American company HID Global is using visual authentication technology to dramatically reduce counterfeit IDs.

The technology, vanGo, will enable university, government agencies and businesses to create and issue personalised, secure IDs with higher levels of protection and one-third of the cost of current market solutions.

The technology readily identify the legitimacy of the card holder. It’s based on the technology used in today’s US Green Card, which has virtually eliminated mass counterfeit cards.

With the vanGo solution cards are hot-stamped with a special square metallic patch that can be written with the cardholder’s facial image just before being issued using a special laser writer module and the FARGO HDP8500 printer from HID Global.

The card is nearly impossible to counterfeit. It’s estimated that nearly 90 per cent of inspections are still done using the naked eye, rather than using an electronic reader. The vanGo care is easy to identify and authenticate without electronic readers or access to databases.

By adding a personalized, counterfeit-resistant image of cardholders to cards in higher educational settings, vanGO ensures that facilities and campus communities are safeguarded against counterfeiters who shouldn’t have access to those areas.

For government agencies such as parks and recreation departments, state offices, public safety centers, and weapons or land management bureaus, the ease of authentication offers cost-effective, “eye-readable” security that was previously unavailable.

The vanGO solution also surpasses the effectiveness of conventional alternatives on the market since each image created is unique to the card and to the cardholder. Enterprises can now instantly issue secure IDs to employees and contractors easily and cost-effectively.

The vanGO portfolio of One-2-One™ visual security features includes two options. The standard vanGO option provides an affordable off-the-shelf solution in a single configuration. vanGO Custom offers a more customizable solution that allows the customer to modify the shape and location of the vanGO patch on the card or add other visual security features, such as a hologram surrounding the patch.

The vanGO visual security solution is created using a complete, easy-to-use desktop personalization solution consisting of:
•    PVC/PET composite cards featuring the vanGO patch.
•    HID Global FARGO HDP8500LW laser writer module, now available with the FARGO HDP8500 high-definition, industrial-grade ID card printer and encoder already used in many high-security applications.
•    HID Global Asure ID® 7.6 Card Personalization Software, which includes custom templates for placement of the vanGO patch on HID Global cards.