, AVISIAN PUBLICATIONS

When students at Sarah Lawrence College replace a lost student ID card, they unknowingly get a little something extra in that card – added security.

Every new ID card issued by the Yonkers, New York-based college is now equipped with a contactless chip embedded within.

“We are not fully contactless yet,” says Brian Lutz, associate director of systems administration for the school. “We are doing it slowly as people get new IDs. It has been a more gradual migration.”

A few of the college’s offices are already fully deployed, using contactless credentials to unlock all doors, and a new building was just brought online that is fully equipped with contactless readers throughout. The plan is to have the entire campus switched over within the next few years.

As they make this transition, Sarah Lawrence is doing something that many campuses in the country have neglected to do.

They are transitioning to a mutual authentication-based, secure, contactless environment.

“We are spending a little more money to use the full mutual authentication, but we saw that investment as worth the added security,” Lutz says.

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The vast majority of college campuses in the nation are nowhere near that level of security, says Grey Bartholomew, product manager of CBORD, the company deploying the new ID system at Sarah Lawrence.

“If you look at the customer base, 90% of college campuses are still using mag stripe,” Bartholomew says. “Then you look at the 10% who use contactless and probably 90% of those are using the card serial number only.” He says that only the other 10% of that 10% are using mutual authentication – taking advantage of the true security enabled by contactless technology.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? Credential security comes in levels, says Sami Nassar, vice president of cyber security at San Francisco-based NXP Semiconductors.

“If we look at the most basic form of ID, it would be to write the serial number for a card on a piece of paper and laminate that,” he says. “Obviously you can put the same name on another piece of paper, meaning you would have more than one, and this would be very easy to duplicate and not be very secure.”

Slightly more secure would be to encode that serial number within a barcode, mag stripe or a chip. But if you are simply storing a serial number in an unprotected manner, it can still be readily changed or replicated. So it is still very unsecure.

Up another level, you can store the number on the card in a manner that cannot be changed or cloned. And at the highest level, mutual authentication comes into play. Using mathematical algorithms, mutual authentication prohibits ID numbers from being shared until both the card and reader have proven they are valid and authorized to share data, Nassar says.

SIMPLY SERIAL NUMBERS But even when systems are capable of using that high-level mutual authentication, some implementations – including many college campuses – opt not to use it. Instead, some default to a low security approach in which the card broadcasts its serial number to any reader it encounters.

“With just the card serial number, the reader is broadcasting and saying ‘hey, is anybody out there,’ and then if a contactless card comes along, the card sends its serial number immediately without getting that mutual authentication,” Bartholomew says.

While there are some security conscious outliers on college campuses, Bartholomew says the vast majority of contactless campuses are satisfied with the lower level of security. “It is the entry-level way to get into contactless technology without breaking the bank or investing in specific readers to enable mutual authentication,” Bartholomew says.

From the perspective of most campuses, contactless is a means to ease transactions, adding convenience rather than increasing security, he explains. “They are looking at it as a way to make the transaction faster and more convenient. Contactless cards give you that capability,” Bartholomew says.

When convenience is the goal, the serial number-only protocol seems to be enough.

USING A HANDSHAKE But not all college systems rely on a broadcast serial number, says Dan Gretz, senior director for market development at Blackboard.

“Predominantly in our environment the contactless cards are being used in a secure fashion,” Gretz says. “We don’t recommend using card serial numbers, because the reason to move to contactless is added security. If you are paying the premium for a contactless credential, but deploy it in a manner where you are only reading the card serial number, you are not doing yourself any favors.”

The decision of what level of security is needed comes down to what the campus is trying to protect, NXP’s Nassar explains. “If

a student ID grants access to secure campus facilities, you may want more than low-end type security,” Nassar says. “But if it is just used to get a discount or something, you may not need to be as careful.”

90% OF CAMPUSES STILL USE MAG STRIP AND OF THE 10% USING CONTACTLESS, PROBABLY 90% OF THOSE ARE USING THE CARD SERIAL NUMBER ONLY. ONLY THE OTHER 10% OF THAT 10% ARE USING MUTUAL AUTHENTICATION – TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE TRUE SECURITY OF CONTACTLESS The thinking at Sarah Lawrence was that if they were simply migrating to another technology that would also be vulnerable, why not just stay on mag stripe, explains Lutz. “Instead of wasting time and money for just another vulnerable technology, we were determined to make it as secure as possible,” he says.

