When It Comes To Choosing ID Card Software, Knowledge is Power
With dozens of different ID Card Software packages on the market, it’s
easy to see why business owners find themselves facing uncertainty over
which ID Card software application is right for them.
“It’s not as complicated as it may seem,” says Billy Kim, sales manager
for ID Card Group. “ID Card Software companies have divided their products
into distinct categories that make choosing the right package easy once
you understand these distinctions.”
The Players
Synercard, for example, produces the Asure line of software products
for ID Card production. The three basic products are Asure ID Express,
Asure ID Enterprise, and Asure ID Server. Asure ID Express is a user friendly
standalone software program that includes all the powerful functions that
small-to-medium sized organizations need to produce professional cards
using their computer and their ID Card Printer.
Asure ID Enterprise offers the same powerful user friendliness and functionality
in a package designed for user over dedicated network environments as used
by larger organizations. Asure ID Enterprise also includes advanced database
functions that give the user the ability to integrate employee and customer
data into the card producing process, while still maintaining user friendliness.
Asure ID Server is designed for even larger, decentralized organizations.
This powerful package incorporates all of Asure ID Enterprises functionality
while allowing users to print Identification Cards to remote locations
using the internet. It is ideal for service bureaus and similar businesses
with multiple locations.
Asure Solo is the younger brother of these three packages, designed
to support ID Card Production for small companies with 25 to 100 card holders.
Asure Solo provides an easy to learn yet powerful interface that makes
it possible to print professional identification cards on a single side.
NFive products follow a similar progression, from the CardFive C1700
Classic package that allows smaller businesses to discover how easy it
is to create professional ID Cards using their computer and ID Card printer,
to CardFive Elite C1500, a program that offers the same ease of use along
with powerful database functions for larger corporations with hundreds
of cardholders.
In between these two extremes, NFive offers CardFive Lite Plus C1100,
a package that offers the basics of CardFive Classic along with simple
database functions for smaller companies that need more functionality.
Printer and Software Combos: A Winning Move
The fact that some manufacturers of ID Card Printers also produce card
creation software can make the selection process easier. “A majority of
our customers choose to purchase software created by the manufacturer of
their ID Card printer,” Kim says.
Datacard® is one such example, with a range of ID Card software
products from Datacard ID Works® Basic, with plenty of bells and whistles
not found in other start-up Identification Card issuance programs. Like
the other Datacard® applications, it also supports production of forms
and reports that integrate with database functions.
On the high end of the scale, Datacard® offers ID Works® Enterprise,
one of the most powerful ID card creation programs available, featuring
the entire range of functions—from the creation of one or two sided cards,
database functions, magnetic stripe and smart card encoding, as well as
biometric templates that allow users to include fingerprint data in their
security databases.
Datacard® ID Works® Standard is the mid level program that offers
powerful functions and an easy to learn interface that allows the design
of professional cards suitable for government, corporate and healthcare
industries, to name a few.
Photo industry leader Polaroid offers some very powerful ID Card Programs,
incorporating their knack for innovation into popular software packages.
Their entry level program, ID Card Maker I packs a full range of card creation
functions in a turnkey ID Card issuance application that is surprisingly
affordable. Card Maker II includes these same great features and user friendly
interface along with powerful network functionality, database functions,
and biometrics templates.
Sometimes names can be deceiving – take EPISuite Lite ID Card Software
for example. Despite its name, this powerful Identification Card creation
program – manufactured by Fargo -- is no lightweight. The application
incorporates a full range of features for a single workstation, along with
advanced database features and magnetic stripe encoding --and even microprinting.
Fargo ups the ante a bit with EPISuite Classic ID Card Software – a
program that packs the same power and user friendliness as EPISuite Lite
along with the addition of network capabilities and even more powerful
database functions.
EPISuite Professional is the absolute top dog of the EPI Suite lineup,
with enough power and functionality to satisfy the stringent requirements
of governments and organizations worldwide. On the opposite end of the
spectrum, EPISuite also makes an entry-level program that offers surprising
power for small businesses – EPISuite Build A Badge.
Evolis eMedia Card Software is Evolis’ sole offering – yet it features
everything a small or large business need to create professional, secure
cards over a network.
Relative newcomer Jolly Technologies has made quite an impact on the
ID Card Industry since their inception in 2000 with a range of superior
and flexible ID Card creation applications. The flagship product by Jolly,
Print Studio, comes in three configurations that offer many of the same
powerful features and functionalities of the big boys at a fraction of
the price.
Powerful Feature and Ease of Use
All of the ID Card Packages on the market today offer ease-of-use and
a WYSIWIG (What You See is What You Get) interface that takes the hassle
out of designing cards. Also, these software products allow importation
of popular graphic formats that allow organizations to import logos and
images easily.
This increase in user-friendliness allows organizations to harness to
the power of intelligent engineering by simply turning on their personal
computer and launching their ID Card Software.
“What the ID Card industry has seen in the last few years is a promising
increase in the power and functionality of ID Card software that has made
it possible for just about anyone to create professional cards with little
or no training,” Kim says.
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