The Zebra ZXP Series8^TM, a revolutionary retransfer printer that offers a host of options for smart card encoding and networking making it ideal for such applications as high security ID cards, driver’s licenses, gift cards and financial cards.

The Zebra ZXP Series 8 produces photo-quality cards at nearly twice the speed of other retransfer printers currently on the market

Unlike its counterparts, the ZXP Series 8 printer delivers photo quality, over-the-edge, high speed printing on many different types of cards, including those with uneven surfaces such as smart cards, polycarbonate cards for security applications, and biopolymer cards. The printer is available in single- and dual-sided printing configurations with a full portfolio of magnetic encoding, smart card encoding, single- and dual-sided lamination, and connectivity options.

Industry adoption of retransfer printing has been slow, in part, because of slow print speeds and high costs. Zebra has developed the ZXP Series 8 printer to respond to the industry’s need for an on-demand retransfer printer capable of delivering higher print speeds at lower costs without sacrificing the image quality. Zebra also developed the ZMotif^TM software platform, to make application integration easier than ever.

Designed to significantly improve enterprise scalability and reliability, a XML-based software development kit is available to support a broad array of features and technologies, making it easier and faster to integrate the ZXP Series 8 retransfer printer with host of enterprise applications.

Some of the ZXP Series 8 retransfer printer features include:

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  • - Photo print quality
  • - Best in class throughput for printing, encoding, and laminating
  • - True over-the-edge printing
  • - Ability to print on smart cards or cards with uneven card surfaces
  • - Ability to print on non PVC cards such as polycarbonate and biopolymer cards
  • - More durable and abrasion resistant cards
  • - Some fraud protection since the film is inherently tamper evident
  • - XML-based SDK for easier application integration

Standard and optional features of the ZXP Series 8 retransfer printer include: magnetic stripe encoder; combination smart card contact and contactless encoders; contact station; USB or Ethernet connectivity; and security mechanical locks.

Planned future options include support for UHF Gen 2 RFID encoder, single- and dual-sided laminator, and 802.11g wireless connectivity.

AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER FROM 17th NOVEMBER 2009 - For more information and samples please contact us on 01298 83131 or email us.

Following a policy of continuous support and improvement NFive has released a new update of it’s flagship product, CardFive Vision.

This update addresses many contactless new aditions; a new Zebra Card printer model suport; adds new Canon camera models on imager; improves many functionalities in speed and reliability.

Worth of a special note, the support for “point-to-image” fields have been greatly improved. The photo acquisition capabilities of CardFive have been extended to manage bitmap linked files on disk with the usual ease of use of embebed database images.

CardFive Vision 8.3 brief Release Summary

New stuff

- Mifare DESFire Cards Support. Ability to read and write DESFire serial number into a database field.
- 125Khz Q5 Cards Support. Ability to read and write Q5 serial number into a database field.
- Implemented Q5 Cards password management.
- New Contactless Encoder Supported: Pro-Active Crazy Write
- Added ability to Omnikey 5121 to encode also on iClass cards.
- Added Chinetek encoder to the lists of encoder that supports now Mifare 4k Cards.
- New printer Model - Zebra P330m.
- Transparency for PNG Images now supported
- Point to image file (even from a text file) is treated as an real image field, allowing photo acquisition to linked files.
- New Canon SDK Implemented; new models supported: PowerShot G9 / G10 / SX100 IS / SX110 IS
- SCOS 5 Added, more reliability on our licensing subsystem

Improvements

- Overall screnn handling speed greatly improved
- Added Color options on HDP 5000 LC Dual sided printer.
- Improved contactless encoding speed
- Force re-fetch data for Contact encoding, allowing full pre-processing operations
- Improved FaceSnap operations flow
- Bar Code (1 and 2D) properties fine tuned; color editable on Text slider

Access control firm TDSi has launched a new range of Mifare readers to complement its established range of readers, controllers and software systems.

The new readers are available in two variants to suit different security and budgetary requirements, as well as being able to accommodate any existing applications which draw on Mifare technology.

