Not All Badge Holders are the same

CardPrintersDirect.com has been supplying over 300 different badge holders to our government customers for some time now. Filtering through the massive collection can be quite daunting even though we break them down into sub categories. So we figured we would share what other government and military organizations are buying.

First and foremost are the FIPS201 Secure Badge Holders : The 1840-5081 and 1840-5080 have been by far are most popular badge holders for government customers. Ever since the US government has released the HSPD-12 NIST Standard, FIPS 201, requiring that Personal Identity Verification (PIV) cards, such as those issued through the GSA USAccess Program, be kept in a FIPS 201 compliant Electromagnetically Opaque Sleeve/Card Holder when not in use we have been shipping these on a daily basis.  These two FIPS201 compliant badge holders give our customers a choice between a Vinyl or Rigid Plastic ID holder that allows the user easy access to his cards for access control or log in. In addition these particular badge holders can be customized with the organizations or companies logo.

The second most popular government badge holder has been the Rigid Plastic Colored Series. The popularity is driven by US Military bases needing a rugged 2 card badge holder. Rigid Plastic Badge holders provide a great way to protect name badges or ID cards from bending or damage. In addition, the different colors allow security personnel to visibly detect different departments or ranks.  In addition, these rigid badge holders come in either horizontal or vertical display.  The combination of slot and chain holes allows the military institutions to choose a variety of ways to hand the badge holder, from basic bead chain, lanyards or badge reels.

In addition to the above badge holders we offer 100′s of other styles from low cost convention badge holders to vinylproximity card holders. With that said give us a call at 888-377-2548 and we will guide you through the process of choosing the correct holder for your specific type of ID card or Badge.

New Magicard ID Card Printer

THE NEW RIO PRO – THE PROFESSIONAL’S CHOICE FOR SECURE ID CARD PRINTING

Magicard, the leading manufacturer of ID card printers, announces the launch of the Rio Pro, its new printer for the professional user.

The Rio Pro is an evolutionary replacement for Magicard’s highly popular Rio and Tango printers.  Andy Matko, Director of Magicard, said: “Professional users recognise quality, and the Rio Pro has been designed with this in mind. It is made with high quality components and purpose-built composites, resulting in a superior print quality which is further enriched with our unique HoloKote® watermark feature.  The Rio Pro is backed by our market-leading three year warranty, including a loaner printer service – our promise to keep professionals printing.”

The Rio Pro is packed with features and user choice – users can batch print with the 100-card feeder or print one-offs with the hand-feeder and its clear four-line display provides intelligent user information and interaction.

The Rio Pro is available in single or double-sided printing versions, with a further option, explained by Matko: “With the Rio Pro, you can buy now and choose later. You can start with a single-sided Rio Pro and upgrade to double-sided printing in a few seconds with our simple field upgrade – just drop in our special ribbon and your printer is instantly double-sided.”

Security features include Magicard’s patented HoloKote which adds a watermark to the card during the normal print cycle using existing consumables, enabling extra security at no extra cost. With the Rio Pro, this watermark can be a fully customised security design or logo, delivered using a unique RFID card coupled to the printer. Secure encoding options include magnetic stripe, contactless and smart card technologies.

The Rio Pro is designed and manufactured at Ultra Electronics’ centre of excellence for manufacturing in the United Kingdom and is backed with the market-leading three year UltraCoverPlus warranty.

Shipping from early 2011, the Rio Pro completes Magicard’s new product range, which also includes the entry-level Pronto, the mid-range Enduro, and the reverse transfer Prima 4, all launched over the last 2 years.

NADRA wins Nigerian ID Card Project

ISLAMABAD: National Database and Registration Authority, NADRA has signed a multi-million dollar contract of System Integration Services and issuance of National Identity document to Nigerian Government Agency.

The contract in this regard was signed in a prestigious ceremony held in Abuja, Nigeria between Mr. Gohar Khan, Chief Project Officer NADRA and Mr. Chris Onyemenam, Director General, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Nigeria, for the completion of the back-end of Nigeria Identity Management System.

“This is a landmark achievement that will further strengthen the ties between Pakistan and Nigeria. The system has been indigenously developed by NADRA and its delivery will empower the Government of Nigeria to issue tamperproof and secure Computerized ID Cards to Nigerian citizens” said Chairman NADRA.

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Identity card must to cast vote‎

By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: In a major step towards electoral reforms in Pakistan, the government will soon move a draft law in parliament to make Nadra’s Computerised National Identity Cards (CNIC) mandatory for voting in elections.

