I Have a Photo ID - What's Next?

We have spent years working with customers all over the country to create unique, high quality Photo ID badges for their organizations.  Sure, it is awesome to have an ID badge for identification purposes.  And many of those facilities use their badges for just visual identification.  We all know that wearing a visual form of ID in any organization helps to increase security and awareness about who belongs in the building and who does not. 

However, recently, many of our customers have been coming to us asking, "What's Next?" They already have issued Photo ID badges to everyone in their organization.  Now it is time to think about other applications they may want to use those cards for. Are you in a similar situation?  Here are some things you may want to consider for your own system growth.

Do you want employees to be able to use their Photo IDs to gain access to specific doors in the building and be denied access to others based on their security privilegs?  Consider implementing an electronic door access system.  When you do, make sure it will work seamlessly with your badge issuance software.  You will want to make sure you can instantly enroll user information and print photo IDs from the same software that you assign security rights in.  Why is this important?  This allows a badge to be used to access doors as soon as it comes out of the printer - saving you the hassle of having to enroll users in two seperate systems!   This also allows for lost cards to be instantly deactivated any time a new card is printed, keeping your system up to date with only currently "active" cards that are assigned to active users. 

Have you considered a system for clocking employees in and out when they arrive and leave work each day?  Think about using your cards for more than just door access.  Employees can manage their time cards by clocking in and out via a smartcard reader every time they enter and exit the building, ensuring accurate time cards that can later be edited and approved by a manager before being exported to a third party payroll system.  Why is this important?  It saves you money if you can ensure your employees are arriving and leaving on time.  By choosing a system that is fully integrated with your badging software, you can simplify the enrollment process into your time clock system.     

Who else do you need to identify?  Do you have visitors, volunteers, contractors or other guests that are in and out of your building and need a form of identification?  Consider electronic visitor management software for registering and tracking those guests.  By scanning their driver's license data, you can ensure fast and accurate enrollment of all visitors.  Then, choose to print a customized visitor pass for each person or think about granting temporary access rights to limited doors or areas of the building with QuickPass smartcards!  Why is this important?  It ensures your visitors are properly identified during their visit without slowing down the check-in process and allows you to look back and see who has visited in the past. 

Whether you have Photo IDs today or are just starting to think about implementing a badging system, it is important to always be a step ahead and start planning for how you want to use those credentials in the future.  Consider future security applications you may want to use those cards with and how they will integrate with your Photo ID Software. 

Lindsay Martin-Nez is the Director of Sales for BadgePass, Inc.  BadgePass manufactures cutting edge identification and security solutions including Photo ID software, Visitor Management, Access Control Software, Time Management and Driver's License Scanning Software.  For more information, visit www.badgepass.com. 

No Printer Required

Over the years, we have  been fortunate enough to work with customers across the country and we have developed thousands of customized badging systems to help meet each organization's specific requests and needs.  Typically, a customer requires badging software, a card printer, badges and supplies.  Once in awhile, we also sell Driver's License Scanners for automated enrollment into the system - for those customers who don't want to manually enroll information and find scanning an ID faster and easier.  But that's it!  Easy enough, right? 

However, more and more often, we've run into customers looking for a badging option that does not require a printer.  Whether they are looking to save some money in the budget or just free up some extra time, having a printer onsite is not a viable option for them.  They would prefer to send their data offsite and have their cards delivered. 

This customer input is how we developed Web Print, a smarter credentialing option for customers who are not interested in the cost of an on site printer and supplies.  This cloud-based print service guarantees printing and delivery of badges faster than any other solution on the market.  Customers expect shipment wihin 48 hours of submitting print.  

Best of all, Patent-Pending Web Print allows for complete access control integration for customers interested in doing more with their badges than simply wearing them!    

The future of badging has arrived. 

Lindsay Martin-Nez is the Director of Sales for BadgePass, Inc.  BadgePass manufactures cutting edge software solutions including Photo ID, Access Control, Visitor Management, Time Manager and Driver's License Scanning.  For more information, visit www.badgepass.com. 

Why Integrated Solutions Produce Better Results

In the security industry, the word “integration” gets thrown around far too easily.  Manufacturers constantly talk about “integration.” Customers long for it. How often are they really getting it? 

