Many of the card printers we offer have the ability to be upgraded in field to perform tasks like dual-sided printing, Ethernet networking and card encoding. From value to premium, upgradeable printers are a convenient investment that can evolve as your card program grows.

Wondering what thin cards are used for? We’ve got the low-down on the benefits of these slim ID cards. Thin cards are used for a couple of different purposes in the ID industry. For one, thin cards (typically 10mil) can be used to produce professional business cards that are more durable than their ordinary paper counterpart. Not only will these cards hold up better, your business cards will stand out from the pack.

We’ve been singing the praises of the brand new Magicard Rio Pro recently and much of the good feedback surrounding the printer has to do with innovative features that increase the printer’s efficiency including built-in Ethernet connectivity. With Ethernet networking, the Rio Pro is ideally suited for high-volume card printing applications benefiting large networked environments.

If your ID program requires the use of multifunctional magnetic stripe cards, you have two options: HiCo or LoCo cards. What separates HiCo and LoCo cards is not the amount of data they can carry, but rather how secure and durable they are.

When we think about high-definition card printers, the first thing that comes to mind is the enhanced print quality. High-def printers such as the Fargo HDP5000 and the new Zebra ZXP Series 8 are know for their ability to produce photo-quality cards with vivid colors and sharp images and text, but that's not their only benefit. These printers are also built to last, and they offer the flexibility to print on multiple card types.

Imagine flashing your employee ID in front of a vending machine. No, you're not confusing the vending machine with your office guard after a long day of work. Your ID card, equipped with RFID antenna, can buy you coffee or a snack. Office employees in Thailand are about to have this become a reality - with new RFID-enabled employee ID cards.

A 500 year flood is currently flowing through Iowa and much of the upper Midwest, wreaking havoc in small towns and large cities alike. As families begin to piece their lives back together, it's inevitable that construction or utility workers will be present at the scene. Iowa's Attorney General, Tom Miller, has issued a press release warning Iowans to always check for ID when utility workers come to call, warning that impostors and identity thieves often prey on unknowing homeowners during emergency situations.

Laundry can be low on the priority list for many college students, with students quoting pressing food and video game issues that supersede clean clothes - but now Drury University students have no excuses for their dirty laundy. New ID card readers on the school's washing machines and dryers in their laundry facilities were recently installed to streamline the laundry payment process.

ID card accessories aren't the only thing world identification leader HID had up its sleeve this week at ISC west - the worldwide leader in card production also unveiled a new ID card system involving its newest and most advanced printer - the HDP5000. Based around the HDP5000's High Definition Printing (HDP) technology, Fargo's HDP5000 Card Identity System promises to be a comprehensive and secure card printing solution that prints only the highest quality cards.

In a shocking blow for Chicago O'Hare's reputation, federal and local law enforcement officials arrested 24 illegal workers they suspect were using fake security badges to work in restricted areas of the O'Hare airport. The badges were actually real, but deactivated O'Hare ID cards, and police are at a loss to explain how workers still managed to gain access to sensitive areas with the non-functioning cards. Police also apprehended two managers at Ideal Staffing Solutions, Inc., the temp agency that hired illegal immigrants knowingly and provided them with the false IDs, which gave them access to purportedly secure areas around O'Hare. Most of the workers loaded freight for companies doing business with O'Hare-- including commercial airlines.

Blackboard Communications Systems, a networking tool used by universities and learning institutions around the globe, announced that it has joined forces with Sony to produce contactless student ID card systems in the United States. Blackboard is an online teaching aid, in which students and professors may share information, lecture notes, upload assignments and communicate online. Now, Blackboard is venturing into the security business. The multi-functional cards Blackboard plans to develop would combine access, data and security systems. These state-of-the-art ID cards would function as debit cards, building entrance cards, class schedule data devices and more. Professors may even use the cards as a way to take attendance for classes.

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.

When you're a college student living in the dorms, your ID card can quickly become a center of your universe. That simple ID card can serve as the key to your room, the key to your mailbox, your way to check out library books and other materials, and most importantly - your meal ticket. ID card programs for colleges and universities often incorporate payment options into their student ID cards, which can make mealtime easier for everyone - until their ID card is lost or stolen.