Secretary Election Commission Ishtiaq Ahmad Khan told The News here on Friday that the bill was expected to be moved in the National Assembly during its ongoing session and when enacted would make the old NIC and other documents of identity invalid for voting. “The Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) would be the unique identifier as per the law,” he said.

He explained that on the basis of computerised electoral rolls, a registered voter would be required to produce Nadra’s CNIC to cast the vote. The draft law, he said, had been finalised and sent to the Law Ministry to be moved in parliament for enactment.

Khan said that the draft bill would amend the two existing laws, the Electoral Rolls Act and Representation of Peoples’ Act, to introduce the reforms under which voting would be done on the basis of computerised electoral rolls whereas the voters would have to show the CNIC at the time of voting.

The secretary ECP said that the government was showing extreme keenness to get the draft law passed from parliament at the earliest. He said that the draft law had been prepared by the Election Commission in consultation with Nadra, Interior Ministry, Law Ministry and other stakeholders.

He said that through these reforms, rigging in voting would be comprehensively checked. The computerised electoral rolls would ensure that no voter was registered at two different places whereas the CNIC being the unique identifier would enable only the genuine voter to cast his vote by showing the genuine copy of the Nadra’s ID card.

“It would help resolve the decades old issue of rigged voting,” he said and added that work for the computerised electoral rolls had already been started and in the first step, electoral rolls in four districts, one in each province, had already been completed by the Election Commission with the help of Nadra.

In the second step, he said, the electoral rolls would be computerised all over Pakistan and this process would be completed by the end of 2011. These electoral reforms would set the stage for the next general elections to be held in a manner where fake ID cards would not work. Similarly, those political parties or politicians, who had a large number of old ID cards with them for use for voting would also not work.

Under the new system, the voters’ identity as well as the electoral rolls would be dependent on Nadra’s database, which is considered a remarkable achievement in Pakistan.

According to the secretary ECP, in addition to the above-discussed reforms, the commission is also closely working with the Telephone Industry of Pakistan (TIP) and Science and Technology authorities to introduce electronic voting machines to bring refinement in the electoral system.

Brazil starts to issue new ID cards

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Justice Minister Luiz Paulo Barreto on Thursday joined their countrymen to apply for a new chip-based identity card.

It is a magnetic card with digital printing and an electronic chip that stores information about the card-holder's name, gender, date of birth, photograph, affiliation, place of birth, signature, fingerprint, place and date of issuance and expiration.

The new ID card, using state-of-the-art technology, is designed to avoid repeated indentity registeration in different states, as well as confusions caused by different people with the same name.

Source: Xinhua
The process of replacing all old ID cards with the new ones is expected to take more than a decade in Brazil, with two million Brazilians getting their new ID cards in the next year free of charge.

The cost of the replacement is estimated at 55 million U.S. dollars in 2011, which will be covered by the Justice Ministry. 

Source: Xinhua

HID Global launches suite of contactless payment stickers

HID Global, trusted leader in solutions for the delivery of secure identity, today announced the addition of a convenient yet sturdy mobile sticker format to its family of contactless payment and identification cards.

The stickers make it easier to add closed-loop payment and loyalty systems to existing automatic fare collection or retail systems, or to augment campus identification systems with new access control capabilities. They also can be affixed to mobile phones as a bridge to coming NFC mobile payment services.

Unlike other stickers, HID's sturdy, adhesive-backed stickers include an internal ferrite layer that shields electronics from interference even when attached to items containing metal, such as mobile phones. They come in a breakout ID-1 card format and can be printed with customer information including serial numbers, activation codes, messages, brand elements and/or promotional text and artwork. HID Global offers print customization in low quantities, providing companies with an economical way to extend their brand presence. To meet existing customer environments, HID's contactless payment and identification stickers are available with DESFire®, MIFARE® and iCLASS® technologies, ensuring maximum flexibility in design and use.

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Toppan Printing Launches World's Fastest Card Printers

Toppan Printing Launches World's Fastest Card Printers

Tokyo, Dec 22, 2010 (JCN) - Toppan Printing Co. Ltd has developed the CP500, the world's fastest printers for ID cards, student cards and admission cards. The CP500 maintains the characteristic durability and high security of previous Toppan Printing products as well as the ability to handle items ranging from magnetic cards to contactless cards and contact IC cards, but with improved printing speed.

