Card, mobile credential, payment and security
University of Pennsylvania students have a new way to place mobile food orders on campus after the university's dining services established an agreement with Transact to provide its Mobile Ordering app.
As reported by Penn's student publication, The Daily Pennsylvanian, Penn Dining launched the “Penn Eats” app at the start of the fall semester. The app enables students to place orders from their mobile device and skip payment lines to head straight to pick up at both campus-run locations and the on-campus Starbucks.
Penn Dining previously partnered with Tapingo to offer mobile ordering to students, but according to Pam Lampitt, director of Business Services and Hospitality Services at Penn, the switch to Penn Eats was made to improve usability.
“Penn Eats comes out of Blackboard," Lampitt told The Daily Pennsylvanian. "It is compatible to the system we are already using so it makes it more seamless for the operator and we can control better what we want to offer to the campus and the community."
Penn Business Services Director of Communications and External Relations Barbara Lea-Kruger echoed this, citing stability as one of the factors that Penn Dining considered when making the switch. “Penn Eats will probably be more stable because it is the system that we have been using for a long time,” she said.
With Penn Eats Students will also be able to earn points from ordering on the app and completing “challenges" like rating the app on the App Store and adding a profile picture. Students can then redeem points and enter into university-run contests for prizes like free Dining Dollars.
One notable difference between the two mobile ordering services comes in the form of delivery. Tapingo had offered Penn students a delivery option for a small fee along with the ability to place orders from off-campus restaurants. Penn Eats through Transact Mobile Ordering will not provide this option at off-campus restaurants and will offer orders from only merchants within Penn's dining system.
Despite only being available for roughly a month, Penn Eats has already built a significant user base. The university reported ending its Tapingo partnership with roughly 850 active users, but since going live at the start of the semester Penn Eats has already enrolled some 900 users and processed 700 unique orders.
In a new video series with The National Association of Campus Card Users (NACCU), the topic of card transaction system data analytics will be examined from all angles. A major talking point for university administrators, card system data carries a plethora of opportunity as it pertains to campus services and the student experience on campus.
In the first installment of the series, hear from the University of Houston's Emily Messa as she discusses how best to work with card transaction system data on campus. Specifically, Messa talks about how policy and individual privacy must be paramount in campus card data analytics.
The campus identification and transaction industry’s professional association, NACCU, takes great pride in its ability to educate members and the entire higher education community. That’s the idea behind the association’s "It's All About the Data" video series.
The series features subject matter experts from the NACCU member community talking about key topics and discussions surrounding campus card data, and how to best use that resource for the betterment of both the university and its students.
The videos are presented by NACCU and produced by NACCU and CR80News. The full series can be viewed at NACCU.org.
Transact VP of New Market Development, Jeff Staples, talks about the Transact Mobile Credential and how campuses can begin to prepare for a deployment on their campus. Then hear from Transact Sr. Director of Product Strategy, Kent Pawlak, as he explains a bit of what's happening behind the scenes that makes Mobile Credential work so seamlessly.
After first hitting campuses in October of last year, the Transact Mobile Credential has seen steady growth and adoption on campuses of all sizes. Transact's Jeff Staples discusses this trend and what campuses can can do to begin the migration path to a mobile credential on student Apple devices including iPhone and Watch.
At a more granular level, Transact's Kent Pawlak talks about some of the technology underpinning Mobile Credential. See a demo of Transact Mobile Credential in action, as well as a brief discussion about the key moment when mobile device meets reader.
Transact and Entrust Datacard are teaming up for a free webinar to discuss in detail how campuses can simplify the student ID issuance process and create a more engaging experience for students. The webinar, scheduled for Wednesday September 25 at 1:00 PM EDT, will provide an overview of the TruCredential feature set, as well detail how campuses can combine their card production solution with Transact Online Photo Submission.
Entrust Datacard's TruCredential software enables a card office to leverage smartphones and tablets to support card issuance, and free card office personnel from the PC workstation. The software is compatible with many of the most popular ID card printer models and combines new capture and distributed printing capabilities with advanced photo submission and approval to deliver a service that reduces student wait times and creates a more contemporary, sustomer-service oriented card issuance atmosphere.
