Smart chips on ID cards also enable cashless vending in PING Pavilion

Minnetonka, Minn., September 18, 2002–Organizers of the 2002 Solheim Cup have turned to Datacard Group to enhance security at next week’s event, the biggest event in women’s professional golf. Datacard, a world leader in secure identity solutions, was selected to issue secure ID cards to golfers, staff and volunteers at the biennial trans-Atlantic team match-play event, which will be held Sept. 20-22 at Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minn. The Solheim Cup features the 12 top U.S.-born players from the LPGA Tour and the 12 leading European-born players from the Ladies European Tour.

The cards, issued by Datacard’s ID Services Group, feature player or staff photos and text information, as well as full-color photos of the course and The Solheim Cup. A topcoat protects the visual integrity of the cards and provides a strong line of defense against forgery and alteration. In addition to photos and text-based cards, a limited number of cards feature a programmable smart chip. As cards are issued, Datacard will use its Accelus® Cashless Payment Solution to load a monetary value onto the smart chip. Authorized cardholders will be able to use their ID cards to purchase refreshments at Accelus® Point-of-Sale Terminals in the PING Pavilion.

Andy Bush, Solheim Cup operations director, said he chose to move away from previous non-photo IDs to digitally printed plastic ID cards for two important reasons. “First, we wanted to further strengthen security on and around the course. Datacard provided us with an ideal solution. The digitally printed, tamper-resistant IDs provide our security team with a clear visual confirmation of the person’s identity and their access level,” Bush said. “Using Datacard’s ID Services Group to issue the cards was also a good value. It’s much more efficient than producing the cards ourselves.

“Secondly, adding photos of the course and The Solheim Cup is a sound branding strategy,” Bush said. “The design of the cards clearly reflects the prestige and honor of this great event.”

Datacard Group provides software, systems and professional services needed to build profitable card programs. The company’s solutions portfolio also includes a complete line of secure digital identity systems and card personalization systems. Datacard Group is privately held and based in Minnetonka, Minn. Datacard Group serves customers in more than 120 countries.