Increasing worries over homeland security and protection have spawned many debates about preventative measures. The upcoming presidential election and current events have made us familiar with some of the most popular ones - airline security measures like liquids bans and a fence along the US-Mexico border, for instance. But, Indiana representative Mark Souder says that one of the most important security measures the United States can have is the ability to track and record biometric information - not just for visitors into the country, but for normal ID cards like drivers licenses, and that security of our ID cards is intrinsically linked to the security of the country.

What's one of the most important things in disaster recovery? The natural response is to say to help - as much as possible and wherever needed. However, first responders - groups like fire fighters, police officers, medical personnel and the national guard, have recently struggled with responder tracking during major disasters like Hurricane Katrina and 9/11. Government officials struggle to locate, organize and effectively battle the crisis to which they are responding. First responders, who may quickly move from place to place and agency to agency in order to maximize efficiency and help, need to work and communicate quickly and focus as much as possible on the task at hand instead of the infrastructure of support.

Authorities in Guangdong Province, China (one of the country's wealthiest areas) have introduced a plan which aims to boost security, prevent crime, and make cities and villages in Guangdong safer for everyone. RFID cards, to be issued to all residents, are a key element of this plan. Citizens would be required to carry one of these ID cards on them at all times, and information from the cards will be used to bolster a government program called the "public security information network." The RFID cards, which will hold information like bus records and credit card purchases, will likely transmit the information stored on the card to checkpoints at certain intervals. RFID cards, or contactless smart cards, have the ability to transmit information to a reader or interceptor through radio waves.

One of the most widespread ID developments in recent years is learning platforms. Universities around the world have developed comprehensive databases and intranet systems for the sharing of essays and assignments, distribution of grades, and private communications between teacher and student. One example of a flourishing intranet system is at the London School of Economics, where students not only gain access to an in-school network, but also materials from other colleges and universities all across Europe. These resources are wonderful for students and staff, but there are some disadvantages. Because recent developments have been focused more towards user satisfaction and not toward maximizing security, these large intranet systems are vulnerable to a number of network complications - hacking, identity theft, and the like. For IT experts at the London School of Economics, this belief was only reinforced by a recent break-in to the National Health Systems database, which compromised the information of thousands of young doctors and caused serious disruptions to the system.

After publicly joining the governors of several other states in a clear disapproval of the REAL ID act of 2005, Washington governor Christine Gregoire has voiced support for a new state ID program that would replace the state's requirements for the REAL ID card.

The central elements of an ID card system have been the same for a while now - computer, printer, cards, camera, cables, as well as the security features a card can have - holographic overlay, magnetic stripes, RFID antennas, smart card chips, bar codes. Most of the ID card machines available today are able to produce these kinds of security measures easily and at high rates.

In Mexico, and throughout Latin America, the use of smart card technology is on the rise. 30 percent of the bankcards in Mexico are smart cards, and the country plans on pushing that statistic to a full 100 percent by 2008. In Brazil, where nearly 98 percent of payment terminals are equipped for smart cards, the fraud rate has reportedly dropped by 80 percent. Governments are also using the technology for such applications as healthcare cards. All told, Latin American countries spent upwards of $200 million (USD) on card technologies last year, a 70 percent increase over the previous year.

Whether you notice or not, there are some major changes taking place in the ID card industry right now. New technologies, new laws and the continual push for maximum efficiency have created several new and important ID card developments in recent months. Here are some things to keep your eyes open for:

Fake IDs are usually thought of as a teenage problem - used by underage kids to buy alcohol and tobacco or get into trendy night clubs. However, in the last five years, falsified ID cards have shown to cause many more problems than underage drinking.

ID badges have been commonplace for school visitors for years - but unlike the laminated "VISITOR" squares printed on the construction paper of the past, many schools have adopted high-tech badge policies which require bar codes, visitor names, and sometimes even photos. A Cincinnati area school district has announced that it's taking it one step further.

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has made another push for the implementation of a national ID card system, saying that ID cards and biometric identification technology are one of the most important steps a country can take in preventing terrorism and terrorist attacks.

The British Army, one of AlphaCard's customers, recently forwarded on a couple of pictures from their current work in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Officers are using an ID card printer to make secure badges for the new Afghani police force.