According to the latest statement by APAC at HID Global, The way ID cards are used in the enterprise and on college and university campuses has changed dramatically in recent years. With the entry of cloud technology, corporate ID badges now provide the means to open doors and access IT systems, networks and data, and campus IDs are used to purchase meals, check out library books, enter dorm rooms, and more.
Now, enterprises and universities are making a shift to cloud-based solutions that enable a remote card issuance experience, transform ID card printers into edge devices within the Internet of Trusted Things (IoTT), and redefine the economics of card issuance by ushering in new service-based models.
Malaysia is one of the most rapidly adopters of cloud computing with the government aiming to lead the cloud adoption in the region. Despite Malaysia’s speed to adoption there are certain challenges faced across industries such as, domain-specific Technologies, security, competence and awareness.
Domain-specific Technologies
Developing domain-specific technologies whose cloud integration can enable efficient and effective utilization of cloud-based resources among end-users is an inevitable task. Successful cloud adoption requires delivery of cloud-based services to an extensive range of end-users with different skill sets, principles, and expectations.
HID FARGO introduces a cloud-based ID card issuance model that improves the user experience by enabling instant customised issuance at many different locations, rather than requiring a visit to the main card office in order to pick up an ID. Card printers can be installed anywhere, including remote offices and satellite campuses, and cards can be sent to any of these printers. Printers essentially become smart, secure, web-enabled edge devices in the IoTT that can leverage all of the platform’s functionality.
Today’s true cloud-based platforms bring all the elements required for secure issuance into a centralized and integrated system that enables the entire process to be managed and executed remotely, from design and encoding to printing. This can all be accomplished through one trusted system using a tablet, laptop or any device with a web interface.
Security, Privacy, and Trust
Security and privacy are major concerns slowing down cloud deployment globally. The most significant issue is to comprehend the risks associated with cloud deployment and the way to minimize them. This problem is more significant in out-premise clouds where content is out of the company in the cloud vendor premise. While people have full control over the infrastructure, hardware resources, and software systems with their traditional physical servers or in-premise clouds, it is a non-trivial to enforce the risk of letting content stay in a third-party premise.
Security and privacy protection are both improved with the cloud-based card printer models. There is end-to-end encryption of all sensitive data both in transit and at rest, using banking-level encryption protocols. The use of digital certificates creates a trusted relationship between the cloud and the issuance console, and card data remains encrypted until it is printed, after which all personally identifiable information (PII) disappears. All encryption keys are securely stored in tamper-proof hardware, and unique firmware ensures the printers cannot be hijacked, but will only work with the cloud-based issuance system software. The issuance console can also be used with a card reader so that print jobs are not released until an authorized card or credential has been physically presented for validation.
This approach eliminates the problem of using legacy systems that limit the ability for IT or security personnel to track system activity and capital expenditure requirements for deploying printers as part of a world-class card issuance implementation.
Competence and Awareness
Lack of competent cloud engineers, cloud law makers and end service consumers is another hurdle to overcome. Reportedly, 20% of Malaysian users haven’t heard of cloud computing.
With HID solutions a cloud-based platform, the entire ID card issuance process can be delivered through a service model based on usage volume– hardware, software and service all in one offering. This approach cuts multiple layers of program costs while making it easier for administrators to scale the card office to accommodate future technology capabilities or changing volume demands. For instance, during periods of peak demand, large batches of cards can be produced and dispatched by commercial printing bureaus.
Cost savings can be substantial. This savings can include the typical annual cost for card stock, laminates and ribbons as well as the expense of service, maintenance and hardware and software updates reducing the need for additional staff time, investment for new IT resources to support the operation, or periodic replacement of obsolete equipment. A service model enables administrators to convert their budget for ID card issuance into an operational expense that could amount to a service fee covering all ribbons, pre-printed cards and mag stripe encoding.
Equally important, administrators who adopt a cloud-based model for their card office know that their operations will be compatible with today’s and tomorrow’s credential technology, including mobile IDs that enable users to carry ID cards on their smartphones. Solutions are generally also compatible with leading card systems. An example is HID Global’s HID FARGO Connect secure cloud-enabled card issuance system, which is compatible with systems including the CBORD solution for higher education and HID SAFE Enterprise software for managing identities and their access across physical access systems.
While the technology used by card production offices had largely remained static, the technology available to most other operations in the enterprise and a university campus has advanced considerably, improving how new students were onboarded and seamless registration for classes online, payment of fees and first day of class without waiting in physical lines. Now, the crucial task of printing and issuing student IDs has caught up with these advances, taking the inefficiency and inconvenience out of corporate ID badging while removing the crunch time for university card office administrators. Cloud-based card issuance solutions are giving back both time and money while re-envisioning the way card offices operate.