Banking market Evolis record

FACILITATING SUCCESSFUL INSTANT ISSUANCEBANKING INSIGHT CLOUD

Instant payment card issuance is appreciated for its efficiency to satisfy customer needs instantly. However, some banks still hesitate to utilize this method, due to concerns over the technical complexity and costs involved in insuring that the service will not compromise client data.

CARD ISSUANCE SOLUTIONS DELIVERED FROM THE CLOUD

Before making a decision as to which issuance model to choose, bank management must consider the impact of the integration and operation of such a service on the organization: How  much  human  and  material  resources  will  the  bank  be  able  to  extend?  Which  model  will  be  the  best  choice  for  institution integration?As EMV becomes more commonplace, the personalization process of payment cards now requires more complex steps such as EMV data preparation involving cryptographic processes as well as the utilization of dedicated hardware (servers, HSM) and additional software.These  elements  can  either  be  installed,  operated  and  maintained  internally  at  the  financial  institution,  or  remotely  hosted, operated and maintained by a third party solution provider. SaaS (Software as a service) or Cloud service,  will usually  be  the  most  prompt  solution  for  financial  institutions  as  the  third  party  vendor  manages  all  of  the  security  compliance, installation, operation and support. Financial institutions do not have to mobilize important internal IT resources to manage the integration of this service into their process. It is also an ideal way to introduce the service with limited initial investment, which makes it easier to test the service on a small scale. Once the service is proven successful, it can be scaled up easily to other branches and new card designs can be introduced into the instant issuance offer without impacting the institution’s resources.

SMARTER AND MORE AUTONOMOUS CARD PRINTERS

Cloud instant issuance services can be supplemented with a card personalization solution that is designed to be fully driven from the cloud.The majority of personalization systems available on the market require a physical computer with locally installed drivers that are able to communicate with remote services. Although this provides a uniform interface from which these services can operate, it also has some disadvantages:It  usually  requires  a  dedicated  computer  for  each  issuance  location,  thereby  incurring  additional  costs  and  further  complexity regarding the hardware and the security management. Also, very often card printer drivers are only available for certain operating systems and will not work on others. Maintenance of the solution is more complex, especially when driver updates are required.Some  personalization  systems  are  designed  to  be  fully  operated  from  the  cloud,  without  requiring  the  installation  of  a  local  driver  or  having  a  dedicated  PC  in  the  branch.  They  usually  embed  a  computing  unit  which  produces  a  fully  autonomous  system  in  terms  of  operation  and  maintenance,  by  remotely  and  securely  communicating  directly  to  the  cloud service. Although the systems incur additional costs over traditional card printers, they allow for a much simpler deployment and operation at the branch level.

CHOOSING A CARD ISSUANCE SYSTEMWITH HIGH SECURITY FEATURESLOCKING ACCESS TO CONSUMABLES

When  implementing  in-branch  instant  issuance,  particular  care  must  be  taken  to  securely manage access to consumables. A used consumable such as a printing ribbon or a rejected card can contain sensitive card holder data which must be properly  managed  to  avoid  a  security  breach.  Blank  card  consumables  could  also be fraudulently used to personalize counterfeit cards.Access  to  these  sensitive  components  is  usually  managed  through  additional  security measures in the branch by installing the printer in a secured back-office room under video surveillance, only accessible to authorized personnel.Some  printers  integrate  electronic  locks  that  completely  secure  access  to  those  consumables  once  they  are  installed  inside  the  printer.  This  allows  for  a  more  flexible  and transparent setup in the branch as it can be used as a visible, over-the-counter system, while guaranteeing that sensitive elements are not accessible to non authorized personnel or end concumer. An electronic locking system keeps a log inside the printer of every access granted and can also set up dual access control requiring two different individuals to unlock the printer. This way, the systems can be utiliszed without requiring a dedicated secured area, which can be a challenge for smaller branches.The  key  element  of  an  instant  card  issuance  service  at  a  branch  location  is  the  card  personalization  system.  This  hardware  is  critical  to  the  service  as  it  will  be  handled  by  branch  staff  and  delivers  the  final  product  to  the  end  customer.When choosing a card printer system, certain factors such as printing quality, reliability and ease of use will have a direct impact on the overall service aspect.Managing security directly from the printer also reduces the technical complexity of such a solution.

