More and more organizations are discovering the benefits of high-quality, personalized photo badges and ID cards. ID card systems have become increasingly popular for a myriad of end-users from large corporations to membership clubs.

Consider schools for a moment. Universities have been issuing student IDs for years, but in recent years the functionality of those cards has expanded. Rather than containing just a student’s name photo and perhaps a barcode, it’s now common for student IDs to feature magnetic stripes encoded for a wide range of uses. These cards can be applied to student meal plans, library check out processes, equipment rental, and for transactions both on and off campus. Some schools even use student ideas to control access to dorms. These multifunctional cards provide convenience while also enhancing campus security. It’s also common for high schools and middle schools to require teachers, students and visitors to wear photo badges. The ability to easily identify who’s authorized to be on school grounds provides parents, students and staff with peace of mind.

In the workplace, photo badges are often issued to not only identify employees, but also to integrate with time and attendance tracking as well as access control. Employee photo badges that incorporate proximity card technology are commonly used for controlling access to office buildings and specific restricted areas, while smart chip encoding can effectively control access to company computers on networks.