ISIC France (The International Student Identity Card) is using HID Global’s FARGO HDP5000 and DTC4500 printers to print and manage secure student ID cards for the French Grandes Écoles universities and is looking to further collaborate with HID to implement a mobile ID access solution.

In addition to HID’s FARGO card printers/encoders, the company’s AsureID 7 ID Card Personalization Software Development Kit for secure card issuance is also included in the project. The solution will be used to produce student ID cards to the Grandes Écoles universities in France — higher education establishments outside the main framework of the French university system.

Headquartered in the Netherlands with offices worldwide, the ISIC Association was established in 1953 as a non-profit organization that has created the International Student Identity Card, which has been issued in 130 countries. The ISIC credential is the only internationally accepted proof of full-time student status endorsed by UNESCO, national governments and global ministries of education.

ISIC France was in need of an efficient, cost-effective and secure online card issuance portal solution that could provide high-quality, multifunctional student ID cards to the Grandes Écoles. “HID Global is a globally trusted brand and continues to be at the forefront of the card personalization industry with solutions that successfully meet our needs for securely issuing high volumes of student ID cards,” says Lilian Leclercq, director with ISIC France.

ISIC France now provides an on-site badging service to Grandes Écoles universities along with direct customer service to over 126 French universities. The project is issuing approximately 150,000 student ID cards each year with the help of ISIC’s online portal.

HID Global’s HDP5000 and DTC4500 printer/encoders produce durable and highly-functional ID cards, based on the university’s requirements and budget. On average, 15 printers are used to produce a maximum 15,000 cards a day. The new card printers/encoders have boosted customer service and alleviated workloads during peak periods at the beginning of the academic year when high volumes of cards are printed.

HID printing solutions are also helping to cut costs for ISIC without compromising card quality. The system is leveraging retransfer technology, which enables the use of a wide variety of card materials. A dye-sublimation image can be imprinted onto an intermediate transfer film that is then retransferred to the card surface. This, along with higher throughput speeds, is a key aspect of HID’s high-definition, secure printing solutions. With its new customizable printing options, ISIC France is able to offer made-to-order imaging for its various co-branded programs and shorter cycle times.

ISIC France is also planning to partner with HID to deploy a mobile ID access solution for the French Grandes Écoles universities in the future.

For more, see the full case study.