Card, mobile credential, payment and security
Laundry is an aspect of campus life that is often, and understandably, overlooked. It's rarely glamorous and often tedious, but it's a necessary component of the student experience nonetheless.
But a partnership between Heartland Payment Solutions and ASI Campus Laundry Solutions is breathing a bit of life into laundry services with a new implementation at the University of Kentucky. The Smart Start Laundry solution is enabling students to pay at washers and dryers with their smart phones.
ASI rolled out the smart phone-operated student laundry operation to eliminate the need for coins and payment cards in University of Kentucky residence halls and student apartment complexes.
As an additional convenience, the system notifies students via SMS text message or email about the availability of machines as well as when their wash cycle is complete.
To begin, users download the Heartland WaveRider app and then fund the account via a credit or debit card. At wash time, the student uses the phone to scan the QR code on the machine to initiate payment and begin the cycle.
The University of Kentucky marks ASI’s first foray into mobile payments at the washer and dryer, says Dave Drake, executive vice president of ASI Campus Laundry Solutions. “We’ve been talking about its potential with college partners, but we’re taking its one step at a time right now,” he explains.
ASI supplies some 400 student housing locations with laundry systems across the country, and is keen to get the word out about Smart Start. In the meantime, the progress at Kentucky is encouraging. “Specifically to the smart phones, we did not expect an overwhelming initial use of the solution because it is so new,” says Drake. “But it has been overwhelmingly more popular than we expected and students just love using their smart phones.”
Drake feels that Smart Start will continue to gain popularity as more students gain access to the solution. “I think that it has been a hit, and I expect it to continue to grow in percentage of use,” says Drake.
ASI Campus Laundry Solutions is part of CSC ServiceWorks, one of the largest operators of commercial washers and dryers in North America. CSC provides washers and dryers to a variety of locations including apartment complexes, residence halls and student housing locations.
Convenience is the name of the game for CSC, a principle that is particularly vital for the company’s campus arm. Understandably, coins have become less popular amongst the larger student population, no doubt a result of student ID cards that have been in circulation for some 20 years.
ASI and its Smart Start solution are committed to the elimination of coins for laundry services. In addition to being a burden on the user, coins present service issues as they can jam machines and encourage vandalism. Moving away from coins not only streamlines the process, but also bolsters reliability, says Drake.
“The implementation at the University of Kentucky relies exclusively on credit and debit cards, not campus ID cards,” explains Drake. “Now students can transfer funds to their smart phone and conduct payments that way.”
Underlying ASI’s washers and dryers is Heartland’s WaveRider Laundry System. Similar to a card reader at a gas pump, Heartland’s WaveRider readers attach directly to washers and dryers to provide secure payment using any major credit or debit card.
For campuses, managing a card system can be a tedious process, so giving students the ability to use their personal accounts and mobile device to pay for laundry services alleviates the burden on campus personnel.
Mobile payment in the laundry is still in its early phase, but feedback from University of Kentucky has been extremely positive. The payment challenge in campus laundries may soon be a thing of the past. Now about folding …
By Ellen Arndt, Content Manager, AlphaCard
Capturing the right-sized image for your photo ID cards is a critical step in your ID card program and one that is rarely addressed. As convenient as it may sound to snap the cardholder’s photograph with a digital camera or smart phone, it’s not always the best choice, especially since image resolution and size can vary from one device to another.
For optimal image results, ID card photos should be captured and uploaded with a USB digital camera or webcam. There’s a reason these cameras are bundled with most photo ID systems, and that’s their ability to snap an image that perfectly conforms to the ID card image specifications, including the recommended image size and resolution.
The size of the image file and/or the pixel dimensions are what’s most important to ensuring a crisp and clear photo. Enterprises can easily find out the size of an image by right clicking on the image on your computer and selecting “properties” and then “details.” ID card photos should be no larger than 1 MB in size. The recommended resolution for an ID card photo is no more than 640 by 480 pixels. Don’t worry about DPI or megapixel settings on your camera since these measurements vary based on print size.
Why under 1MB? The final print quality of your ID photo is limited by the capabilities of the ID card printers, and most print at 300dpi. That means a one-inch by one and a half inch ID photo needs 300 pixels x 450 pixels to max out the printer’s capability. A larger image with more pixels or higher resolution won’t improve the final print quality. A 1MB photo should accommodate almost all ID card printers and designs.
