Extends IntelliStripe 380’s Precision and Reliability Benefits to USB Users

CARSON, CA - January 20, 2004 - MagTek, Inc., a global leader in card encoding technology, today released a USB-compatible version of its IntelliStripe® 380 motorized card reader/writer, ensuring that the precision and reliability of the IntelliStripe 380 will continue to be available as PC manufacturers fully embrace the USB standard. The new version supports both USB and RS-232 interfaces.

The MagTek motorized IntelliStripe 380 is a competitively priced, attractive PC-based unit ideal for card issuers managing a small to moderate issuing flow of loyalty, access or identity cards for lodging, services, commercial, and institutional applications. The IntelliStripe 380 sharply increases precision and reliability in the encoding process. This, in turn, reduces misreads at the point-of-card use, yielding cost savings for the card issuer both directly and through increased consumer satisfaction. The IntelliStripe 380’s small footprint makes it ideal for crowded point-of-service environments.

“As USB becomes the universal interface for PC peripherals, we felt it was important to adapt the IntelliStripe 380 to the USB standard, especially now that newer PCs are beginning to omit serial ports in favor of USB,” said Sarah Irato, MagTek’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “With this release, the precision and reliability benefits of the IntelliStripe 380 are fully available to those using the newest generation of computer hardware.”  Users who deploy the IntelliStripe 380 with USB interface also enjoy all the technical benefits that have made USB such a popular standard, including simple port sharing and plug-and-play connectivity.