Card, mobile credential, payment and security
To support its Plan for Reopening, Fairleigh Dickinson University is partnering with Transact Campus, Inc. to roll out Transact Mobile Ordering on its two New Jersey campuses. The mobile ordering solution provides a single platform across dining, retail and bookstores with integrated capacity management technology to effectively meet social distancing protocols.
“Prior to the pandemic, FDU was already working to update our technology and processes – COVID-19 only accelerated our plans and overall approach to how we can best serve students, faculty and staff,” says Bob Valenti, Associate Vice President of Auxiliary Services at FDU. “This is much more than providing new technology to students – it’s an opportunity to provide outstanding service to our school community and help ensure a safe environment for all.”
Transact’s Mobile Ordering solution is a secure, multi-channel solution that enables students to place online and mobile food orders with on-campus dining halls and campus-run eateries, as well as retail via Transact’s off-campus merchant program. FDU will outfit many of the solution’s capabilities, including using the mobile ordering app to track and maintain dining hall capacity limits to help facilitate social distancing requirements.
“As institutions plan for this semester and beyond, we’re all-in on supporting our clients with effortless solutions to help with the safe return to campus,” says Erica Bass, VP of Product Management at Transact. “The landscape of higher education continues to change in response to COVID-19, and Transact is committed to continually innovating on our solutions to exceed the market expectations.”
FDU’s fall 2020 semester began on August 17, with courses being delivered remotely. A limited number of in-person courses began September 14 on FDU’s Metropolitan Campus in Teaneck and the Florham Campus in Madison. Most of FDU’s courses will be delivered remotely or fully online for the entirety of the fall 2020 semester.
For more information check out Transact’s Campus Commerce offerings.
Card system vendor, TouchNet, has launched its mobile ordering app, TouchNet OrderAhead. The mobile ordering offering fully integrates with TouchNet’s OneCard credential solution or can be added to a university’s existing mobile app.
According to a release on the company's website, TouchNet OrderAhead offers students the ability to order, schedule and pick up food, as well as arrange a variety of services across campus, all from their mobile device. OrderAhead can also be used to manage student reservations, including scheduling gym time, campus ID pickup, dorm move-ins, books and courseware pickup, financial services or academic advisor appointments, and more.
The company believes that its mobile ordering app can also help universities meet the current need for more contactless interactions on campus.
“Students are used to order-ahead experiences. They actually prefer them. With the need to control crowd size and maintain social distancing so important now, OrderAhead provides a great way to meet both student expectations and keep them safe,” says Ryan Audus, TouchNet Director of Product Strategy. “With OrderAhead, there’s practically no learning curve for students and it’s easy to implement too, so schools can quickly get a solution up and running that noticeably improves experiences and safety campus wide.”
Students using OrderAhead can elect to pay with their OneCard’s declining balance, meal plan deductions, or their mobile wallet. Credit and debit card payments are also accepted and can be processed through TouchNet’s transaction services, creating a seamless, end-to-end payment processing experience for both students and university administrators.
The OrderAhead interface is customizable and enables universities to extend their branding, including logos, school colors, cover photos and more. The app also offers an optional loyalty component, which universities can use to award points and incentives to drive greater student engagement on campus.
Universities have full administrative control of OrderAhead, enabling them to oversee all aspects and features of the app. Universities also have access to real-time data that can be used to make informed decisions, keep the campus community safe, and adapt as needed.
On this installment of CR80News Chats, we discuss the credential environment at the University of Oklahoma with system engineer, Chris Gillett, and ASSA ABLOY regional campus manager, Tyler Webb.
One of the very first campuses to launch mobile credential in Apple Wallet for use on iPhone and Watch, the University of Oklahoma worked alongside ASSA ABLOY to first build a robust ecosystem that was capable of supporting the ambitious move to mobile. Chris and Tyler help offer insights on building this necessary framework from both the vendor and university administrator perspectives.
1:34 - The background on the credential environment at OU and what came before Mobile Credential.
6:34 - Reader hardware. Why ASSA ABLOY, what the reader infrastructure look like at OU today, and funding considerations.
10:41 - The biggest hurdles OU faced when moving to mobile credential.
13:10 - Student adoption of mobile credential at OU. Growing pains in year one. How to boost adoption.