The first system type reads Card Serial Numbers (CSNs), and provides a cost-effective alternative to standard proximity readers. The CSN readers are particularly suitable where there is an existing Mifare population - for example to support cashless vending - and there is a need to add additional access control functionality.

The second type is a sector reader, which securely reads data held in the TDSi-nominated Sector 4 of the Mifare card, using prescribed keys for validation. Using the ‘handshake’ method to ensure mutual authentication between the card and reader, the reader will only accept a card with the correct key.

If Mifare technology is already being used, and the Sector 4 key has been assigned for other operations, Modulus Card Printers is able to supply a reader configuration TDSi card pack, which allows the readers to be re-programmed to accept an alternative key, nominated specifically for access control. Modulus Card Printers is also able to supply TDSi cards with data already populated in Sector 4.

Both readers are fully encapsulated, and so are suitable for use both indoors and out.

TDSi’s technology is fully compatible with the standard Philips Mifare 32 bit chip and fully complies with the requirements of ISO 14443 for contactless smart card technology. It is also Flash-upgradeable meaning that the firmware can be easily and effectively updated when appropriate.

A scheme is being launched to encourage people to shop more in Ilkeston and Long Eaton.

The Shop Nearbuy loyalty card is being launched this weekend to counter out-of-town shopping centres.

Shoppers will be able to get loyalty card passports stamped when they buy goods worth more than £2.50.

Once 15 stamps have been collected, the shopper can enter a monthly competition for prizes worth up to £60.

The passports are available at 130 outlets.

The scheme, supported by Derbyshire County Council and Erewash Borough Council, starts in Ilkeston on Saturday and Long Eaton a week later.

Coun Geoff Smith, Erewash’s lead member for planning and regeneration, said: “This scheme will bring benefits to shopkeepers and market stall holders and shoppers alike by encouraging a strong customer base.”

For more information and advice on Loyalty Cards contact the UK’s Loyalty Card specialists                              Modulus Card Solutions Ltd on 01298 83131

Set up a card printing system and begin producing full-colour photo IDs in minutes with the Zebra QuikCard ID Solution, no software expertise necessary.

This feature and value-packed kit from Zebra includes everything needed to quickly, easily and cost-effectively make professional quality identification, security, loyalty, gift cards and much more in as little as 30 seconds for a single sided card.

In addition to a Zebra Value class full colour, single-sided P110i or dual-sided P120i card printer, available with or without magnetic encoding, QuikCard comes with exclusive Zebra QuikCard ID Solution software, based on the highly successful CardFive, which features pre designed card templates and a template designer, making it quick and easy to create custom cards.

The Zebra card design templates that come as standard with QuikCard can drastically reduce the time needed to create professionally designed cards with high-quality graphics. Easy to use template designs quickly allow creation of custom card designs while bypassing the learning curve normally associated with card design software.

The Zebra template designer offers a collection of standard card design backgrounds, logos and design elements for quickly creating custom card designs by editing text, data and graphics from pre designed cards; it also allows creation of a unique card designs if required.

QuikCard offers support for Excel and CSV data import, so it’s simple to use a pre determined database to seamlessly import data for multiple card production applications.

QuikCard also comes with a USB ‘plug and play’ digital webcam to enable the capture of quality images with a tripod and supplies for printing up to 200 cards. System requirements for QuikCard are a CD-ROM drive, 3 powered USB 2.0 ports and Windows XP or Windows Vista.

With this high-value and easy-to-use solution, even smaller organisations have the power to print cards with the quality and professional appearance required in today’s market.

The QuikCard package also comes with options including lanyards and card holders to ensure all card accessory needs are met.

CardFive Vision ID Card Software Major Release

On this release NFive have added some major functionalities, result of our continuous listening to the market needs.

Excel Spreadsheet direct management in CardFive Lite XL; CardFive Premier and CardFive Professional editions.
Link to an Excel spreadsheet in seconds; no need to create an ODBC data source; no need to create a named range of the spreadsheet; add and delete records; edit data directly on CardFive Vision database view; query your spreadsheet database.
A major addition to CardFive Vision generally; a must-have, considering it is available on low cost Lite XL edition.