MASKING SENSITIVE DATA ON PRINT RIBBONS

Another  embedded  security  function  that  simplifies  the  instant  issuance  process  is  ribbon  data  masking  (or  ribbon  scrambling). Some printers will automatically erase or mask any residual sensitive data that can appear on used ribbons. The ribbon can no longer be used to retrieve sensitive information. Without this security feature, financial institutions have to securely handle and store used ribbons each time they are removed from the printer, and destroy them once they have been fully used. Destruction of the ribbons usually requires either purchasing specific certified shredders or collecting the ribbons and sending them to an external service for destruction. A ribbon masking feature on the card printer optimizes security while streamlining the handling of the ribbons.

OPT FOR MODULAR AND FLEXIBLE SYSTEMSWhen implementing an instant issuance service, many financial institutions are taking a step-by-step approach; introducing the service to a limited number of branches, with a limited number of card products. This cost-effective approach helps confirm that the service is relevant to their end consumers. A cloud service allows for flexible scaling up should the financial institution choose to offer new card products or new issuance points. This flexibility however can only be fully leveraged if the original purchased systems can also be similarly scalable.Particular attention should be paid to the following printer features which are capable of accommodating more than one card type.

OPT FOR MODULAR AND FLEXIBLE SYSTEMS
When implementing an instant issuance service, many financial institutions are taking a step-by-step approach; introducing the service to a limited number of branches, with a limited number of card products. This cost-effective approach helps confirm that the service is relevant to their end consumers. A cloud service allows for flexible scaling up should the financial institution choose to offer new card products or new issuance points. This flexibility however can only be fully leveraged if the original purchased systems can also be similarly scalable.Particular attention should be paid to the following printer features which are capable of accommodating more than one card type.INPUT HOPPER OPTIONSMost entry level personalization systems only offer one input hopper, which allows for one type of blank/pre-personalized card to be used within the system. A cost-effective way of expanding on the type of cards that can be offered through instant issuance is to opt for printers that offer both automatic and manual card insertion. The automatic input hopper can be used to personalize the most common card stock, while the manual card insertion slot can be used to personalize exceptional card types without having to manipulate and replace the card stock already locked in the printer.High-end systems usually offer multiple input hoppers, which allow for several blank or pre-personalized card designs to be personalized and printed with the same system. Although it provides additional flexibility, there might be limitations to the type of cards that can be personalized at the same time, for the simple reason that most systems only have one fixed ribbon type in the printer. With this configuration, financial institutions are limited to personalizing cards that are compatible with the loaded ribbon, which could pose a problem if the pre-personalized cards have very different backgrounds. For example, light or dark backgrounds cannot usually be personalized with the same ribbons, and require that the agent unlocks and securely replaces the ribbon – which defeats the purpose of having multiple hopperS.

UPGRADABILITY OF CARD PERSONALIZATION SYSTEMS
There are several reasons why a financial institution might want to upgrade the personalization capabilities of a system: •   The introduction of a new card technology (EMV, contactless)•   The introduction of a new card type requiring another technology (e.g. embossing). Several  personalization  systems  on  the  market  are  based  on  a  modular  approach,  which  allows  for  the  addition  of  new  features without requiring the systems to be fully replaced or sent back to factory for upgrades. This modular architecture makes it easier for financial institutions to develop new service options over time.

CONCLUSION
Choosing  a  Saas/Cloud  solution  greatly  reduces  the  complexity  of  launching  an  instant  issuance  service.  In  this  context,  institutions should focus on choosing equipment designed for this mode of operation, with features that support the need for sufficient levels of security, modularity, flexibility and personalization.

MORE THAN 60 000 SYSTEMS INSTALLED IN BANK BRANCHES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
Created in 2000, the Evolis group designs, produces, and markets a complete range of plastic card printing and customization solutions for the identification of people and property. With a presence on every continent, Evolis is now the world leader for plastic card printing solutions.Having carried out many small to large-scale projects in various regions of the world and in highly  diverse  fields,  the  printing  systems  and  expertise  of  Evolis  are  widely  recognized  by  many companies and organizations.
•    Headquarters and production site in Angers (France)
•    Installed base of more than 310,000 card printers
•    Subsidiaries in Miami and Boston (United States), Singapore, Mumbai (India), Shanghai (China), Tokyo (Japan), Lisbon (Portugal), Paris and Lyon (France)
•    More than 350 employees worldwide
•    400 official distributors in 140 countries
•    ISO 9001 certified companyTHE EVOLIS GROUP, THE WORLD LEADERIN INSTANT PAYMENTCARD ISSUANCEMUCH MORE THAN CARD PRINTERSSignature padsSoftwareCard printersAccessoriesServices