That concern for security is the unifying theme for campuses that are moving over to the full mutual authentication capabilities of contactless cards, Bartholomew says.

EXPANDED USES, SECURITY CHOICES As more campuses expand into the contactless realm, many are finding innovative uses for the technology. The first applications that most universities jump on are access control and financial transactions. But other lower security uses are also common. In any case, the question of card serial numbers or mutual authenticationbased secure transactions is relevant.

While securing residence hall access should always be a secure transaction, it can be argued that card serial number use would be sufficient for checking out a basketball in the rec center.

“We have an entire suite of secure contactless readers that campuses can deploy for any application,” says Blackboard’s Gretz.

The student can use it for highly secure contactless transactions in a whole host of use cases.

As CBORD’s roll out at Sarah Lawrence progresses, the college is examining each potential use on a case-by-case basis. “Some of our contracts are coming up – laundry, copier, things like that – so we are including secure contactless readers in the new contracts,” Lutz says.

And then Sarah Lawrence will be a more secure campus.

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THE EVOLUTION OF ID CARD PRINTING SOFTWARE GINA JORDAN, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, AVISIAN PUBLICATIONS

Today’s ID badges are very different from their predecessors. Laminated badges with a photo, name and job title have given way to advanced technology cards containing biometric templates and secure payment information. Companies want increasingly advanced credentials and they expect a lot from their card printing software.

“In the university space, for example, campuses have been migrating from mag stripes – to get in dorms and enable cashless vending – to smart cards that control everything on campus,” says Nils Wahlander, senior product marketing manager for HID Global.

These contemporary ID cards are being personalized inside and out, and the card personalization software has had to adapt.

“They’re adding various tools to help with the enrollment process: capturing a photo, a signature or biometric information in the form of a fingerprint or even an iris scan,” Wahlander says.

“The software now has to work with all these various vendors that sell those tools and integrate it into their product. That’s been the biggest change (to issuance software) over the last five years, adding in these various enrollment tools to enable a higher security ID.”

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THE CARDS OF “OLD” The look and use of ID badges have undergone a swift transition.

“If you step back 10 or 20 years, a lot of the software didn’t even exist,” Wahlander says.

The work back then involved printing a plastic card with a few key elements of identifying information. Issuers and the issuance software were simply sending some basic data to a card printer to add to the card. “You could have used Microsoft Word at that point or Microsoft Access to keep track of all this information and just hit print,” Wahlander says.

Fast-forward a decade, and all this information – cardholder data, demographics, biometric templates, privileges and more – now lives in databases. “Issuers are capturing the various details – whether it’s from an HR database within Oracle, MySQL or a SQL server-type system – and they’re pulling it in to personalize the card,” Wahlander says.

Issuance software has had to evolve to keep pace with market needs, including strong security and encryption capabilities.

“There’s a greater and greater focus on making sure the information that is sent from one location to another is securely

transmitted and not tampered with,” says Connell Smith, vice president at Entrust Datacard. “The use of cards is part of the bigger ecosystem within an enterprise, and in a similar way the card printing software needs to connect to other systems.

So, you’re seeing expansion into greater connectivity and more intelligent use of smart cards.”

EVOLIS AND CARDPRESSO The cardPresso software offered by Evolis was created in 2012 to accommodate clients that want advanced, easy to implement features. “Card printing software is an essential component of the product when selling a card printer,” says Vincent Menard,

DATACARD AND TRUCREDENTIAL Datacard’s TruCredential platform provides a range of solutions built to simplify the process of credentialing. “We have tools that can manage complex implementations driven by API’s or the other end of the spectrum in which customers who know nothing about credentialing step through a wizard in the software to create basic IDs,” says Eric Sander, senior product manager at Datacard. “The strength of the software is really the diversity of features and functions that help manage the complexity in the industry.”

As security or business needs increase, the user can upgrade to a more sophisticated edition while maintaining the information

THE BIGGEST CHANGE TO ISSUANCE SOFTWARE IS THE INTEGRATION OF NEW TOOLS THAT ENABLE HIGH SECURITY IDS

BY CAPTURING PHOTOS, SIGNATURES OR BIOMETRICS

software product manager for Evolis. “It’s the best complement to the printer for decentralized card customization and printing.

It helps users design their own card with their logo and pictures and to work with their own database.”

The race toward a smarter card has the competition constantly looking for ways to stand out in the market.