Recently, we worked with a customer to create a truly unique solution and provide the best level of integration possible between products and vendor partners. Here is a brief overview of the client’s story.    

A juvenile detention center, with 84 beds, was looking to find a cost-effective solution to register, identify and track juveniles while in the facility, as well as, identify and register all visitors and guest of the center. Starting with basic visitor enrollment and identification, BadgePass Visitor Manager was introduced requiring all visitors and guests to present a valid Photo ID, such as a Driver’s License, which then is scanned for their information in order to issue them a temporary ID card to be worn for the duration of their visit. Visitor Manager also allows for easy and accurate electronic reporting on all visitor access into various facilities.

Next, BadgePass Identity Manager was introduced for the identification part of the solution. This offered a quick and easy way to capture photos and document information about each new juvenile being enrolled into the system and even print each one a wristband. By using both Identity Manager and Visitor Manager, the customer received a fully integrated system that allowed for seamless enrollment of both juveniles and visitors into the exact same system. Their new enrollment process also helped to cut down on errors in the record logs, booking and processing time and helped meet state regulations.

For the last piece of the puzzle, we were able to partner with Elliott Mobile Solutions and implement a tracking program. Once each juvenile was issued a wristband, their movement throughout the facility needed to be accurately recorded. EPICTrack served as the perfect solution because it allowed for seamless database integration with the BadgePass system. 

Overall, the customer was very pleased with how simple the registration process of juveniles and visitors had become, as well as the simple tracking process that produced such detailed reporting. Best of all, the integration between all three systems is unmatched.

Something to think about: how different could this outcome have been without fully integrated solutions?    

Lindsay Cornell is the Director of Sales for BadgePass, Inc. BadgePass manufactures cutting edge Door Access, Photo ID, and Visitor Tracking software. Visit www.badgepass.com for more information.

How Should I Badge My Visitors?

If you are thinking about ways to badge and identify visitors at your facility, congrats!  You have probably already considered solutions for properly registering and tracking your guests which means you are well on your way to a more secure facility!  By implementing an electronic visitor registration system at your organization, you can ensure that each visitor is properly identified and registered simply by scanning their state or federally issued ID.  Now, you just have to decide which visitor badging solution is best for you. 

There are several possible options to consider for visitor badging. 

Option One:  Temporary Adhesive Labels

This is by far the most popular solution for visitor badging!  Why?  Because badge designs can be customized not only with the company’s name, but also with pertinent visit information like visitor name, date, and person being visited.  You can even print photos on temporary labels!  Plus, you can do all of this at a relatively low price, since plain adhesive badges are fairly inexpensive. 

Things to consider when implementing temporary adhesive labels:

1.       How long will visitors be in the building?

-          The longer visitors are in your facility, the more likely they are to lose their adhesive badge.  For long-term visitors, pre-printed PVC badges may be a more effective solution.

2.       What information do you want to print on each badge?

-          The nice thing about adhesive badges is that they can be customized for each visitor!  Some of the most common things I see on visitor label designs include a company logo, the visitors name, the type of visitor (Vendor, Contractor, Volunteer, etc.), the date of the visit, and the location and/or person they are visiting. 

3.       How important are visitor photos?

-          If you are considering printing your visitors’ photos on badges, it might be a good idea to look into color label printers.  While they are more expensive, they greatly improve the image quality!

4.       Do you want labels to expire after a certain amount of time?

-          Though temporary labels can be easy and inexpensive, there is always a concern that visitors may try to reuse those badges to visit the facility at a later date/time without checking in.  Printing the date on the badge is one solution for this issue.  However, many customers look into time-expiring labels to prevent visitor badges from being reused.  These badges bleed through red and read VOID 24 hours after issuance, making it easy for employees to recognize if a visitor is trying to dodge the check-in process. 

Option Two:  Pre-Printed PVC Badges

Many customers prefer to use pre-printed badges for their visitors.  Each of these badges will be printed in advance on a color card printer, allowing you to print your company’s name and logo on the front, along with any other relevant information. 