If the file size is larger than 1MB, the amount of photo data is not going to fit into space allocated within the card design. This means that the ID card software will have to compress the image to an appropriate size. This can lead to problems and the loss of information, similar to the kid’s game of “telephone.” The first time you send the message, it’ll be understood, but by the time it is received by the fourth or fifth person, the message is no longer what it once was.
ID card software doesn’t have advanced editing functionality like photo editing software programs, and therefore isn’t as efficient at compressing image files. If ID photos are too large the ID card software has to compress the image to the correct size. In order to compress the file, the ID software has to use system resources from the local computer, which can tax other applications to the point of freezing. We’ve seen large image files literally crash the user’s computer as a result.
So bigger is not always better. Consult with a photo ID card expert who can recommend a web camera that will work with your ID card program.
CardSmith announced availability of its Pay-by-Phone feature in its mobile Cardholder Account Center. The app enables students to make payments with their smart devices similar to the Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts apps.
Pay-by-Phone enables students and others to use their smart phone to make payments from any dining or discretionary spending accounts with the touch of a button. It’s a feature within CardSmith’s mobile account center.
After logging in, a student touches a “PayNow” button, which renders account information in a bar code or QR code on the smart phone screen that is scanned at the point of sale. The system works with any smart phone and point-of-sale terminal at campus dining, bookstore or other retail locations where the vast majority of campus transactions take place.
Beta-tested in fall 2013, it is now available on CardSmith-integrated POS terminals and works with virtually any Android or iOS mobile phone or device. The system is being piloted at several sites.
CardSmith clients can enable the feature free of charge as an enhancement to the existing on-line Cardholder Account Center provided with their CardSmith service.
Students at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Ill. have been swiping on and off the school bus for a couple of years but now parents can check when and where they tapped their IDs with a system from MyFirstPass, developed by the First Student bus company.
Parents can use mobile phones, tablets or computers to determine what time their kids’ cards were scanned, according to a report in the Daily Herald. Previously, they could only do that using computers. The information is stored on a password-protected web site that can only be accessed by parents, school administrators and First Student.
The Stevenson ID has a contactless functionality that enables students to tap it against a reader when boarding and exiting. The alert system launched Jan. 31 and parents of 35 students registered the first weekend, a small portion of the roughly 1,700 students who ride buses daily.
Participation in MyFirstPass is free for the rest of the school year but it will carry a subscription fee starting with the fall semester. First Student wants to expand the software so parents and students will eventually be able to determine how far a bus is from a stop.
Stevenson is the first in Illinois to use the software, the others are in Cincinnati and Burbank, Calif.
As schools continue to seek more robust security measures to safeguard campuses, one possible solution has come in the form of a pre-existing technology, RFID tags.
Specializing in RFID location solutions, Ekahau offers a suite of wearable solutions that can be used for everything from tracking teacher and student location in real time, to providing a quick and simple means to contact emergency authorities.
In fact, a number of schools are integrating their campus security with emergency and police systems. This is what
Patrick Henry High School in Glade Spring, Va. integrated RFID into its campus security with emergency and police systems. School officials wanted a campus-wide safety notification system that called officers to the scene quickly, but was not limited to fixed panic buttons since teachers are often on the move.
School officials also wanted a means to send text messages to all teachers with emergency updates without relying on the PA system.
The school first considered using mobile phones for school safety notification but decided that mobile networks were better suited for sending mass notifications to parents rather than communication within school premises between teachers, administrators and local police. The solution was a mobile panic button that every teacher – regardless of their location on campus – could use to alert the police of an emergency.
Ekahau’s Real-Time Location System uses RFID and Wi-Fi networks to enable teachers to alert both on-site school personnel and off-site police from anywhere on campus with the touch of a button. A wearable technology, Ekahau’s school panic button also features an LED screen on the badge, giving teachers the ability to receive instructions related to an emergency via text message. Ekahau’s panic button badge can push alerts for a variety of scenarios ranging from medical or security emergencies to school lockdowns.
Patrick Henry High School teachers wear their Ekahau RFID badges on a lanyard around their neck, and in the event of an emergency, pull down on the badge’s safety switch to alert school personnel and police dispatch of an emergency. The badges are also intended to facilitate school lockdowns as the badge sends an automated, mass notification to all staff, informing them of the lock-down via text message displayed on the badge’s LED screen.
