Datacard Group Takes Smart Card Production and Personalization to 5,000 Cards Per Hour

Business Wire, June 27, 2006

MINNETONKA, Minn. -- Datacard Group today introduced a new release of its Datacard(R) MPR5000 card production and personalization system that is capable of issuing 5,000 smart cards per hour, a 28% increase in speed. This enhanced speed is a result of newly designed card personalization features including modules for high volume smart card encoding, dual laser engraving and card input and output.

"Datacard Group is committed to offering our customers high quality, cost effective card issuance systems that meet both current and emerging needs," said Neil Crocker, vice president of marketing and product management for Datacard Group. "These enhancements were critical to our customers in the Telecom and ID sectors, who face increasingly aggressive demands for highly personalized and secure cards produced at greater speeds," he said.

"The MPR5000 system is the only fully inline system capable of offering such a competitive advantage, with reduced cost per card and the promise of an improved return on investment," Crocker continued. "The system's compact, modular design provides issuers with the capabilities currently required, and then allows them to add functionality as their card programs change and grow."

Datacard Group offers the world's best-selling secure ID and card personalization solutions. The company's portfolio includes systems for high-volume card issuance, card delivery, secure ID issuance and passport production, plus extensive service and supply offerings. Datacard Group serves customers in more than 120 countries (www.datacard.com).