Deploying EMV Issuance Solutions With Enhanced Security and Efficiency
Optimizing Distributed Issuance
While a centralized card issuance solution offers benefits including low cost per card, better economization of supplies, and simplified operator training and system maintenance, this model does not enable banks to personally hand a card to a customer, or at least get it to the customer within a day or so. With the latest printers, however, integrators don’t have to sacrifice the benefits of centralized printers in order to adopt a distributed issuance model. Today’s ruggedized desktop printer/encoder units can be pooled to handle large-volume, centralized card runs, and they also can be deployed individually for on-the-spot card issuance at branch offices. Financial institutions also can deploy a combination of both centralized and distributed printing solutions throughout the branch network, and scale volume capabilities up or down depending on changing demand.
To optimize effectiveness, the distributed issuance model requires high-duty-cycle printing solutions that are easily scalable, decrease operational and service costs, and maximize output of finished credentials with any combination of physical, electronic or visual personalization. One option is to structure a system in a grouped configuration, in which multiple printer/encoder units can be networked in a single location to produce moderate to increasingly larger volumes in continuous batch runs. Alternatively, a geographically dispersed, securely networked configuration can be used, in which the printer/encoder infrastructure shares one or more common or centrally-managed databases. This also delivers the added benefit of ensuring there is redundant equipment in case one printer experiences a malfunction and must be repaired. A third option is to adopt a hybrid of the two approaches and combine geographically dispersed groups of printer/encoder units, which delivers the added benefit of site redundancy.
Using the distributed model, financial institutions can create a complete and secure instant issuance system for its many branch locations, and maintain and control this issuance infrastructure via a central security center. Key to this configuration is choosing a solution that uses a single connection for all printing and encoding functions. Many printer/encoder solutions feature one interface for the printer functionality and another for the smart card encoder functionality inside the box. For instance, the printer might use an Ethernet or USB interface, while the smart card encoder might use a USB or serial interface. This configuration requires multiple cables and workstations, and can be difficult to manage. The optimal approach is to manage all printing and encoding functions within the solution via a single-wire Ethernet connection. Each printer can be connected to the network and remotely managed via this single Ethernet link, resulting in easier installation and management.
Other key printer/encoder selection criteria for distributed issuance include system reliability and performance, as well as operational convenience and system scalability. To optimize the versatility and flexibility of distributed card issuance systems, it is important that field-upgradeable modules are available to meet current or future specialized credential needs.
EMV technology is on its way, and integrators will need to work closely with their customers to deploy optimal issuance solutions. To ensure the highest levels of security, these solutions will need to use re-transfer technology to support EMV’s multi-dimensional card validation elements, and employ multi-layered security management to protect the integrity of the issuance system. Solutions will also need to support the remote, instant-issuance requirements of as many as thousands of branch offices. This requires using a distributed model that combines the reliability and advanced credentialing features of centralized printer/encoder solutions with the low cost and small footprint of desktop units that deliver the convenience of single-wire connectivity capabilities.
Alan Fontanella is vice president of product marketing for Secure Issuance with HID Global.
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