After one of its computers containing 30,000 active credit card and student/employee ID numbers was improperly accessed from outside its network, the University of Iowa is alerting its book store customers of the breach so they can take appropriate measures, even though there has been no evidence that any personal information was accessed. 

USA Technologies, which provides technology to campuses allowing students to pay and monitor their laundry through their campus cards, now has targeted vending machines. The company says its e-Port terminal, a wireless cashless transaction device designed for vending machines, will accept contactless cards as if they were swiped and will help “break open the vending industry to micro transactions using credit and debit cards.” 

PERSONA, a developer of electronic access locking systems for college campus , can now interface with the Blackboard Transaction System, eliminating the need for campuses to keep separate databases and improving data accuracy. With the new interface, PERSONA’s offline access control products–commonly used in residence halls, common areas, and classrooms–can be seamlessly integrated into the campus transaction system card management process. 

by Danny Smith, ColorID (www.colorid.com)

One of the biggest differences between printing on blank PVC (Mag Stripe) card stock and proximity cards is the cost difference of the cards. Blank card stock may cost less than a dollar per card while Proximity cards average $3 - $8 (depending on options). Mistakes in the printing of Proximity cards can create significant financial losses. In order to protect your investment here are a couple important points you may consider. 

Forget the phone. Students at State University of New York at Cortland can simply log on and order their pizza via their laptop computer, thanks to Webfood, and then pay for it with their CBORD campus card. The online ordering system has led to a huge boost in sales with students preferring it 20 to 1 over the phone. 

Printing high-quality color images on ID cards has become a straightforward, basic function for card program staff. This is a testament to the high quality printers, supplies, and plastic cards available today. But what happens when a new identification technology is added to the mix? Must our comfortable printing processes change if a proximity, contactless, or contact chip is added to the card? 

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, has become the latest higher education institution to utilize USA Technologies’ e-Suds laundry program. The system will be integrated with the Blackboard Transaction System, allowing students to pay for their laundry with their campus cards.