Since these badges are printed in advance, they will not have visitor specific information on them.  However, they are much more durable than temporary labels and can be reused time and time again and assigned to a different visitor each time they are used.   Attach these badges to a lanyard or badge clip/reel and you can easily identify who is wearing a visitor badge in your facility.  Plus, you don’t have to worry as much about visitors losing their IDs as they walk around! 

So what is the answer?

Nobody knows your organization better than you do!  Which means you are the only one who knows what solution is the best fit for you. 

Though there are many options to consider, no matter whaat you choose will allow for an easier visitor identification process and help to improve your company's security! 

Lindsay Cornell is the Director of Sales for BadgePass, Inc. BadgePass manufactures cutting edge Visitor Management, Photo ID and Access Control software.  www.badgepass.com

Granting Visitors Temporary Access to Your Facility

What Should My Policy Be?

Many organizations are beginning to electronically register and track visitors that come and go from the facility.  In order to do this, visitors are typically asked to present some type of ID upon arrival, thereby verifying they are who they say they are, and that ID is scanned upon check-in.  Then visitors can then be issued temporary visitor badges for the duration of their stay. 

Organizations typically handle the flow of visitors in their facility one of two ways:

1.       Guests are always escorted by an employee or host.

2.       Guests are allowed to access the facility without an escort.

The more secure the organization, the more concerned they typically are with guest access.  If guests and visitors are to be allowed access without an escort, they may require some level of integration with a door access system.  If this is the case, visitor badges may be printed on proximity or smartcards to grant visitors temporary access rights within the system. 

Why might you consider integrating your visitor management system with access control?

• You want to give certain visitors access to particular doors in the building that may be locked in your door access system
• To limit unauthorized guests and personnel from accessing restricted areas
• In order to track the activity of everyone – even guests – who have entered the building.

Granting visitors temporary access rights is certainly not uncommon these days.  As more and more organizations incorporate access control and electronic visitor management systems in their facilities, they see the need to give visitors access to specific doors in the building for the duration of their visit. 

Things to consider when thinking about integrating your Visitor Management and Access Control systems:

1.       Which doors would you like visitors to have access to in the building?

2.       Would you like to create multiple visitor groups with different access privileges? (Ex: Contractors may be able to access different doors than Volunteers)

3.       Is there an easy way to deactivate visitor credentials if they accidently leave without returning their badge?

The easiest thing to do is implement a fully integrated Visitor Management and Access Control system from day one.  That way you can easily activate and deactivate visitor credentials from the same system, thereby eliminating the hassle of having to manage access rights from two seperate systems. 

Start thinking about how you’d like to implement both Visitor Management and Access Control within your facility in the future.  Taking every possible scenario into account when choosing which system to deploy at your organization will help you to be best prepared for the day when you do get ready to move forward. 

Lindsay Cornell is the Director of Sales for BadgePass, Inc.  BadgePass manufactures cutting edge ID Badging, Visitor Management and Access Control software solutions.  Learn more at www.badgepass.com.

What are the Benefits of a Photo ID System?

Getting serious about your organization’s security?  Beyond offering visual identification, Photo ID badges can be used for a variety of applications from Electronic Door Access to Cafeteria Point of Sale Systems.  How can you utilize photo IDs to help increase security in your facility? 

Employee Morale

In larger companies and organizations, photo IDs often help to encourage familiarity among staff members.  Once a policy has been instituted mandating the wearing of Photo IDs at all times, employees often feel more secure and more confident approaching employees in other departments.  Photo IDs can instill a sense of community among employees and often encourage people to approach those in the building not wearing IDs to ensure they belong. 

Access Control

Sure, you may be printing Photo IDs for everyone right now, but have you considered using those IDs to access doors within your facility?  By printing badges on a smart or proximity cards, you can electronically control which doors certain employees have access to, thereby eliminating the need for manual key locks.  Without a valid credential, employees will not be granted access to those doors.  Further, you can restrict access to doors certain employees should not be in, like the IT or Server Room.  Best of all, if an employee loses an ID badge, you can deactivate that card’s privileges and print them another!  Without rekeying an entire facility, there is no way to “deactivate” a lost key. 

