One Card Does it All

If you’re among those frazzled by the use of multiple ID cards for various uses, there is a way to integrate your applications into a single card solution. One card. Multiple uses. No hassles.

For example, hospitals can use a single card solution for access control, photo identification, emergency information, timekeeping and even medication tracking (date, time, dosage, medication, and identity of the person who administered it) with a single bar code and proximity technology, all on the same card.

For a mid-size university in suburban Milwaukee, the challenge was to provide a one-card solution that would accommodate multiple legacy systems including  library transactions, photo identification and campuswide debit transactions (i.e., photocopying, cafeteria meal passes, etc.).

The move to a single-card solution is affordable and convenient. Consider these benefits:

• The convenience of a single-source supplier.
• The cost savings realized by issuing one card (instead of several) for multiple applications.
• The convenience and cost-savings of a “drop in” solution, whereby you integrate multiple applications by applying a proximity wafer to an existing badge. This enables you to convert to new cards over time.

“Some manufacturers do not have the expertise to provide a single-card solution," cautioned Bupp, "while others simply aren’t interested in accepting the challenge.”