There has been some hype in the media about ID cards recently and you may be thinking they could never be fashionable. You may be pleased to hear that efforts have been made to quash those thoughts and bring ID cards into the 21st century. You may have seen ID cards just dangling around someone’s neck or clipped to a person’s shirt and wondered if there was more to life. Well there is now with the ID Card reel, it can be clipped to your shirt or trousers as per normal or it can come with a keychain option so it can be linked to your keys or to your trouser straps.
They are extensible too so you can pull it out away from where it is clipped or chained to, swiped and then just let go and it will return to its normal, neat and tidy state on its own. If in those quite common situations where you need to have you ID card extended temporarily for a period of time then a reel is now available that can be locked at a certain length, like a tape measure can be.
You might have read in recent press and opinions that ID card clips are better than ID card holders. Well while ID card holders are on the back foot ID card clip manufacturers have hit home even harder that they can produce the goods and bring high quality options to the table.
With an ID card clip there is no need for a lanyard, you have the option of using a lanyard or not using a lanyard. A lanyard is long and floppy and can carry a health and safety risk around large machinery. If a person’s lanyard was to become stuck in heavy machinery, you only have to imagine what could happen because a lanyard will not snap. An ID card clip that is clipped to your shirt, is much safer, it will let go in a dangerous and volatile situation.
There is nowadays more variety in the ID card clip range. Long gone are the days where all ID card clips look the same. Now there is the crocodile ID card clip available, this is a more robust solution and spells out quality to any passerby. For extra safety a paper clip can be provided with the crocodile ID Card clip. The crocodile ID card clip can come in plastic or it can come with a chrome finish for the sophisticated ID card wearer.
Â
It is the right time to introduce the National Identity Scheme for several reasons. Advances in technology, especially biometrics mean that a secure effective scheme is now possible. Around the world, biometrics are being used for Passport and immigration control.
For example:-
•   Fingerprint checks are used by the US Immigration at major ports even for people from countries that belong to the US visa waiver scheme
•   New International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards declare that passports ought to include a biometric facial scan
•   The European Union (EU) has started the move towards using both fingerprints and facial biometric details in passports, and for residence permits and visas issued to visitors external to the European Economic Area.
In response to these changes, the government has introduced biometrics into UK passports as part of a complete programme to improve border security, make travel more safe and improve free public services and benefits for those who are entitled.
Already this means 80% of UK citizens who hold passports will have biometric data recorded from them and with a small investment the other 20% will be enrolled to use the National Identity Scheme which will prove beneficial to individuals and society as a whole.
There has been a lot of hype in the news and media lately about ID card holders and the holders were better than the clips, well this just is not true. Plastic ID card holders are not as dynamic as ID card clips. If you buy a landscape plastic ID card holder then you are forced to (if you care about your ID card looking as good as how they look in all the magazines and on the best websites online) have your ID cards printed landscape. If you buy a portrait plastic ID card holder then you are forced to have your ID cards printed in portrait.
Whereas with an ID card clip it can clip on to an ID card that is or horizontal origin or vertical origin. There is no discrimination, it leaves room for a better world without the hassle of daily portrait and landscape issues. The ID card clip is the future of ID cards in my opinion, a peek in from outside the box.
Â
ID Card Holders can come in all shapes and sizes, for the typical ID card size there exists two major styles to choose from; Landscape ID card holder, which are wider than they are tall, and also Portrait ID card holders which are taller than they are wide.
The choice seems simple but I will run you through the options carefully. If you prefer the hole on your ID card to be along the longer length of the card and have all your ID card information (the picture and text perhaps) at the side of one another rather than on top of one another, horizontally, then you should choose the landscape style ID card holder.
If you however want the ID card information (the picture and text perhaps) on top of one another rather than at the side of one another, vertically, then you should the portrait style ID card holder.
The national identity register is a database that will hold relevant information about every citizen in the UK. Strict access control will be applied to the database so that only authorised public and private organisations will be able to access and check the data and it can only be used to determine our claimed identities are correct. To authenticate the identities of staff and customers. For example when you open a bank account or register to work in a school.
Only parliament will be able to change the types of information stored in the database.
The following are the types of information that will be kept about us:
Name, address, gender, date of birth, place of birth, immigration status, fingerprints, iris patterns, facial image.
It won’t contain sensitive information such as ethnic origin, medical records, tax records, religious beliefs.
Fed up of back ache? Forever leaning over and swiping your lanyard’s ID card into the system? There is a solution that allows a person to still have all the excellent benefits of a lanyard secured ID card and not have back ache issues through leaning over.
The solution is a card reel. The ID Card’s punched hole has the card reel connector fed through it, and the card reel then has the lanyard fed through it in turn. A daisy chain between the lanyard the card reel and the ID card is created, that is strong and durable. The card reel allows a person to pull the ID card up to a metre away from their body which is longer than a typical arm length so there is plenty to go at. Once the ID card has been swiped the user can let go of the ID card and the ID card will spring back to the card reel. This allows a person to avoid back ache injuries at work whilst swiping their ID card.
Â
With high quality lanyard suppliers you can expect to have your lanyards customised to you personal style. There is so much that can be done with a lanyard’s design, all you need is a keen eye and a great supplier.
With a screen print lanyard text designs can be printed, with the use of block colours and different styled fonts an attractive and eye catching style can be achieved.
There are solutions available that are made up of a durable material that is ideal for intricate designs and corporate branding, as more levels of detail can be achieved.
For companies requiring a highly durable lanyard, that is almost bulletproof then you need a woven lanyard.
Different width lanyards are available on the market that can increase the durability of the lanyard as well as provide a larger platform for your customised design to be printed on to.
�
When the National Identity Scheme is fully functioning, many kinds of businesses and organisations, public bodies and departments will be permitted to check the identity of citizens through the identity verification service. These sets of people will be called accredited organisations.
This is a list of those institutions expected to make use of the Digital ID card scheme.
•   building societies and banks
•   the Royal Mail and other delivery companies
•   DVD libraries and book libraries
•   phone companies both home and mobile
•   travel companies and airlines
•   colleges and universities
•   retailers both online and in shops
•   property and vehicle rental companies
Many companies and organisations will use the Digital ID scheme to check on people’s immigration details and to check that they are who they say they are. Before carrying out identity checks, an organisation must be fully accredited under the conditions of the scheme and once accredited they will undergo check to ensure they comply with regulations of the Digital ID card scheme.
Identity checks can only be done with your consent and will confirm your identity or other facts, like your address details, from the NIR.