Visitor Safety

Once you’ve identified all of the employees within your building, it may be time to consider a visual form of ID for all of your visitors as well.  Visitor Management Systems that print temporary ID badges are an easy and effective way to check in visitors electronically while also printing them a badge that they can wear during their visit.  This helps to easily identify those who are guests and also helps employees to feel comfortable approaching visitors without badges and escorting them to the main check-in desk to be registered. 

Other Applications

Feel free to get creative with your photo ID!  Do you have a Time and Attendance system that requires a barcode or magnetic stripe for employees to clock in and out each day?  Are you thinking of instituting a Point of Sale system in your cafeteria that allows for employees to purchase meals with their ID card?  All of these things are entirely possible, depending on the card design and technology you choose to use with your badges.  Whenever you choose to purchase a Photo ID system, think of all the possible applications you may want to implement in the future and keep those in mind when designing your cards. 

Lindsay Cornell is the Director of Sales for BadgePass, Inc.  BadgePass offers secure ID Badging, Visitor Management and Access Control software.  For more information, visit www.badgepass.com. 

Tips for Printing Quality Photo IDs

When printing quality Photo IDs, it is important to know what information, and how much information, will be included on your Photo ID. The elements included on your Photo ID will help determine the features you should look for in your Photo ID System.

Basic Photo ID

Custom card design – Photo ID software will help you design a card from scratch using your own images, graphics and logos – creating a unique and custom card that best fits the needs of your organization.

Cardholder information – Easily add cardholder information to your ID cards! You can connect to your existing database information and/or choose to enroll users via Driver’s License Scanning.

Photo – Whether you are looking for high quality images or a simple webcam, adding a photo to your card design will ensure an extra level of security.

Barcode – Barcodes are a cost effective way to include data on your cards that can be scanned and used in other systems, such as time and attendance or cafeteria POS and vending.

Advanced Photo ID

Signature capture – A signature pad will allow you to electronically capture the signature of each cardholder for placement within the card design.

Smartcards – There are many types of technology cards, such as contactless smartcards, that can be store cardholder information for use in other systems, like Access Control.

Magnetic stripe – Magnetic strips are another way to include data on your cards that can be scanned and used in other systems.

Lamination – Laminating printers apply a thin film to the card with heat and pressure during printing to protect against wear.

The more secure you want your credentials to be, the more advanced your Photo ID software requirements will be.  Take all of these things into consideration when choosing which system to implement in your own organization. 

Lindsay Cornell is the Director of Sales for BadgePass, Inc. BadgePass manufactures cutting edge ID Badging, Visitor Management and Access Control software. Visit www.badgepass.com for more information.

How Can I Streamline Enrollment into My Access Control System?

The biggest security risk in access control is dealing with a two-step process for the enrollment and/or removal of cards.  In most systems, cards are printed in one place and then cardholders must take their credential to another location to have their access rights granted before they have access to any doors in the facility.  The same two-step process occurs for deactivation of credentials.  The cardholder is removed from one database, but then an email notification or alert is sent to someone who then must manually remove them from a separate system before their credential is turned off in access control.  This two-step system is not only time consuming; it is putting thousands of organizations at risk for security breaches every day!

The best way to streamline the enrollment process is to start with badge issuance.  By integrating the assignment of access control rights and privileges into your badge issuance interface, you can eliminate the need for a second enrollment step.  Simply enroll a user’s information, capture a photo and print them a card.  While the card is printing, the smart card number can be read directly off the card during the print process and saved back to the database, preventing the user from having to manually enter that information.  Once the badge is printed, that credential, as well as the users’ access privileges, will be automatically activated in your access control system. 

Deactivation of badges can be simplified as well.  By tying your access control interface into your existing HR database, you can keep up to date with all of your currently active employees at any given time.  That way, as soon as an employee's information changes or new users are added/removed from the system, they will automatically be updated in your access control system.  This will keep you from manually having to go into your card access system to deactivate credentials whenever someone leaves or loses a badge.

Single-Step issuance.  It's really that easy!

Lindsay Cornell is the Director of Sales for BadgePass, Inc. BadgePass manufactures cutting edge ID Badging, Visitor Management and Access Control software. Visit www.badgepass.com for more information.