19:43 - Solving the challenge with WEPA printing kiosks, and the leg work involved with integrating kiosks with mobile credential.
22:19 - Unexpected outcomes with mobile credential in orientation and student move in at OU.
27:05 - Advice for campuses starting from square one, how to make the move to 100% contactless.
29:23 - Advice for campuses already in the process of moving to mobile. Building a framework, both infrastructure and personnel.
Marshall University has taken the decision to move exclusively to mobile credential on its campus, making the Marshall Mobile ID the only form campus credential being issued to students, faculty and staff. Marshall is a Transact Mobile Credential campus, and began provisioning the Marshall Mobile ID last summer.
Prior to going exclusively mobile credential, Marshall offered its campus community the Marshall Mobile ID as an option in addition to the traditional card. "Marshall's campus card features a mix of MIFARE contactless and mag stripe technology," says Bob Dorado, Marshall Mobile ID Project Lead. “We are now only printing cards for constituents that don’t have a phone capable of supporting mobile ID or for areas that require visible, wearable credentials."
It did help that the Marshall Mobile ID saw strong adoption amongst the campus community right out of the gate.
“It’s been very well received. Of our new students that came in for the 2019-2020 school year, about 80% of students with eligible devices chose mobile over traditional cards,” says Dorado. “At that time we didn’t support Android devices but as of Spring 2020 we now support both.”
When asked what drove Marshall’s decision to go exclusively mobile credential, the answer was simple: COVID-19.
“With COVID-19, for everyone’s safety we wanted to eliminate students coming to our office and standing in line,” says Dorado. “The staff was having to disinfect the photo area after every student - we didn’t think that was safe or practical.”
Changes due to COVID-19 and a different campus environment this fall changed orientation for Marshall, making mobile ID more than just an added convenience.
“During the first year, aside from new students that initially chose mobile ID, returning students, faculty and staff were switching from card to mobile for the convenience,” Dorado explains. “But with our new student orientation being 100% online this summer it just made sense to make mobile ID our primary university credential.”
To further support the mobile credential only environment, and keep students from needing to report to the card office in person, Marshall is also leveraging online photo submission. “All students submit a photo for approval by our staff along with a valid, government-issued photo ID for identity verification,” says Dorado.
The mobile credential at Marshall is accepted on all readers on the university’s card system, and anywhere that a Marshall university ID card is required.
“This was another advantage during COVID-19; everyone maintains possession of their device and taps it themselves on the readers,” says Dorado. “There's no exchange of cards or devices between cashiers or attendants.”
Nelnet Campus Commerce has announced a new partnership with GradGuard on a tuition insurance policy designed to benefit both higher education institutions and their students. Tuition reimbursement, particularly related to room and board fees, has become a hotly contested issue in recent months after early campus closures last spring forced students away from universities and out of on-campus housing.
The collaboration with GradGuard will give Nelnet Campus Commerce's more than 1,300 college and university clients access to an integrated policy disclosure process that provides students and payers clear information about the institution's tuition and refund policy. Additionally, students and families will also be given the opportunity to opt into GradGuard's tuition insurance solution to protect them from any financial losses from an unexpected withdrawal or change during the semester.
GradGuard's tuition insurance solution reimburses tuition, room and board, and other eligible fees if a student needs to withdraw from college or university as a result of illness, mental health, injury, disability, death of a tuition payer, or other covered reasons. With the new partnership, GradGuard features will integrate with Nelnet Campus Commerce's higher ed payment technology platform and streamline processes for colleges and universities that use it.
"We're excited about the GradGuard partnership – it's going to allow us to serve our partner institutions and the students and families they support," says Jackie Strohbehn, president of Nelnet Campus Commerce. "The new feature helps solve an issue that many higher education institutions are facing: a growth in student withdrawals, many of which are caused by illnesses or accidents, and GradGuard can help."
"The integration with Nelnet Campus Commerce's end-to-end payment solution for managing tuition payments helps us fulfill our mission to give each student the opportunity to succeed and protect their investment in college," says John Fees, co-founder of GradGuard.
Nelnet Campus Commerce delivers payment technology, ranging from payment processing and refunds, to tuition payment plans and online storefronts. GradGuard's tuition and renters insurance programs are now available through a network of more than 370 colleges and universities.
