The U.S. Department of Defense is researching the possibility of extending the functionality of the Common Access Card to include integration with physical access control systems. The Common Access Card is issued to active members of the military, the National Guard, reserve personnel, civilian military employees, and eligible contractors. Defense Department officials use the card as a flash badge and to access computer networks.

Young County, Texas has launched a new child ID program, aptly called Kid ID. The county developed the program with the local sheriff's office as a way to make it easier to find missing children. Taking inspiration from similar programs already in place in neighboring central Texas communities, the Kid ID program features cards that include each child's name, photo, birth date, height and weight, along with the parents' names and address, and the date the card was printed. The cards also include the child's thumbprint and a hologram to prevent duplication, plus information for their parents on what to do should their child go missing.

Magicard recently introduced the HoloKote FLEX watermark system, a flexible way to increase ID card security. While most Magicard printers already include a HoloKote system that allows users to apply a secure watermark across the surface of each printed card, HoloKote FLEX extends those capabilities by enabling users to design a custom watermark that can be any size they’d like.

The Smart Park Program is a card-based fare payment system recently set up to replace outdated parking meters throughout Greenwich, Connecticut. With the new system, rather than fishing for coins to feed the meters, drivers carry a special smart card that can be used on new meters to pay for parking. The cards carry a certain amount of money and can be refilled once they run out.

AlphaCard is ringing in the holidays by offering a Holiday Special on our Basic Secure Photo ID System. This Holiday Special is the ideal solution for small to medium-sized businesses, schools, membership programs, and any organization in need of a high-quality photo ID system that comes at an affordable price.