Your mission: You need to buy ID cards.

Your company has decided to start an identification program by issuing employee badges, and you've been given the honor of figuring out how to get it done.  

Where do you begin?

If you're like most people these days, you head to the Internet. However, typing "ID cards" into Google will present you with an overwhelming number of terms and options.

CR80, mils, CR100, composite, laminate, holographic foil, overlays...

You never knew there were so many choices for creating what you've always viewed as just a small piece of plastic.

Don't be overwhelmed!

Yes, there are tons of options when it comes to choosing the kind of card you'll be using for your ID program.

However, you can narrow your search down to the few cards that meet your needs by asking a series of key questions about what you're trying to get out of your ID program.

We've compiled a list of these key questions, which are designed to help you determine what criteria are most important to you. These important details are what will lead you to that perfect ID card, and to a sense of "mission accomplished."

ID cards? We've got questions, and you've got answers.

If someone asked you to describe the average visitor to your site, could you do it? It might be hard — after all, every guest is different.

One visitor might be a vendor looking to sell your office manager on the latest high-efficiency printer, while the next guest could be the CEO in for his annual meet-and-greet. You never know who might show up for a visit!

Unfamiliar with Visitor Management? Find out why it's so important for today's workplaces.

The Visitor Management systems used to register and process those guests are just as varied as the guests themselves: they come in all kinds of configurations with features that range from entry-level to enterprise.

That variation is both a good thing and a challenge: it's always great to have options, but choosing the right fit for you can be an overwhelming task when there are so many to choose from.

Fortunately, you can sift through the available options pretty quickly by answering a few questions.

When it comes to Visitor Management, you have all the answers

School may be out for the summer, but efforts to boost school security aren't taking any time off.

In recent weeks, we've seen states like New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Tennessee and Florida increase funding for school security. Projects that have been eligible for upgrades include physical security improvements, increased access to counseling services and funding for security staffing.

While the level of funding has varied from state to state, the ultimate goal has remained the same: to create safe, secure learning environments for students of all ages.

By increasing funding, these states have enabled their schools to take proactive security measures. Instead of responding to areas of weakness after an incident occurs, the schools are now able to address vulnerabilities and prevent trouble before it starts.

Recently, another state joined the school security funding lineup, and its a state that's near and dear to IDenticard: Pennsylvania!

The Keystone State puts school safety first

It happens to the best of us: we forget things. It's human nature.

Keys get misplaced. TV remotes disappear. The name of that song you wanted to look up slips your mind. It's frustrating: "It's right on the tip of my tongue...I was just thinking about it a few minutes ago!"

Strangely, forgotten items often include things that we use on a regular basis. You'd think those everyday items would be easier to remember, but the brain works in mysterious ways.

Cell phone chargers. Car keys. Glasses. These are items that are essential to daily life, yet they often disappear.

Another item that often gets left behind? Employee ID badges. 

Employee badges are going to vary from place to place. How they look and how they're used is going to depend on an organization's preferences. Some organizations might require employees to have their badges at all times, while others might not care as much.

And while we already covered ways you can help your employees remember their badges in another blog post, let's be realistic: people are still going to forget.

This raises an important question: what should you do when an employee forgets his or her credential?

Zero tolerance or be a little lenient?

Identity and data theft are hot topics in today's security industry. News stories on credit card databases being hacked or malicious equipment being found at ATMs frequently pop up in the headlines.

Shielded badge holders were developed in response to threats from this kind of data theft, known as "skimming." Skimming basically refers to the practice of reading or copying data off of a card without authorization.

Some skimmers, like the ones installed at ATMs or gas pumps, require a user to swipe his or her card in order for the information on that card to be copied; that copied information can then be used by hackers or criminals.

Other skimmers, however, are contactless, and can glean information off of cards from several feet away.

Shielded badge holders are used for protection of the latter form of skimming, serving as a way to ensure that data written to smart cards doesn't fall into the wrong hands.

See the difference made by a shielded badge holder

Student ID cards have been ubiquitous on college campuses for decades. The thin pieces of PVC are one of the first items students are given when they arrive at school and are essential to the campus experience. 

Need to get into your dorm room? Use your student ID card. Buying lunch at the dining hall? Student ID card. Finally getting around to dealing with that pile of laundry in the corner? Yup — student ID card.

The trusty student ID card has served generations of college students well. It has also evolved with the times, changing from relatively plain cards with little more than a name and photo to today's contactless smart cards that open doors and process payments.

While it's admirable that the trusty student ID card has managed to keep pace in today's tech-focused world, it's about to be challenged by what might be the only thing more ubiquitous on the average college campus: the smartphone.

A limited-use gimmick or the next big thing?

The state of New Hampshire is known for a number of different things.

The first Presidential Primary of the American election season takes place every four years in the Granite State. New Hampshire's White Mountains are home to some of the most popular ski resorts in the northeast. In New England, New Hampshire is known as the state with no sales tax, making it a popular shopping destination.

These days, New Hampshire is becoming known for something else: being a state that is fully committed to funding the security needs of all of its schools.

Last year, the Granite State set aside nearly $19 million in funding for security and quality of education improvements at its schools. According to the New Hampshire Union Leader, that money was used to fund nearly 200 different projects across the state.

And while that budget figure was impressive, New Hampshire wasn't done.

A commitment to secure as many schools as possible

In an encouraging show of bipartisanship, local and state governments across the United States continue to show that they're serious about increasing security at the schools that fall under their jurisdiction.

Many are offering boosts through grant programs, while others are creating opportunities for site security assessments or the addition of on-site law enforcement resources.

Maryland and Florida passed bills covering school security in recent months, and the federal Omnibus Bill also increased funding for a variety of school security-related expenditures.

Two more states can now be added to the list: legislators in Tennessee and Wisconsin recently passed bills designed to help enhance school security in a number of different ways.

What do the Volunteer State and the Badger State have in common?

The main focus of today's multi-family complexes is to provide a welcoming, secure environment for residents. 

Whether it's a property management company running an apartment building or a homeowner's association managing a condo complex, a great deal of time and effort is spent on making sure that the property is run in a way that keeps the residents happy.

Property amenities usually play a role in these efforts as well. The managers of these properties want their facilities to have the "latest and greatest" everything, from theater rooms and roof decks to basketball courts and swimming pools, in order to keep current residents happy and to attract new ones.

In many cases, "property upgrades" made by these facilities focus on those kinds of upgrades: the attention-getting ones that will look good on the front of a brochure.

However, there's an upgrade that can help improve quality of life for residents and ease of management for condo boards or property managers: switch up the way residents gain access to the property.

The physical lock-and-key set-up is no longer good enough

Canada and the global hockey community were left reeling by the tragedy that occurred in Saskatchewan on April 6, when 16 members of a Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team were killed in a collision between their team bus and a tractor trailer.

The Humboldt Broncos hockey team was traveling to Nipawin, Saskatchewan, for a playoff game when the accident occurred, taking the lives of 16 players, front office members and team staff. 13 more members of the organization were injured.

The accident sparked a period of mourning throughout the hockey world, with tributes played in NHL arenas and a global "sticks out for Humboldt" movement spreading across social media. 

In the days and weeks after the accident, the Saskatchewan community banded together to help get aid to the survivors and to the families of the victims.

When a local school approached IDenticard with an idea on how to help, throwing our support behind their plan was a no-brainer.

Raising funds to help those in need