The CP500's size - 340x320x435mm - is roughly a third of previous models; and its 19kg weight is about half, resulting in a compact and light printer. The CP500 is capable of printing with a resolution of 600dpi for a desktop card printer. Counterfeiting is also difficult due to the use of Toppan Printing's unique pigment ink technology. The company aims to commence sales in August 2011.

A Letter From Transtech - Fargo Printers

To View online on Transtechs Site go here GINGO'S JUNK Nov. 24, 2010 I sit here this morning thinking back to the beginnings of this digital desktop PVC card printing business all the way back in 1993-94 when Fargo Electronics introduced what was a low-cost alternative to what were then megalithic, expensive units affordable by only large players. For those of you that were around in those pioneering days, you may also fondly remember the hey-day and high margin sales we all enjoyed as we happily converted the thousands of instant-film badging systems that then proliferated. I am also sitting here in shock as I read the latest eNewsletter I received only last week from Fargo Electronics-becoming-HID Global. In a section entitled "HID IN THE NEWS" there is a link to an article with the name "Crucial factors to consider when buying an ID card printer." Click on the article name here to go to the article itself.  Given where the industry was only 16-17 years ago in terms of profitability (ungodly high, as I recall), reading this article has given me a new-found appreciation, and some significant cause for concern, that our little business segment has, indeed, "grown up" and become seriously commoditized in the process. In my opinion, margin deterioration began back when Privilege-became-Eltron-became-Zebra aggressively entered the market in the late 90's to compete with Fargo-becoming-HID Global.  Their stated goal was to drive prices down, over-distribute the products to make them available virtually everywhere and run their competition's market share and profitability down significantly while growing their own. The result can be summarized in a quote taken directly from the article I mentioned above:  "It would help if you would purchase online because the online market is able to give out prices that are more affordable than those offered in the traditional market." Remember, this article has a prominent position on the front page of a newsletter from a company many of us began with, when they and we both needed each other to build market share and make sales so crucial to each of our success.  We relied and counted on each other to make that happen, and back then we had a true "relationship" in which we distributors and dealers were truly valued for our ability to tell the Fargo-becoming-HID Global story and proselytize for and educate customers about the benefits of that particular brand. However, as the market grew and more competition entered the fray, Fargo-becoming-HID Global, Privilege-became-Eltron-became-Zebra and others, then public companies for the most part, developed a completely different motivation, mostly driven towards share price.  We heard endlessly about the race to win the "units shipped" war, or the "dollars sold" war (not to mention the "dollars per unit", "profit per unit" and "number of dealers" wars.) Well, the result is that we who (still) have the end-user customers and make recommendations to them have been completely marginalized and Fargo-becoming-HID Global is apparently now publicly advising their potential end-users to bypass us completely and go to the internet and buy on price alone. "If you choose to buy from the online market, you will benefit from conveniences and affordable rates. A Fargo printer for example, will be less expensive if you buy it online because the online market generally offers lower prices than the traditional market." This is yet another quote from the same article that reinforces what I just said, and makes it clear that "traditional market", i.e. dealers, are just too expensive, and don't offer "conveniences" as found on the internet. So it is now apparent that all our work schlepping around printers to customer sites for demos, showing the products at national, regional and local trade shows, on-site, email and telephonic pre-sales support, installation capabilities (many times for free to secure the deal) and post-installation support is not needed anymore, at least by some manufacturers. What's worse, in clicking the author's name at the top of the article, Kenzie Williams, one is taken to a page with numerous other articles submitted by the same author to Yahoo! Contributor Network, all regarding ID cards and printers.  There is virtually no contact information or credentials for this individual listed anywhere, so as far as we know, this might be someone with no credibility, expertise or experience in the industry on which they comment so controversially.  And I wonder if the manufacturers mentioned in these articles challenge their findings and conclusions as I do here or simply cite as a matter if course simply because they consider it free publicity. To be fair, I have not spoken to anyone at Fargo-becoming-HID Global about this yet, as I felt it important enough to bring to your attention, first.  Hopefully, this will give them a wake-up call and we may even see a retraction or apology, as I firmly believe the market is STILL driven by us, their proverbial "feet-on-the-street."  None of these companies can afford to lose us and our mindshare as they continue to battle for sales and market, because this "traditional" channel drives customer demand, not the other way around. True, the internet will continue to be a struggle for all of us as we go about our business and try to provide the services we know our customers need to learn about, integrate and operate the products, as many will indeed turn to it to find the cheapest price after they are confident we have provided them all the knowledge and expertise they need to buy "price-only."  This is a bitter pill to swallow, surely, but the reality of the nature of sales today, and makes it more critical than ever for you to concentrate your efforts on customers who will not so callously turn their backs on you, either. My advice, as it has been since early on, is to choose your manufacturers with care.  If you are one of the internet retailers and are all about moving boxes in volume, pushing support back to the manufacturers and trying to own the market, then you will have to choose a company whose business model reflects that same philosophy. If you consider yourself a value-added dealer, as most of us in the industry are, then make sure the manufacturers you represent actually care that you are and value your loyalty while understanding that you are the one that ultimately steers business in their direction. Who those companies are is for you to decide. Please accept my sincere holiday wishes for you and your family, and thanks for listening yet again.

