Students at Sioux City's West High School must now carry ID cards with them at school after administrators got tired of breaking up hallway fights. Assistant principal Jacque Wyant says the ID cards, along with several other security measures, has reduced the number of physical fights on school grounds. But the ID cards aren't just for security. The ID cards work in conjunction with the school's new freshman mentoring program and the transformation of a locker bay that was once a popular spot for altercations into a student lounge for upperclassmen.

A smart card system known as Trainline Smart is being rolled out in the UK as a convenient new way to pay for rail and bus fares. Trainline expects its new service to account for half of all rail ticket sales by 2012. Not only does the program add convenience, it also reduces the need for producing paper tickets. Currently, Trainline Smart is being deployed in stages across UK rail and bus systems. In time it will serve as an upgrade the London Underground Oyster smart card ticketing system.

Team NiSCA has added a new entry-level, single-sided printer to it product line. The NiSCA PR-C101 ID card printer is suitable for basic, low-volume ID card applications. The printer has a compact footprint, allowing it to tuck into virtually any office setting, while also making it perfect for portable use.

Aside from being randomly searched, losing your toiletries under the strict no-liquid policy, and having your airline conveniently drop your luggage in say, Kathmandu instead of Kalamazoo, traveling with a pet is one of the more stressful traveling experiences. There's the weight limits, the exact measurements of the traveling crate, making sure that a pet will be safe and comfortable in the cargo hold or cabin, and finally, waiting out the anxiety of a long plane ride.

Many rail, bus, and other transit systems are making the switch to smart cards for quick and easy fare payments. But how convenient is it if you have to carry a different card for each form of transportation, or for mass transit systems in different cities? To solve this problem, a number of cities are exploring ways to develop programs which use a single card for multiple transit systems, even those operating in different regions.

The homeless citizens of Oklahoma City may have more efficient and helpful services in the near future, thanks to an ID card developed by the directory of the city's Homeless Alliance. The ID card program, called the Homeless Management Information System, will store the demographic information of homeless people who commonly use city services.

In New Delhi, the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) is pushing a plan that would provide AIDS patients with electronic smart cards containing their entire case history. The aim of the program is to ensure continuity in the treatment of patients seeking care at Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) centers located throughout the country.

Public offices in Los Angeles aren't concentrated - like the city, municipal office buildings and employees are scattered throughout the Los Angeles Basin. From its three city halls to the utility companies, employees had long used independent security systems - with each building being responsible for producing its own entry and access control cards.

Individuals who work or visit government buildings in La Salle County, Ill. might be required to wear identification badges in the not-so-distant future. The county’s Courthouse and Jail Committee has been asked to explore the idea of enhancing security for county facilities, most notably the courthouse, and the Governmental and Criminal Justice complex. There is concern that it’s too easy for unauthorized individuals to slip past security and access the buildings. An ID card program would help to ensure that access is only granted to the appropriate employees and visitors.

Buses, subways, and other forms of public transportation are quickly becoming more popular commute alternatives as the price of gas rises and traffic becomes more congested. State Farm Insurance in Indiana has launched a test program that will give their employees free bus fare from April 21 through May 17 - to see how many of its 14,000 Bloomington-area employees will catch on to a different type of commute

HID Global, a world leader in identification solutions, announced last week that it has merged with ASSA ABLOY Identification Technologies - ASSA ABLOY will now operate as HID Global, and the merger promises many improvements in areas like technology development and identity solution in an age where ID cards and accurate identification is becoming more and more important.