Additionally, the RFID badges instantly make their location and pertinent information known – “Room 3, PHHS, Med. Code Red.” When used in conjunction with Ekahau Vision – a software that displays real-time, web-based campus floor plans – police dispatchers can quickly and accurately assess an emergency and pinpoint its location. Ekahau’s software also records and timestamps every emergency on campus, allowing police to analyze emergency response times, review notes and continually improve emergency procedures.
The solution leverages pre-existing Wi-Fi networks to deliver location information to Ekahau software. At Patrick Henry High School, the solution enables badge-based communications for 39 teacher badges in addition to 60 badges for administration, nurses, janitors and other staff members.
Student Beans ID is a new iOS app designed for college students seeking to use their campus ID for student discounts. The app acts as a digital student ID, enabling users to discover and access thousands of student discounts in and around campus.
Students simply flash a verified Student Beans ID on their smart phone to prove student status to receive the discounts. Students can also use the app to discover local bars, restaurants and other student-friendly gems, with the locations displayed on a map or in a list. The app is free to use and promises no in-app advertisements.
Student Beans is a university lifestyle brand. The app is free to download and offers an alternative to traditional student discount cards that can cost up to £10. Students can claim discounts in shops, restaurants and entertainment venues as well as discover new locations offering student discounts in their local area. The app displays redeem codes directly on the phone’s screen, for the student to use in the store or restaurant.
The app, which is available on the Apple App Store, has amassed more than 5,000 discount venues across the UK, spanning both national chains and local businesses including Jack Wills, Zizzi, French Connection, La Tasca, Cineworld, O2, New Look, Hotel Chocolat, Urban Outfitters and Krispy Kreme. More venues are being added to the app daily.
Vendors create enhancements that can’t be accomplished with cards alone
It’s fair to say that the college experience has changed throughout the years, a shift that permeates every aspect of student life down to the student ID card. The contemporary student uses their ID for everything from physical access to buildings to paying for everyday items like laundry or food.
The latest development to come to the campus card is enabling functionality on the mobile phone. Campus card providers are working to integrate campus card functions into the mobile device so students can access services by launching an app.
With its MyPay app, Heartland Campus Solutions is working with institutions to marry the functionality of the campus ID and the mobile device, says Fred Emery, vice president and general manager at Heartland’s Campus Solutions.
One of the early adopters of MyPay is St. Thomas Aquinas College in Sparkill, New York. The college’s Spartan Card has long been used for identification, access control, meal plans, library access, vending, laundry and bookstore purchases as well as off-campus retail activity.
MyPay virtualizes cardholder ID credentials within the mobile app itself in an area called MyID. It serves as your OneCard mobile wallet, explains Emery. “The app communicates with connected terminals on the network in lieu of the physical card,” he explains.
“Students always seem to have their smart phone in hand and having the ability to use that device to make payments or have access to privileges is very convenient,” says Emery. “You get the convenience of mobile plus enhanced functionality, such as immediate balance information.”
Heartland: Mobile offers benefits beyond card
This immediate access to additional, enhanced data cannot be delivered with a card alone. Thus Emery believes the mobile version of the OneCard may prove to be even more valuable to the credential holder than the card itself.
As an added feature, information on the virtual card can be updated immediately, allowing the issuing campus to push information to the student as needed. According to Emery, an additional 10 schools are in the process of rolling out MyPay.
The app supports iOS and Android platforms, enabling the use of any iPhone version, iPod Touch, iPad or iPad mini as well as the full suite of Android phones and tablets. “We are also in the process of reviewing Blackberry and Windows phone support,” adds Emery.
St. Thomas Aquinas already had Heartland’s OneCard system deployed, so rollout of MyPay was easy, says Jim Nawoichyk, director of Campus Safety at the college. “Right now, we’re using the mobile app to let students pay for laundry and vending purchases,” he says, adding that the new feature has been very popular on campus.
As university life continues to change, the role and form factor of the student ID is likely to evolve with it. The experience at St. Thomas Aquinas is a strong indicator that the mobile device has a place in the campus ID future.