Polaroid P3000 Printer Sale

Now and through the end of 2010, Card Printers Direct is offer huge discounts on the P3000E and the P4000E id card printers from Polaroid.

Never before has anyone offered such low prices on these Polaroid Printers.

P3000E Printer Models on Sale

• Polaroid P3000E Color Card Printer Single Sided
• Polaroid P3000E ID Card Printer w Mag Encoder
• Polaroid P3000E  w Smart and Mag Card Encoder
• Polaroid P3000E Printer w Smart Card Encoder
• Polaroid P3000E Monochrome ID Card Printer

P4000E Printer Models on Sale

• Single Sided P4000E Card Printer
• Polaroid P4000e ID Card Printer
• P4000e Card Printer Mag Stripe Encoder
  
• P4000E Card Printer Simplex SCM Encoder
• P4000E Card Printer Mag and SCM Encoder

• Dual Sided P4000E Card Printer
• P4000e ID Card Printer Dual Sided
  
• P4000e ID Printer w Mag Stripe Dual Sided
  
• P4000e Duplex Printer with SCM Smart Card Encoder
• P4000e Duplex Printer with Combination Card Encoder

 

C3000 Ribbon for Polaroid MiniPortrait Passport Camera is back

Exclusive media for the Polaroid Digital MiniPortrait Passport System.

CardPrintersDirect.com will begin offering the C3000 Ribbons for the Polaroid MiniPortrait Passport Camera in December 2010

Due to the high demand for this product we ask you Pre-Order.

Finished print is resistant to water, acetone and alcohol, while providing an image stability of at least ten years. Final prints can be laminated, embossed and ink stamped without degrading the image. Package includes one dye transfer ribbon ( good for 50 sheets) and two 25-sheet media packs. Compatible only with the Polaroid Digital MiniPortrait Passport System.  The Polaroid DMP camera and printer is used worldwide to produce a large volume of high resolution passport photos.

NOTE: We are expecting our container shipment of the product the second week of December, 2010. The C3000 Media is now in production and we will continue to produce to meet the demand.

The newest ID Card Printer from Zebra

Zebra ZXP Series 8 Dual-Sided ID Card Retransfer Printer

The Zebra ZXP Series 8 retransfer card printer offers picture-perfect image quality, best-in-class throughput, a multitude of encoder
options, and high reliability that minimizes maintenance. The ZXP Series 8 printer includes ZMotif software development tools for
easy integration with enterprise applications.

• 170 cards per hour (max) dual-sided printing
• USB and 10/100 Ethernet-ready5 connectivity
• Windows drivers: XP, Server 2003, Vista
• Warranty: 2-year printer, unlimited printhead
• i Series intelligent media technology
• 64 MB memory

The Zebra ID Card printers is offered by Cardprintersdirect.com

Polaroid P2500S SIngle -Sided ID Card Printer

Polaroid's most affordable, single-feed id card printer to date

The single feed Polaroid P2500S id card printer allows you to print customized cards quickly and easily.

Single feed for on-demand applications
The Polaroid p2500s photo id card printer features single card feed that allows you to produce a personalized id card on demand in minutes. This new Polaroid printer offers edge-to-edge and sharp image quality for simple and easy card printing in a very compact and highly reliable package. Perfect fo Health Clubs

Robust, compact and portable
The Polaroid P2500S printer’s intuitive light and compact design makes it easy to transport to any location or event and placed on any counter or desktop.

Now with rewrite feature
The Polaroid P2500S ID card printer now features the ability to write and erase rewritable cards, at no extra cost. Unlike some other id card printers which do rewrite only, the Polaroid P2500S does both rewrite and normal full color printing.