Joining Transact's Sr. Director of Product Strategy, Kent Pawlak, on the webinar will be Entrust Datacard's Mike Moir, Senior Product Marketing Manager, and Mike Galler, Product Marketing Manager. Together, the trio will delve into the migration path from ID Works to TruCredential, as well as reveal important tips that campuses need to know in order to prepare for the move.
Topics of discussion in the webinar include:
Register here for the free webinar event scheduled for Wednesday September 25 at 1:00 PM EDT.
By Brian Marris, Product Manager, Allegion Connected Accessories
From mechanical keys to mobile devices, managing access is an essential piece of campus security. With more campuses exploring mobile credentials, buzz continues to build across the campus card industry. In response, schools are reevaluating their credential platforms alongside locks and other hardware to provide a more secure and convenient campus experience.
Don’t let credentials be the weak link in your campus security strategy or complicate your management of access. When it’s time to evaluate your campus credentials, consider these top three factors to ensure your credential is a strong link in the campus security chain:
While convenience is often a motivating factor to upgrade, the number one thing to consider is the security of the credential. Encryption is crucial because it protects the data being relayed between the credential and reader. Basically, it takes the string of numbers being communicated from the chip in the credential, shreds it apart, sends it to the reader and puts it back together—like a technologically advanced handshake.
Encryption is crucial. It takes the string of numbers being communicated from the chip in the credential, shreds it apart, sends it to the reader and puts it back together—like a technologically advanced handshake.
It’s important to understand the encryption and frequency before selecting a credential type.
For optimal security, it’s best to choose an option that has high frequency and high encryption, like smart and mobile credential technologies. In addition, for those currently using proximity and magstripe solutions, a transition plan to move to a secure smart or mobile credential should be strongly considered.
Almost as important as security is the interoperability of the credential. Smart and mobile credentials can have limited interoperability depending on the platform selected and may limit the available hardware options. This can be overcome, but it’s important to think about the encryption methodologies and platforms that you choose. One of the first questions you should ask is if the credential platform was built on an industry standard, open technology like NXP, or is it a propriety technology that is exclusive to one or two companies.
Open platforms allow the end user to be the center of the solution and leverage a smart credential to work across different pieces of hardware and with a variety of applications.
Open platforms allow the end user to be the center of the solution and leverage a smart credential to work across different pieces of hardware and with a variety of applications. Closed options are much more restricting. A proprietary solution can lock you in to ordering very specific hardware because the technology isn’t widely known or shared, and therefore cannot be supported. Leveraging an open platform protects your freedom to choose the technologies and manufacturers your college wants to work with – putting security choices and long-term financial independence in your hands.
It is equally important to think beyond access control so the credential can be leveraged for more. Consider all the places around campus where students would benefit from using their campus ID – vending, bookstores, dining and transportation. If the correct technology is chosen, a student can carry one credential to accomplish everything.
Lastly, an open platform provides flexibility as you think about your future. Using an open platform gives a university flexibility to keep, change or add different brands, products and technologies as they become available.
When implementing various systems or switching to smart or mobile credentials, it’s important to take into account what others on your campus are doing. With a variety of decision makers across campus, it’s important to assure everyone is on the same page. Implementing one head-end access control system is beneficial. There are integrations that need to occur to ensure all the pieces of the puzzle work seamlessly. Consider all the places around campus where students would benefit from using their campus ID— including the different schools, student housing, printing, transportation and more.
The system, hardware and credential all need to work together. And when you add in other pieces like payment, there’s additional coordination needed. Therefore, it’s important to collaborate with multiple departments across the university before implementing new credentials or other hardware.
Research your options and work with trusted, verified manufacturers or wholesalers. They can help navigate the options in the market to ensure you’re getting an industry-known technology that will meet your college’s security needs.
Upgrading to a smart or mobile solution that’s encrypted is the best defense against stolen information. Mobile is the credential of choice because students are far less likely to loan someone their phone versus their campus ID card.
