Common Access Card Project Orders 276 Fargo Electronics Printer/Encoders

Oct. 19, 2004
Company also reports additional sales to an unidentified government agency

Fargo Electronics, Inc., a global leader in secure technologies for card identity systems, today announced that it has received an additional order for its High Definition Card Printer/Encoders as part of its ongoing involvement with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) "Common Access Card" Project.

The order includes 276 of Fargo's new HDP600-LC laminating card printer/encoders and is a follow-on to the order for 125 HDP600-LCs received in April, 2004. The printers are currently expected to ship in the 2004 calendar year.

"We're pleased with this order and the continuing relationship with the Department of Defense," said Gary R. Holland, Fargo's president and chief executive officer. "We are proud to be contributing to the overall security of our service personnel through our participation in the Common Access Card project."

The HDP600 is a new dual-sided, full-color printer/encoder that utilizes Fargo's patented High Definition Printing(tm) (HDP(r)) technology. HDP technology was designed for the personalization of RFID proximity, laser and smart cards with computer chips. By printing onto the underside of a special film, which is then fused into the surface of the card through heat and pressure, the HDP600 can print over the edge of cards, tightly around smart chips and on a variety of card surfaces. In addition, its inline encoding module provides seamless integration of encoding and printing on technology cards. The model chosen in this project also includes a built-in laminator that automatically transfers Fargo's patented PolyGuard(tm) overlaminate to the card, for increased security and durability.

"The DoD has established a state-of-the art identification card program that's setting a standard for other agencies and organizations to follow," said Kathleen Phillips, Fargo's Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "We are excited that they recognize reverse image printing as the premier technology to create their cards."

Through the Common Access Card program, the DoD will issue standard identification cards for approximately 4,000,000 active duty uniformed service personnel, selected reserves, DoD civilians and eligible contractor personnel. The card contains credentials to authenticate personal identity and is based on smart card technology, which stores and processes information on an integrated microprocessor chip contained on the card itself.

The company also announced that it has been selected to supply the HDP600-LC card printer/encoder to a major U.S. government agency who requested that it not be specifically identified. The agency's enterprise-wide initiative will provide state-of-the-art smart cards for employees and contractors to securely access facilities and information systems.

The order includes 240 of Fargo's new HDP600-LC card printer/encoders and is expected to ship in the 2004 calendar year.

The Fargo systems will be incorporated into the card project by MPC Computers of Nampa, Idaho, a government contractor specializing in mid-sized businesses, government agencies and education organizations, and TransTech Systems, a value-added distributor of ID badging and access control products.