Ideal P2500S ID Card Printer Applications

1. Customized bank and ATM cards
2. Short- or long-term bus, train or ski passes
3. School ID, library and/or meal cards
4. Employee ID and/or access control cards
5. Personalized gift and loyalty cards for incentive programs

Polaroid P2500S ID Card Printer Specifications

 

• Print mode:  Color dye sublimation and monochrome thermal printing and rewritable technology. 
• Visual Security : The user has the option to print a HoloKote® security watermark across the card surface. When used with HoloPatch® cards, one area of the HoloKote watermark is highlighted as a high visibility security seal. A choice of 4 fixed HoloKote patterns are selectable from the printer driver.
• Warranty* Two years limited depot warranty (North America only). Elsewhere 1 year limited warranty.
• Printer Interfaces USB rev1.1 (USB 2.0 compatible).
• Software Drivers Windows 2000TM, 2003 ServerTM, XPTM , VistaTM and 7TM drivers all supplied with printer.
• Dimensions 10.6” L x 8.4” W x 9.1” H
• Print Speed 35 seconds for color and 7 seconds for monochrome.

American Made Badge Holders and lanyards

CardPrintersDirect.com is now offering the broadest range of Made In America Badge Accessories including Badge Holders, Badge Reels and Lanyards. 

CardPrintersDirect.com is now offering a complete American Made Identification and Badge Section to our Site.

Some Online ID Card Supplies Stores have made it hard to find American-made products, but our goal is to make American Made Badge Holders, Badge Reels and Lanyards easy to buy and competitively priced. Every Badge Accessory item is 100% guaranteed to be produced in the USA. Quality, style, and Made in the USA -- You have our promise. No compromise. 

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  Badge Holders
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  Badge Reels
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  ESD Badge Holders
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Nexus Collections Survey Lists Conference Bags Leader of Promotional Goods for Events

7/1/2010 - In a recent survey undertaken by Nexus Collections, 23 percent of respondents identified Conference / Exhibition Bags to be the most effective branding opportunity available.

Nick Jones, Nexus Collections managing director, said, “Naturally we were overjoyed to see that conference bags, our primary product, are still considered the most effective by conference and exhibition organisers. When encouraged to provide more information, most individuals feel that it is the bag’s longevity that makes them such good branding opportunities – particularly on the higher quality bags, which you frequently see at subsequent events, meetings or even just used by individuals as everyday briefcases!”

Pens, notepads and lanyards were all popular as well, with around 10% of the vote each. Jones continues, “Like the conference bags, both the pens and notepads have longevity with many delegates taking them away and using them on into the future. I can also appreciate the popularity of lanyards as they are so visible at events, every delegate and member of the team sees not just their own, but the hundreds around them as well.”

Full results/Question: “Which branding opportunities do you find most effective at events?”
· Conference bags - 22.6%
· Badge Lanyards - 10.4%
· Advertising - 7.8%
· Conference Notepads - 11.5% · Pens - 12.6%
· Posters - 6.7%
· Sponsorship of Catering Events - 3.7%
· Sponsorship of Educational Sessions - 6.7%
· Sponsorship of Guide / Programme - 5.6%
· Sponsorship of Signage - 7.8%
· Other - 4.8%

Phthalates Free Badge Holders

PureClear™ vertical badge holder, clear EVA material with slot & chain holes. PVC, BPA and Phthalates free. Perfect for Maternity and Children's Wards in Hospitals and Elementary Schools These holders are superior in regards to health and environmental impact. PureClear™ is the ideal alternative to PVC. Max insert size: 4" x 3" (102 x 76mm). . Minimum Order 100 pieces.

	More about Badge and ID Card Holders Need Help finding a ID badge holder is right for your organization or needs? How you want you ID badge to be displayed and how often it needs be accessed or how much protection your card needs will determine the best choice of badge holder for your Identification Program. We offer numerous types of Badge Holders to fite your needs from Clear Vinyl badge holders to easily display your ID Card to SkimSAFE badge holders protect your electromagnetically encoded information from theft or compromise. We also offer reflective safety badge holders and Antimicrobial badge holders for people in food service or health care. Have additional questions about ID badge holders? Contact our ID Badge Holder Solution Experts at (888) 412-6584 or chat online live with us now.

Protect your ID cards from being Skimmed

ID Card Protectors

All ID and Badge Holders in this category are made in the USA and are FIPS201 Approved

The new ID Card Protectors protect personal information on contactless credit or debit cards, or any 13.56 MHz RFID technology cards including Mifare, Iclass, Piv, Cac, Twic And Frac Cards. A layer of sheilded material protects a card against unauthorized or unknown access to valuable information. The Badge holders offer the best protection against ID theft, and are all BAA ( Buy America Act) , FIPS201 approved.