Interoperability plays a big role. A closed or proprietary solution limits your power to adopt new technologies as they are available in the market.
Preparing for the future also is important. Think about where the campus should be in five and ten years. When it’s time for new hardware, consider products that will allow the school to move from current state to future state. Whether you have mechanical, proximity or smart cards, resist installing hardware that isn’t open to new technologies like mobile. There are a variety of ways to future-proof door hardware so that new technology is easier to adopt, like multi-technology readers and credentials.
Interoperability plays a big role here. A closed or proprietary solution limits your power to adopt new technologies as they are available in the market. Instead, opt for an open product that’s more likely to work with new technological advancements in access control.
When it’s time to evaluate your campus credentials, remember to think big picture. Some universities want the convenience of a keyless campus and opt for electronic access control and smart credentials at every opening. Other schools might only be able to upgrade high security openings and building perimeter openings at first.
Regardless of your current situation, think about the future. Select solutions that give you the convenience to make security decision based on your campus’s unique needs and evolve as those needs change.
Credential security is essential to campus protection. Partner with an expert who can guide you through the various frequency and encryption options available and recommend solutions that fit your campus’s unique security needs—today and in the future.
Finding an ID card supplier to help with card issuance can be a great asset to any university. Even for seasoned card office professionals, navigating the cardstock ordering process, managing lead times, printing and encoding cards, and circulating finished credentials to students can be a bear.
Fortunately, there are alternatives for campuses in need of guidance and backup when it comes to card issuance. Identification solutions and services supplier, ColorID, has long been in the business of helping universities manage the card issuance process start to finish.
For many in the university card space, ColorID will be a familiar name. But what may not be as evident, is the breadth of services and types of card orders the company fills for its university customers.
Regardless of the size of the job, ColorID works with a campus throughout the card ordering and delivery process, explains Mark Degan, Corporate Marketing Director at ColorID.
“An example of an easier job would be a four-color printed front with standard black print on the back,” says Degan. “A majority of our university requests follow this basic formula. These are lower-friction orders for our operation particularly if they don’t require any encoding or technology chip reading work on our end.”
These are the types of orders that ColorID delivers with routine efficiency, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. As card orders become more advanced, the company works with its campus clients to identify and deliver on a wide range of specific requirements.
“We often see variable encoding and printing included in a card order, which adds complexity,” explains Degan. “This also adds an element of risk, so we always do a separate hard copy proof when customers want mag encoding done.”
In addition to student ID cards, ColorID also covers special event credentialing, which can save considerable time and effort for a campus card office.
“If a university is in need of a temporary, event, or summer conference card, utilizing our in-house service bureau works great. For these types of credentials, we typically suggest reverse transfer or direct-to-card printing (using desktop card printers),” explains Degan. “If the job is for a university’s main student credential, however, we typically utilize a lithographic press (instead of desktop printers) that can print using 3,000 DPI, instead of 300-600 DPI.”
Outsourcing card production can be a godsend for a busy campus card office. But it’s also important to be mindful of the time of year that your office places its order, as well as the desired delivery date.
There are several factors that account for a card order’s lead time. Degan highlights some of most important considerations that can affect the card-production timeframe:
ColorID processes the full range of card transaction system orders from its fully-equipped headquarters just north of Charlotte, NC.
“Our in-house service bureau has the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously,” says Degan. “We can expand the number of issuance printers on the fly, so in scenarios where we’re getting close to full capacity our team will pull additional backup units to help manage lead times.”
Adding card security elements and advanced printing methods tacks on extra production cost and time, but Degan stresses that it’s nothing out of the ordinary for the team at ColorID.
“Our management staff that oversees the service bureau specializes in issuing customized credentials,” he says. “There isn’t much they haven’t seen as far as technology requests or database submissions.”
In addition to its extensive work providing card solutions in higher education, ColorID has also built out impressive portfolios in other verticals. One in particular that bears some crossover to the university space is their work with ski resorts.