Magnetic encoding back on the CardFive Classic edition.
By customers request we added back to CardFive Vision Classic the magnetic encoding capabilities, removed with the release of the Vision-Class version.

Auto Database Disconnect.
The long awaited functionality of disconnecting the fields on card from a Database, thus allowing to change the data source effortlessly.

E-Mail Card layout
Send an E-mail with the image of the card you’re designing for approval in seconds.

New image formats supported.
As technology evolves we follow and update ourselves.

Ability to use BitMaps on Overlay
Create security features using Bitmaps on Overlay.

And a lot of extra small improvements and all the corrections of reported problems.

As usual, pursuing our “life-time warranty” policy, the update is free of charge, proving NFive’s commitment to achieve maximum customer satisfaction.

To update your CardFive Vision ID Card software simply run update using RSS.

The new Gripper slot free ID card holder is now available from Modulus card Printers. This new ID card holder has been brought to the market with the aim of simplifying the use of magnetic and smart & proximity ID badges.

Easily adapted to suit any of your existing ID card attachment stock, the Gripper has been specifically designed for use with lanyards, badge reels, strap clips and other accessories - making it not only a very flexible card holding solution, but also one that costs less than the average card holder.

The Gripper slots over the card holding it firmly in place, eliminating the need for a badge holder or slot hole in the card which might damage a magnetic strip or proximity card aerial. It also protects the card from scratching thanks to silicon grab tabs inside the Gripper. Its open design also means the magnetic stripe or smart cards can be used without the need to remove it from a holder.

With no moving parts to catch or complicated the mechanism, the Gripper has been designed to securely hold cards of up to 0.76mm. Made from durable plastic and requiring a weight of more than 5lbs to pull the card off it is also a very reliable card holder solution.

Not only does the Gripper offer an excellent solution to your ID card management, but with one colour logo printing as an optional extra, it also offers the ability to personalise it to your individual needs.

UK retailer Coffee Republic is to launch a contactless loyalty card.

The Coffee Republic branded pre-paid ‘Payment and Loyalty’ smartcard offers contactless payments and the promise of promotional top-ups which are redeemable in-store.

Users can register the card and view transactions and loyalty funds online. The card can also be topped up on the Internet as well as in-store.

The loyalty card is being offered to customers in three London stores before a nationwide roll out early next year.

Coffee Republic already accepts contactless payments having signed up for Barclaycard’s OnePulse last year.

LOYALTY cards for individual stores have been around for years - but it has now emerged an entire Suffolk town could soon boast its very own reward system for those who shop local.

The idea of a town-wide loyalty card for Bury St Edmunds is the brainchild of the Bury Town Centre Management Group.

Last night it said a number of options were being looked at - which includes a simple discount card in which shoppers get slashed-price items by waving their plastic loyalty cards. 

A second option involves card-holders amassing points each time they spend in the town which can be stored up and redeemed at any shop in Bury.

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport is working towards the introduction of a smart card, similar to the London Oyster card, which could be used for all journeys.

People will be able to put as much money on the card as they want and then use the card to travel on the Subway, trains, buses and ferries.

It was revealed SPT bosses are looking at making the cards available to buy at a range of outlets including travel centres, shops, ticket machines at bus stops, petrol stations and hospitals.

It is estimated around 1.5million people across Strathclyde Region area will opt to take advantage of the new hi-tech ticket

SPT bosses are about to tender for new gates and barriers at its 15 Subway stations which will allow travellers to use the smart card.

Instead of having to buy a ticket, commuters would simply tap their card on a pad resulting in the cost of the fare being deducted automatically.

The first people in the SPT area to be able to take advantage of smart cards are the 600,000 concessionary fare travellers who will be able to use their existing travel cards on buses.

In the next couple of months, new technology will begin appearing on Glasgow buses meaning an end to paper tickets.

Unlike London, bus services in the rest of the UK are not regulated and there are around 100 different bus firms alone operating in the SPT area.

Experts say the advantages of smart card technology is that it is automatic, speeds up journeys and people don’t need to search for change.