Today at the National Association of Campus Card Users meeting, CBORD and HID Global announced a new secure issuance service called HID Fargo Connect.

In essence it is a SaaS or outsourced alternative to traditional ID card production. Pulling student data from CBORD’s Odyssey PCS or CS Gold system, the solution prints over the web to Fargo printers located on campus and/or at HID’s service bureau.

According to Lance Johnson, Segment Marketing Manager, HID Global, this does a few key things to ease financial and labor strains on campus card programs. It eliminates the need for a PC to control the printers as this control is handled instead over the web. It also eliminates the need for card issuance software as both card design and production is managed via a SaaS solution.

Multiple printers can also be controlled and managed in a print farm style for large volume on site issuance. As well, large batches can be sent to the HID service bureau and cards will be mailed back to campus when complete.

Much of the control of required components from both the CBORD and HID Fargo sides is handled via mobile and tablets, enabling flexibility in photo capture, card printing and management.

According to Johnson, the solution will be available as via a monthly service fee, encompassing all card stock and consumables, printer replacements, maintenance and even service bureau printing. He says the fees will be very comparable to those spent for traditional issuance environments.

There is one test site now running at MIT, but CBORD and HID are currently looking for additional test sites to rollout this year. Campuses must be CBORD users in the US to apply.

CR80News will cover the project in more detail as information becomes available. Learn more at Hidglobal.com/fargo-connect