According to Degan ski resort credentials, more so than in any other of ColorID’s verticals, place a premium on visual security elements.
“Counterfeiting is very prevalent in the ski industry due in large part to the high cost of season passes,” explains Degan. “To help combat this, our account representatives consult directly with resorts on the implementation of several forms of visual security including foil stamps, holographic overlay, microtext, UV inks, and more.”
Ski resorts routinely implement some combination of these visual security elements, making the resulting credentials – and production process – rather advanced.
“It’s the norm to see ski resorts utilizing a high frequency (13.56 MHz) credential for physical access and POS transactions while also using ultra-high frequency (860-960 MHz) for season pass management,” says Degan. “The ultra-high frequency has a much longer read range at 20+ feet. This makes it ideal for monitoring which slopes are being used most frequently, as well as being able to scan season passes without guests needing to remove gloves to fish around for their credential.”
Despite the difference in environment, there are lessons to be gleaned by the university space from these advanced credential implementations.
“Regardless of which vertical market we’re working with, there is always technology overlap,” says Degan. “At the end of the day, we’re constantly learning from our other verticals’ past mistakes and successes and offer those up as learning experiences that our university customers can benefit from.”
Even before a university places an order, ColorID offers an array of informative resources for campus card professionals.
“We offer a broad range of consultative services,” says Degan. “Typically this involves us hosting webinars, but we also visit universities in person to conduct campus site surveys and provide the institution with an overview report.
ColorID’s consultative services are intended to provide solutions specific to each university. “Honestly, it’s very simple; we listen,” says Degan. “We gather information around each campus department’s demands, and then identify which solutions will best fit those parameters.”
“We know that no two university environments are built exactly alike,” he adds. “We try to avoid ‘magic-bullet’ solutions, and instead tailor card solutions to each campus’ specific needs.”
Radford University has decided to rebrand its campus card, introducing a new card aesthetic, as well as new card and office name. As reported by Radford's student publication, The Tartan, the university has renamed its student and faculty IDs as the Radford University ONE Card.
Along with the new card name, the previously named RU ID office has also undertaken a rebrand to the ONE Card office and the student RU Express account, which is now called the ONE card account.
The newly rebranded Radford University ONE Card.
Per the Tartan report, the updates to the ONE Card program are purely aesthetic for now with no new technical functions being added to the newly redesigned credentials.
The rebrand of the Radford ID to the "ONE Card" is a sensible one, as the credential not only serves as official identification as a Radford University student, but also supports access to campus libraries, residence halls, meal plans, computer labs, campus and athletic events, student fitness centers, as well as enables free access to Radford campus transit, and discounts at a large roster of off-campus merchants.
Students can swap out their old RU ID cards for the new ONE Cards at their convenience by reporting to the card office. Students that turn in their old ID card can exchange for the new ONE Card free of charge, while student who cannot turn in an old ID card will be assessed a $20 issuance fee.
The university has not yet set an end-of-life date for the old ID cards still in circulation, but the new ONE Cards are expected to be a mandatory upgrade for all students by the Spring 2020 semester.
A select number of San Diego State University's chain of Aztec Markets campus c-stores will no longer accept cash payment beginning this semester.
As reported by SDSU's student publication, The Daily Aztec, three of the c-store concepts on the SDSU campus will be included in the move to cashless payments, and will accept only card payments including Visa, MasterCard, the SDSUcard and meal plans.
The Aztec Markets locations to go cashless are only those located in the student residential areas of campus, while the locations in areas accessible to the general public will continue to accept cash payments.
“We’re sensitive for the middle of campus, and to the societal reality that not everybody has a bank account, and not everybody has cash,” said Paul Melchior, Director of Dining Services at SDSU, in a statement to the Daily Aztec.
University officials have cited cost savings and increased security as the two primary reasons for the move to cashless.
“There’s a lot of payroll, there’s a lot of managing money, for a very little amount of transactions,” Melchior added. “The cashier may not have had any transactions in four shifts, but every shift they have to count in and count out.”