This week it was announced that Entrust Datacard rebrands with a new identity and company name, eliminating Datacard and shortening to simply Entrust. The card issuance-focused side of the business, Datacard Corporation, was founded in 1969, and acquired digital certificate and security leader Entrust in 2013. The names were merged, and the combined company has operated as Entrust Datacard until now.
Today, Entrust focuses on credential issuance, identity and data protection, and digital certificates and signing solutions. It has nearly $800 million in annual revenue and employees 2,500 people. It operates in more than 150 countries through 50 offices and a global network of more than 1,000 technology and channel partners.
Entrust began delivering trust in payment card solutions 50 years ago and has added breadth and depth to its trusted identity and data security solutions ever since.
While the original focus on physical credential issuance focus has continued, the expansion in digital security solutions has increased in recent years through both internal R&D and acquisitions – including Trustis, Safelayer, SMS Passcode and nCipher.
“As a result, Entrust has transformed into one of the world’s largest providers of digital security software, and the global leader in credential issuance solutions,” says the company as they announced the rebranding.
“Entrust began delivering trust in payment card solutions 50 years ago and has added breadth and depth to its trusted identity and data security solutions ever since,” says Frank Dickson, Program VP, Cybersecurity Products, IDC. “Centering the brand on Entrust makes sense – it helps the market see the common thread of high-assurance trust-building technology that carries through all of its identity, payment and data protection solutions.”
Datacard will continue as the product line name for the high-volume card issuance solutions. For instant issuance card printers and solutions, the product name will shift to Entrust. Similarly, while the nCipher name will transition out, the nShield name will continue as the product line name for the company’s hardware security modules.
“Enabling trust is our mission, our value proposition, and the focus of all the innovative technologies we continue to develop for clients worldwide,” says Karen Kaukol, Chief Marketing Officer, Entrust.
As Entrust Datacard rebrands to Entrust, a new logo, colors, website, and tagline will refresh what has become a world-recognized brand. Check it out at entrust.com.
Card system vendor, Transact, will host a webinar detailing a number of mobile solutions suited to helping university campuses re-open and manage the new normal. With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to impact higher education, universities have needed to quickly adopt new and creative practices to keep their students, faculty, and staff safe.
Transact's free Virtual Lunch & Learn, "Transition Back to Campus - Mobile Solutions in Action for Re-Opening" is scheduled for Thursday, September 17 from 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. EDT.
In the webinar, hear how the Transact team partners with its campus clients to deploy solutions in this new environment -- including contactless payments, mobile ordering, mobile credential, and capacity management -- that have proven valuable during the re-opening process. The webinar will feature a panel of speakers, including Jeremy Smith, Duke University; Bob Dorado, Marshall University; and Matthew Drummond, Transact Campus. Together the panel will share specific experiences, as well as cover the following key areas of discussion:
Both of the university panelists will be familiar with the use of mobile solutions on campus. Duke University was one of the flagship campuses to adopt the Transact Mobile Credential, while Marshall University is a more recent addition to the Mobile Credential roster.
Marshall students are using their iPhones and Apple Watches everywhere on campus where their previous plastic ID cards were accepted, including access to residence halls, Marshall’s study and the rec centers, ticketing for university seminars and sporting events, as well as purchases at the Marshall Bookstore, vending machines and dining services. Marshall is also the first university in the state of West Virginia to launch the initiative.
Those who attend Transact's Virtual Lunch & Learn will also receive a Door Dash gift card to pay for lunch and support local businesses in their community.
Arizona State University is the latest institution to turn to robot delivery from Starship, with a fleet of 40 autonomous robots being deployed on the Tempe campus. Assisting in the initiative is ASU's food-service provider, Aramark, who has partnered with delivery robot provider Starship Technologies to provide the program to higher education institutions.
According to an official university release, the fleet of 40 robots will serve ASU’s on-campus community and will deliver from select group campus dining locations to start with the hopes to expand the program over the academic year. ASU students, faculty and staff can all leverage the Starship mobile app to place their food and drink orders, and select on-campus locations where the robots will place deliveries.
Every order placed through Starship will include a delivery charge, and the service accepts ASU's Maroon and Gold dollars -- declining balance funds that work like a debit card and can be used at any Sun Devil Dining location.
