With millions of cards and badges for applications ranging from identification and financial services to access and government use, the reliability of card printers and their ease of maintenance have become key buyer features. The issue of reliability will grow with the explosive growth of cards as well as the growth of more complex cards containing magnetic stripe, proximity, barcode, biometrics and smart chips. One example: a month ago, the Homeland Security Department awarded a 10-year, $200 million follow-on contract to an existing five-year identification card deal.
What follows is a special report on reliability by ID printer expert Jennifer Sylvestre of Zebra Technologies’ Eltron printer operation, Camarillo, Calif.