“Adding text, logos and images or capturing data from a camera or a signature pad is very easy,” Menard says. “Once the card design is created, users are able to print card batches thanks to the database operations management that allows them to print a limitless number of records in one printing job. Excel, Access or any ODBC-compliant databases are compatible with cardPresso.”

Card printer settings can be accessed directly from the software.

For more advanced features, customers can choose between five upgrade editions depending on their needs.

already in place. Datacard works with local and international network partners to assist customers and help ensure their success.

“We are trying to leverage some of the technology that is emerging in the broader software area, but a key factor is certainly end user ease of use,” Datacard’s Connell Smith says. “When you talk about software and card programs, it can be as simple as needing a corporate badge for a small company and there’s nothing electronic about it. It’s what we call a flash badge. I show it to the security guard, it has my picture on it, and I get in. You need something that’s very easy to use at that entry-level end because it may be someone who is not deeply IT savvy.”

The other end involves much more sophisticated tools that can accommodate the likes of a government installation. “Over the long haul, I’m sure there’s going to see increased leverage of these higher security applications. Biometrics are certainly an obvious direction,” Smith says.

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HID AND ASURE ID HID Global was going for functionality and simplicity with its Asure ID 7 card personalization software suite. The suite’s four packages range from entry level, with pre-defined templates, to smart card management with biometric enrollment, says HID’s Wahlander.

The level of vendor support depends entirely on how comfortable the client is with the implementation. “Often times, the customer will use their own internal resources to build the background of the image. They’ll import that using the software, and somebody will have to add the data fields, set up the card so that it’s reaching out to the external databases and then pull in the biometric stuff,” Wahlander says. “If they’re not comfortable doing that, their next step will be to go to the channel partner. The manufacturers train their channel partners to help with the setup of the software, the design of the card, and other components that go to the initial set up,” he explains.

HID provides tools within the application, like sample cards and templates, instructional videos and tutorials. A team can do all of the setup work for clients if needed. “Having an easy to use product is really something that they gravitate towards,” Wahlander says. “The core aspects of the product are going to be capturing a photo, capturing information and reaching out to various databases. From there you start getting into the higher-level functionality like adding biometrics and managing smart cards. Those are pieces that we, and others, will use to differentiate.”

NON-BUNDLED SOFTWARE OPTIONS Though many printer manufacturers offer their own card printing software packages or bundle a partner’s package with new printers, there are many independent options available as well.

Each package has its own menu of features and options, and most support a laundry list of manufacturers and printer models.

Some of these packages include: CardExchange from CardExchange CardStudio from Zebra Epi Suite from ImageWare IDFlow from Jolly PremiSysID from Identicard TrustID from UltraID Xpressi from NBS

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CARD PRODUCTION SOFTWARE LEVELS, FEATURES Most producers of ID card printing and issuance software offer different variations or levels of their products. Think of it as a multi-tiered product where the company lets users try the software with little or no risk, but limits certain desirable features in hopes of upselling a higher price, higher performance package in the future.

ENTRY LEVEL OR BASIC PACKAGE An entry-level package is often available free of charge, bundled with a new card printer purchase or offered for an extremely low cost. While these packages typically enable the production of a full color badge with photo and custom designed graphic elements, they may limit the quantity of cards that can be produced or the number of data elements on the cards. They also typically will not support encoding of magnetic stripes or smart cards. Often these entry-level packages do not support storage of cardholder records in a database, offering only basic data entry and printing.

MID-LEVEL PACKAGE One step up is a mid-tier package that builds upon the features of the basic package and removes restrictions by enabling unlimited card printing and adds database options for storage and management of unlimited cardholder records. These packages typically include support for bar code printing and encoding of magnetic stripes and smart cards. Additionally, reporting features are often available.

ENTERPRISE-LEVEL OR TOP-TIER PACKAGE At the highest level, all previous functions from the basic and mid-level packages are complemented with additional database and networking capabilities. The ability to connect to external ODBC compliant data sources or share data elements from the internal cardholder database for use in other systems is common. Additionally, the ability to network multiple printers and support dispersed issuance locations is a frequent addition to the enterprise-level ID production package. In some cases, higher end encoding capability for issuing and enrolling contact smart cards, contactless smart cards or proximity cards is only included at this package level. Similarly, the inclusion of advanced visual security features during the print process may only be supported in this level.