SDSU dining services conducted an internal audit of its c-store locations and found that less than 2% of the total transactions at the Aztec Markets in student residential areas were made in cash. In addition to reflecting larger trends around student spending, the university believes the low cash percentage is also the result of a large amount of residential students carrying meal plans.
Purdue University will offer its students a week-long window to exchange their existing student ID cards for a new, voter ID compliant credential that features an expiration date for free.
According to an official university release, students wanting to trade in their current Purdue ID card for one with the newly added expiration date can do so at no charge from October 21-25.
Purdue first announced its intention to issue campus cards with expiration dates this summer -- a first for the university. In addition to the expiration date, the Purdue ID features the cardholder’s photo and legal name, which also help align the credential with Indiana voting laws as a valid form of identification.
“While Purdue does not issue identification cards for voting purposes, we understand there is a strong interest in the community for greater access to our new designs,” said Tim Riley, Purdue University bursar. “We want to be helpful to our students in every way we responsibly can.”
Plans for the grace week were developed based on a proposal from the university senate.
“I was able to sit down with university administrators and the ID card office to discuss the many nuances of the card update process,” said Cheryl Cooky, chair of the University Senate. “We came up with this solution together, and in my view, it fully satisfies the call from the University Senate to ensure that all students who need an updated identification card are able to get one without undue burden.”
Election officials in the state of Indiana have mandated that for a university photo ID card to meet voter identification requirements, it must bear an expiration date. That addition brings the Purdue student ID card in line with other forms of voter identification in the state including an Indiana driver’s license, a U.S. passport, a military ID or a free Indiana ID card from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
As is the case with many universities, Purdue has long covered the expense of an student's first issued ID card, with any subsequent replacements costing $25. That fee will remain in place for those with lost cards or cards damaged for reasons other than normal wear and tear. Only cards issued for the purpose of updating to one with an expiration date will have the replacement fee waived.
Once the grace week has ended on October 25, cardholding members of the Purdue community will still be able to trade in their existing ID cards for the updated version, but will have to pay a reduced replacement fee of $10. According to the release, card replacement fees cover the administrative and material expenses of developing, programing and printing new cards.
The new cards bearing expiration dates will be available beginning in October and will also introduce a new aesthetic. This all comes ahead of a lager card technology update that the university is planning for the spring. That move is expected to enable student IDs to be read by more electronic devices across campus and will "position Purdue for an eventual adoption of mobile credentials."
Southern Illinois University is set to celebrate its 150th anniversary this year, and as part of this year's homecoming celebration the campus card office is getting into the spirit by offering a commemorative student ID card. The special edition campus cards are for alumni and other members of the SIU community, and will be issued during the university's homecoming weekend in October.
According to an official university release, the cards will reflect the “One Team, Saluki Dream: Celebrating 150 Years Strong” theme of this year’s homecoming. This will be the first time SIU has printed and issued a special edition ID card, but the process will be reminiscent of the one students undertake when enrolling.
The 150th anniversary cards are more than just a commemorative piece of nostalgia, however. Alumni and community members who purchase the IDs can then show the cards at businesses around the region during homecoming weekend to receive special discounts.
The commemorative ID cards will be fully personalized complete with choice of photo. And unlike current students who have to follow specific guidelines when submitting their ID photo, the commemorative alumi card will allow either a current picture or a retro photo from the cardholder's college days.
SIU alumni can also choose to have their graduation year printed on the card, or choose the template option that includes the “Go Dawgs!” cheer by default. The IDs also come with a 150th anniversary lanyard and clear plastic case, making it easy to wear the card proudly and to present to participating businesses to claim discounts.
The SIU card office is accepting online orders for the ID cards in advance until the week leading up to homecoming. For online orders, SIU will have designated card pick up locations around campus during the homecoming festivities.
The 150th anniversary cards will also be available to purchase in person at SIU's Student Center ID office in the days leading up to the homecoming event. The cost is $20 per card with $5 from every card purchase being donated to the Balancing Education, Experience and Reality (BEER) Scholarship, a scholarship endowment recently created by SIU alumni.