It also has the potential to boost service usage and program revenues. As Emery explains, “compared to the phone, we have found that students are more apt to forget or lose their card, thus preventing transactions and reducing use.”
The CBORD Group has been busy on the mobile front, enabling students to open their door, call upon a virtual security escort and order food all using their favorite mobile device.
CBORD Mobile ID is a smart phone app that puts a campus card into the handset. Students can then use their phones for access, vending, attendance and other secure transactions on campus.
It works with both iOS and Android systems and students simply download the app through either Apple’s App Store or Google Play. With the app, the student’s phone becomes their card. They use it by specifying the location of their desired transaction or access point and then swiping the card icon on the phone to complete the transaction.
Before approving a transaction, the app uses location services to confirm that the user is within a certain distance of the terminal. If a phone is lost or stolen, the user can report it as they would a lost card disabling the app.
CBORD rolled out a physical access control extra at the Illinois Institute of Technology. IIT’s adoption of CS Access enables its students to access residence hall rooms and other doors on campus by simply opening CBORD’s mobile app–CBORD Mobile ID–or by sending a text message reading “Open MyDoor” to gain physical access. CBORD’s CS Access manages both mobile access methods.
The app requires a smart phone, but the text message method of access ensures that students without smart phones are still able to interact with the solution.
As an additional failsafe for student access, campus staff can be assigned temporary, elevated door access privileges using a “MasterKey” text-enabled function. Elevated privilege can only granted with management’s approval and any occupants of the room receive prior notification of entry.
The MasterKey function provides an added layer of security by doing away with the riskier metal master key. Additionally, the solution cuts costs associated with manufacturing and replacing lost metal keys.
Just down the road from IIT, the University of Chicago is using a smart phone app that offers virtual safety escorts to students walking alone. Called Pathlight, it provides students with a simple means to increase their own safety.
The CBORD-developed app enables students to opt into GPS tracking services for their phones so that location information is transmitted to campus dispatchers or security office personnel in the case of an emergency.
If a student, for example, is walking alone at night across campus, all they need to do is launch the app, enter the required information and press “Follow Me Now” to initiate tracking. The University of Chicago Police Department can then remotely track the student’s progress until the walk is over. It is like a virtual safety escort, albeit one that is less resource-intensive for the police department.
If a student senses danger, a “Help” button triggers a silent alarm, which immediately notifies dispatchers of the student’s location and need for assistance. In this way, Pathlight functions almost as a portable blue light.
For those late night study sessions CBORD announced the release of GET Food, an online and mobile ordering system designed to expand college and university students’ dining options and improve convenience.
GET Food extends the campus card’s purchasing power to food venues on campus and off. It is designed to simplify online and mobile ordering and payment transactions. Students simply log in to view menus from participating venues on campus and off and pay using their campus card account.
GET can benefit the school and the student alike. Students enjoy a mobile one-stop shop for managing funds and expanding their dining options. Universities appreciate a hosted commerce platform that integrates with their existing campus card systems and enables them to offer mobile features.
Merchants and campus dining venues benefit from a virtual storefront with advertising that attracts students and potentially increasing sales. Parents value a secure means of getting funds to their students to be used in a controlled spending environment while broadening their dining horizons. GET Food is integrated with CBORD’s CS Gold, Odyssey PCS and OdysseyOne campus card systems.
Salem State University deployed the system and has received positive feedback, says Robert Thayer, manager of the ClipperCard Program, at the Mass.-based institution.
“They say the online ordering is convenient, the site is intuitive, and they are recommending it to all their friends,” explains Thayer. “From a university perspective, we appreciate the security of online ordering and the convenience of offering account management, online ordering, and transaction processing all through the GET platform. We plan to keep expanding its use to other venues.”
Use of the mobile devices on campus is only going to grow as smart phones become truly ubiquitous. Campus card vendors are focusing on enabling students to perform a multitude of tasks with mobile apps as well as the campus ID.
Students perform tasks on the smart phone that, in the past, would have required a trip to the card office or an online session at a computer. Adding value to declining balance accounts, checking transaction logs, reporting lost cards and a host of other functions let the mobile device empower the actual ID card and enhance the student experience.
In other cases the mobile device is actually functioning as the card, initiating payments, checking out books and opening doors.
Linking the two form factors–mobile and plastic card–seems destined to add value to both.
