Card Technology Goes To School
The IRIS Companies found a niche selling ID badging systems to the growing education market. This $6 million integrator expects a 25% increase in business this year just from this market. Could you do the same?
Now, they are taking these same systems to high schools, with great success. "High schools are the fastest growing segment within the education market," says Ziegler. He attributes this growth to the number of publicized incidents of high school violence. But he also attributes the growth to school districts' willingness to invest in proven technology. Several states, including Pennsylvania, have begun safe schools initiatives. These initiatives often include money for public schools to install security measures, including badging systems. These factors all make going back to school a profitable move for VARs, he says.
The IRIS Companies began in 1980, literally on Ned and Susan Gehris' dining room table. In May, 1998, the couple moved the company into a custom-built, 25,000 sq. ft. facility. Ziegler says the mid- to late-1990s were "watershed" years for The IRIS Companies. "There was a change from Polaroid film-based ID systems to various types of PC-based electronic imaging systems," says Ziegler. "Non-proprietary and Windows-based (ODBC) software, as well as low-cost color PVC printers, became available. These helped accelerate the growth of PC-based systems." These advancements in card technology coupled with growth in the education market are expected to boost The IRIS Companies' sales by 25% this year.
Imaging The Possibilities
A recent installation by The IRIS Companies at Reading High School (PA) illustrates how the company sells in the education market. Reading High School has 4,000 students, half of whom attend a vocational program at another school for part of the day. The students use the library and ride buses. Reading High School participates in federally funded lunch programs. According to Ziegler, the school has had problems with racial tension and unauthorized visitors. "All of these factors come into play when designing a card system," says Ziegler.
"Initially, school administrators wanted to limit access to the building," says Ziegler. That's easy enough to do with a badging system that costs under $10,000. In fact, 80% of The IRIS Companies' business is from schools spending between $10,000 and $15,000. "Rather than have the school settle for a simple badging system, we showed them all the possibilities," points out Ziegler. There were opportunities to use student ID cards with a magnetic stripe, bar code or other technologies for access control to the school, as debit cards in the cafeteria and also as library cards. By pointing out these opportunities, Ziegler boosted the sale to $60,000. VARs take note: selling Reading High School on the system's possibilities also helped Ziegler beat the other 12 companies vying for the sale.
Easing Scheduling Headaches
Reading High School was ready to provide badges to its 4,000 students. "Scheduling the badge photos can be a nightmare," admits Ziegler. The IRIS Companies routinely help their customers with photo ID scheduling. "You can't badge everyone at 8 a.m. on a Monday morning, especially students," says Ziegler. To avoid long lines of impatient students and frustrated school employees, Ziegler suggested scheduling students by homerooms. He also rented additional badging equipment to the school during the initial badging. "Typically, you'll get about 80% of the students completed during the first phase. The other 20% are scheduled during a make-up session," explains Ziegler.
In addition to the students' photos, their personal data, such as name and address, are entered into a database. The information collected varies by school. "Customized reports are generated from the database," explains Ziegler. Attendance and demographics are two types of reports school administrators can generate from the system. Copies of students' photos can also be printed out if necessary. Bus drivers, for example, are given pictures of problem students who should not be riding particular buses, explains Ziegler.
No Card, No Access
Once all the students were given photo ID badges, Reading High School limited access to the building to three entrances. Security guards are stationed at each entrance. Students must show their ID badges for admission. Once in the school, students swipe their cards through readers located in each home room. Attendance for the day is instantly completed, notes Ziegler.
Students without badges are sent to a centralized location to receive a temporary badge. "The temporary badge is typically valid for only one day," says Ziegler. Students who repeatedly forget their badges are fined, he notes.
Badges As A Fashion Statement
Ziegler says getting the Reading High School students to wear their badges hasn't been a problem. The cards are attached to custom-printed neck lanyards. "The neck lanyards have become trendy," explains Ziegler. Perhaps too trendy. "We receive requests for custom-printed lanyards from many schools. The students want them for sporting events and to give to their friends."
Put It On My Card
Once it had been using the photo IDs for several weeks, Reading High School began using the badges as debit cards. "Each card already incorporated a bar code for time and attendance," says Ziegler. The IRIS companies integrated Reading's cafeteria POS system to accept the badges. One concern the school had was the stigma students sometimes faced when they participated in a free or reduced-price lunch program. Rather than present a lunch program card, students simply swipe their badge through a reader at the POS station. "No one, except school administrators, has to know which students are actually in a lunch program," says Ziegler. The badges, as debit cards, are simply "preloaded" through students' accounts. Parents can pay ahead for the year, for example. Or, government subsidy money is deducted each time cards are used.
The library was the next function attached to the ID badges. Again, using the bar codes and a few additional readers, The IRIS Companies were able to extend the school's original application. Reading High School students simply swipe their cards to check out books from the school library. Because the system is networked, librarians can also generate customized reports, such as a daily library activity report.
Continuing With Education
Ziegler expects to have an ongoing relationship with Reading High School, thanks to the annual turnover in students. "In business, you may see a 25% turnover in employees. In high schools, the student turnover can be as high as 40%," explains Ziegler. That means he can sell new badges and lanyards to his existing customers. There are also software upgrades and maintenance opportunities. He says support is especially important. "We go back to the schools 30 days after the initial installation is completed, at no charge," says Ziegler. "We may have to reconfigure a system component or simply answer questions."
Ziegler expects his company will continue to do well in the high school market. While most of his customers are public schools, he says many private schools have also begun to adopt badging systems. "Private schools use them less for security and more for time and attendance and as merchant discount cards," he notes. He even predicts some growth in the elementary school segment of the market. The IRIS Companies stay on top of the education market by attending trade shows and primarily marketing to customers on the East Coast. Much of their business also comes through referrals. When it comes to selling photo ID badging systems to the education market, The IRIS Companies are at the head of the class.