Looking for a comprehensive list of definitions for many of the industry terms used on our site? Check out our Glossary for more information.
Describes fast, efficient printing processes used to produce large quantities of cards with minimal downtime for media loading or maintenance.
A unique photographic overlay that provides a three-dimensional effect on a flat surface. Holograms cannot be easily copied and are often used for security purposes on cards.
HOS is a process that tracks number of hours driven by a particular driver. Defined by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the purpose of the HOS is to reduce accidents caused by driver fatigue.
The process of combining lamination material and core material using time, heat and pressure. Laminate patches used in card printers come on rolls, with and without carriers/liners.
The LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is a small screen that displays the current status of the printer. LCD communicates an error with text, making it easier to interpret than LED lights.
A virtual spot on a map that can be used to trigger alerts when tracked items are nearby.
A type of service in which wireless technology is integrated with global positioning services (GPS), providing multiple ways of managing mobile resources.
Mag stripe refers to the black or brown magnetic stripe on a card. The stripe is made of magnetic particles of resin, the type of which determines how difficult it is to encode or erase information from the stripe. Magnetic stripes are often used in logical access, time and attendance, lunch programs, library cards, and other applications.
The ability to manage your field personnel more efficiently using wireless technology and devices.
A vehicle’s self-diagnostic and reporting capability. OBD systems give the vehicle owner or repair technician access to the status of the various vehicle sub-systems such as oil pressure, airbag system, and low tire pressure warning system.
Oversized cards are used for more efficient visual identification and are available in many nonstandard sizes.
A standard software utility used to test the stability of network connections. It is also used to describe how often a GPS device ?checks in?, allowing the user to view updated location data.
Proximity cards (sometimes called “prox” cards) allow access and tracking utilizing contactless technology (usually by communicating through a built-in antenna.)
Dimension of the smallest element of an image that can be printed. Usually stated as dots-per-inch (dpi).
Smart cards have an embedded computer circuit that contains either a memory chip or a microprocessor chip, and are often used for Contact, Contactless, and Proximity cards, among others.