ASU joins a growing roster of campuses across the country to deploy Starship delivery robots on campus, including Purdue University, Georgia Southern University, Ole Miss, the University of Houston, and more.
To get started, ASU students open the Starship Deliveries app, choose the food items they want, then drop a pin on the map in the mobile app to designate where they want the delivery to be sent. The user can then watch as the robot makes its journey to them via the interactive map. Once the robot arrives at its destination, a push notification is sent to the user to meet and unlock the robot through the app.
Deliveries can typically be fulfilled in a matter of minutes, depending on the menu items ordered and the distance the robot must travel. Each robot can carry up to 20 pounds.
“Campus life looks a lot different than it did at the beginning of the year,” says Ryan Tuohy, senior vice president of business development at Starship Technologies. “Our robots provide contactless delivery, which can help keep students safe and make social distancing easier. We think the ASU campus community is going to love the convenience that our delivery robots offer, and we’re excited to become a part of life at this innovative university.”
Starship robots use a combination of machine learning, artificial intelligence and on-board sensors to navigate sidewalks and avoid obstacles. The robots can cross streets, climb curbs, travel at night and operate in both rain and snow.
Vanderbilt University is now enabling students, faculty and staff to add their Commodore Card, the Vanderbilt student ID, to Apple Wallet for use via their iPhone and Apple Watch. The mobile credential initiative will enable the Vanderbilt campus community to access buildings on campus, purchase meals and more.
Vanderbilt, a CBORD campus client, is leveraging CBORD's GET app to add student credentials to Apple Wallet, as well as reader hardware from HID Global to support the full range of transactions across the Nashville campus.
“This initiative has been of interest to both the student body and university administrators, as it supports both accessibility and convenience for our campus community,” says Eric Kopstain, Vice Chancellor for Administration. “We are also excited about this new option because it provides an added health and safety benefit for students. The contactless payment option will allow students to not touch surfaces or other individuals, thus helping to prevent exposure to COVID-19 and other viruses when making purchases.”
The mobile Commodore Card can be used at almost any location where the plastic student ID card was previously swiped. Using their iPhone or Apple Watch, students can now access residence halls and campus libraries, buy food at campus dining locations, and make purchases at the university Barnes & Noble, campus post office, student health center and the campus event ticketing office without needing their physical Commodore Card. The mobile credential is also an option for students to purchase food at the nearly 40 dining locations participating in the "Taste of Nashville," Vanderbilt's off-campus program.
The Commodore Card in Apple Wallet can also be used for:
The addition of a mobile credential option at Vanderbilt also provides an added level of security. Accepted nearly everywhere the plastic Commodore Card is used, students no longer have to worry about misplacing their physical card. Additionally, student credentials are protected by two-factor authentication through the app.
As with other mobile credential deployments, the Commodore Card in Apple Student ID works with iPhone 6 models and later and Apple Watch Series 1 and later. To ensure a consistent experience for all Vanderbilt students, the university is working toward a launch of a mobile ID offering for Android devices in the future.
HID Global's new Signo line of access control readers has been awarded New Product of the Year for 2020 by Security Today magazine. Recognized in the Access Control Devices/Peripherals category, the new access reader line was chosen for features that foster an adaptable, interoperable and secure approach to access control.
Security Today's New Product of the Year Award honors the outstanding product development achievements of security equipment manufacturers whose products are considered to be particularly noteworthy in their ability to improve security. This is the 12th annual installment of the awards, which are independently juried across 37 product award categories.
“We are pleased to receive this recognition of the HID Signo reader line, which is built on an open platform to provide unprecedented flexibility and a robust set of forward-looking features that optimize workplace experiences,” says Harm Radstaak, Vice President and Managing Director of Physical Access Control Solutions, HID Global. “The accolade validates our innovative approach to readers that deliver smarter and more connected access control, while supporting the widest range of credential technologies and mobile.”
HID’s Signo line of readers are loaded with smart features, including automatic surface detection that recalibrates and optimizes read performance based on the mounting location. The readers are also IP65-rated with no additional gasket needed and feature a capacitive touch keypad resistant for superior outdoor performance and harsh weather conditions. The Signo line also includes Apple's Enhanced Contactless Polling (ECP) application to support credentials in Apple Wallet.
Additional features built into the Signo reader family include:
