The multi-site University of Northumbria aimed to save money and 35,000 staff and students? time by combining library and identity cards into one.
The multi-site University of Northumbria aimed to save money and 35,000 staff and students? time by combining library and identity cards into one. The system had to control access to buildings; produce reports on access patterns, to give statistics on visitor activity; manage the lifecycle of all cardholders; add further applications without having to issue new cards each time; and eventually standardise security management on one networked access control system, campus-wide. A possible ?City Card? scheme with the University of Newcastle could embrace all the city?s students. Bell Group?s recently acquired smart card management arm won its first UK contract in this ?campus card? sector. Bell Security (Scotland) and Bell ID are developing cards that will initially combine library rights via a barcode, with photo-ID and access control through Mifare and magnetic stripe technologies. Potential applications include library fine payment, and student election voting.