The most Secure, Cost Effective and Longest Lasting Electromagnetically Opaque Sleeve that protects your encoded data from hacking and skimming.

Dual-Sided Electromagnetically Opaque Sleeve - Holds Two Cards- FIPS-201 Approved

NEW....Rigid Shielded 2-Card Badge Holder

Dual-Sided Electromagnetically Opaque Sleeve - Holds Two Cards- FIPS-201 Approved

The new CardProtectors™ rigid, shielded holder protects personal information on contactless credit or debit cards, or any 13.56 MHz RFID technology card including MIFARE, iClass, PIV, CAC, TWIC and FRAC cards. 

 

 

Inset Size 3 3/8" x 2 1/8" (86 x 54mm)

Minimum Order 50 Pieces.

 

The Secure Badge Holder is a rigid plastic card holder designed to protect a single contactless PIV, CAC, or identification card. The Secure Badgeholder is a barrier to the radio frequency signals that are necessary to communicate with smart cards. This offers protection against unauthorized access to valuable information. No need to remove your card, the card is read when you open the holder by squeezing the tabs. Information is protected when the holder is closed.

 

Two Smart Cards slide in on opposite sides and securely lock in place for wearing in blocked mode. The user slides either card slightly downward to transmit the card's encoded data

Why Lanyards?

Lanyards…You see them everywhere. They are almost as common as cell phones.

You don't have to travel very far to witness the wonderful world of lanyards in use, in full colour. Virtually any company, organization or group of people with which you may come in contact is likely to employ neck lanyards for some application or purpose, including:

Application	Purpose
Employee ID Cards	- To display an employee credential or access card in an attractive and convenient manner
Trade Shows / Exhibitions / Events	- To display a badge without having to clip or pin it to apparel - To promote your company or advertise a new product
Promotions	- To display corporate affiliation or to advertise a branded product
Membership	- To display in a recognizable manner membership in a group (club, tour group, school group, etc.)
Cell Phone / Digital Camera Carriers	- To hold your cell phone/camera in a secure and readily-accessible manner

Use your imagination… you pick the lanyard style and color; you pick the components; and you pick the design… we'll do the rest. No matter what your application or purpose, we will deliver lanyards that you will be proud to wear no matter where you go.

Hospital Badge Buddys

Hospital Badge Buddys
Originally uploaded by Al-Cor Identification Solutions

Hospital and Medical Facilities Badge Accessories

Provides patients with instant role recognition of who is caring for them. Simply place the Badge Buddy behind your existing ID badge and clip into place with your lanyard or badge reel for immediate use!

* Choice of 3 different styles - choose from Doctor, LPN or RN

* Can be worn with any ID card - no need to change your existing badge

* Made with Teslin, the most durable card in the industry. 20 mil Polyester/Polyethylene laminate / 10 mil Teslin card

* Color coded with large print on both sides - provides instant recognition of the caregiver's role.

Ideal for hospitals & healthcare facilities! Ideal for hospitals and health care facilities badge programs. The Badge Buddies can also be customized by printing hospital codes, phone numbers or procedures

Apple Announcing a New Custom Lanyard?

Customized lanyards are dependable devices, but are about as basic as it's possible to get. A simple loop of nylon, polyester, cotton or other material that goes around the user's neck to hold I.D. cards, pens or other items, the lanyard is about as cutting-edge as a rock.

But Apple Inc. and others may soon be changing it. The workaday customized lanyard could soon be going high-tech. An independent Apple-centric web site recently reported that the tech giant patented a lanyard design that incorporates electronic equipment and will be able to be used with Apple portable devices.

Macsimum News reported that the customized lanyard would include a neck cord having data carrying capability and a harness to hold a device such as smartphones and MP3 players.

Current customized lanyards don’t have the ability to integrate electronic signals into the lanyard in any similar way. That requires those who use a lanyard to carry their MP3 player to use a separate cord for the headphones. The proposed new device would simplify use by eliminating the need for a separate trailing cord for headphones.

Customized lanyards already are performing an important tech function in many workplaces. Lanyards are often being used to carry USB flash drives. The lanyard keeps the flash drive handy, ready for use whenever the wearer needs it, yet also helps keep the drive from being lost. Customized with a company logo or message, the lanyard even performs a marketing function as well.

With more and more electronic devices moving toward wireless connectivity, customized lanyards could soon become an important part of the communications revolution.