The history of the campus card program has been diligently chronicled by one of its long time leaders, Robert Huber, of Robert Huber Associates. CR80News thanks Mr. Huber for helping us to bring this abridged version to our readers.

1968
R.D. Products develops and installs the first electronic card access system for a college or university at the Rochester Institute Of Technology. The “VALI-DINE” System mechanically punched holes in the card as it was read to signify access to the dining hall.

1972
Amsec, founded by Gary Lorenz and John Darjany, develops and installs their first card access system at California State Polytechnic University. It was the first known card-based system for colleges and universities, utilizing magnetic stripe technology.

1974
R.D. Products purchases Amsec.

1975
The CBORD Group, Inc. founded by John Alexander to develop and market food service management systems for the college and university market.

1978
IDenticard Systems Inc., founded in 1970, installs its first campus A.M.E.C.S. access control system at West Chester State Teachers College.

1979
General Meters Corporation founded by attorney Leon Gottlieb to provide off-line vending control systems for copier machines.

CBORD develops and installs their first online electronic card access system at Cornell University.

1981
General Meters develops and installs their first standalone electronic card access system at California State University.

1982
Harco Industries Inc., founded by Harvey Bryans in 1949 as a manufacturer of identification cards and on-line electronic security systems, and Concept Systems Inc. develop and install their first on-line “Entrec” campus card access system at the University of Wisconsin – Stout.

1983
General Meters introduces the “Door Accountant” application at Brigham Young University Law School to provide electronic door access with the same campus card used to make copies.

1984
CBORD develops and installs their first Personal Computer based electronic card access system called “PC ACCESS.”

1985
R.D. Products changes name to Griffin Technology Inc.

Harco installs their new multi-application Campus-Wide System at Duke University for the new “DukeCard” program under the leadership of Joe Pietrantoni.

CCV Systems, a provider of transaction control systems for closed environments, installs the first Canadian school card system at the University Of Calgary.

1986
Debitek Inc. is founded to provide cashless payment systems.

Special Teams Inc., founded by Don Endres in 1985, develops and installs their first electronic access system at Augustana College and South Dakota State University.

Roth Systems Inc., founded by Robert Roth, introduces its first A.M.E.C.S. access control system to the higher education market, utilizing magnetic stripe technology.

DANYL Corporation, founded in 1972 by Pete Truscello, installs their first standalone electronic card access system to manage copy machine copies at John’s Hopkins University.

1987
ARA Services Inc., a campus service management contractor, develops and installs its first in-house card access control system (“ScanPlus”) at Utica College.

NPD Systems Inc., founded by Niles Dally, introduces its first standalone debit card system to the higher education market.

1988
Marriott Corporation, a management service contractor, develops and installs the first smart card-based access systems on a college campus at Trinity College and Queens College.

1989
CCV Systems becomes ITC Systems, founded by Campbell Richardson, to provide transaction control systems.

1990
Florida State University becomes the first public university to link their campus card with a bank.

National CacheCard Company founded to develop card-based higher education systems utilizing smart card technology.

DataCard Corporation introduces its first black and white digital imaging card production system.

Advanced Network Technologies develops and installs its first on-line Integrated Campus Management System (ICAM) at Baylor University.

1992
Diebold Inc., a provider of electronic security systems since the 1940’s, secures exclusive marketing rights for the ICAM products from Advanced Network Technologies.

1993
National Association Of Campus Card Users (NACCU) formed to provide an educational forum and resource for campus card users. Founders included Tom Bell (SUNY Geneseo), Mel Blackburn (Loyola College in Maryland), Paul Melanson (Loyola College in Maryland), Bill Norwood (Florida State University), and Joe Pietrantoni (Duke University).

DataCard introduces its first color digital imaging card production system.

NPD & Associates and Roth Systems Inc. enter into a strategic alliance to jointly develop and market card based systems.

1994
AT&T Inc. purchases Harco Industries Inc. creating AT&T CampusWide Access Solutions.

NACCU holds its first conference in La Jolla, CA on February 13-15 with representatives from nearly 50 colleges and universities.

Florida State University forms the Card Application Technology Center, an independent business enterprise operation, to manage the new “FSUCard” under the leadership of Bill Norwood.

1995
American Express Travel Related Services purchases Special Teams Inc. and its card access systems.

Schlumberger purchases DANYL Corporation to form Schlumberger DANYL Inc.

Advanced Network Technologies is purchased by Diebold Inc.

National CacheCard Company develops and installs their first smart card system at Washington University in St. Louis.

The University of Michigan and Western Michigan University contract with First of America Bank and Schlumberger DANYL to provide campus smart card system.

SmartCity, a vendor consortium to provide smart card technology systems to campus environments, is founded by Florida State University’s CATC, Debitek, Gemplus, and Product Technologies Inc.

1996
Diebold purchases Griffin Technology Inc.

The Card Application Technology Center upgrades the FSUCard to include both magnetic stripe and smart card technologies.

Cybermark LLC, a provider of smart card systems for colleges and corporate campuses, installs their first system at Old Dominican College. Investors include Sallie Mae, Battelle Institute, and Huntington Bancshares.

1997
College Enterprises, Inc., founded in 1993 as a provider of copy and reprographic needs for colleges and universities, purchases American Express Special Teams Inc..

CyberMark agrees to market the SmartCity smart card system, in addition to acquisition of responsibilities of the former FSU Card Application Technology Center. The Center’s director, Bill Norwood, joins CyberMark.

1998
The Pennsylvania State University System becomes the first university to link their campus card with a consortium of multiple financial institutions.

Northeastern University becomes the first to offer a campus card with MasterCard logo issued “onsite” by the university.

Debitek is purchased by IVI/Checkmate, a supplier of point-of-sale (POS) terminals.

The University of Missouri Columbia becomes the first college or university to “share” its host campus card access system with another school, Stephens College.

2000
National CacheCard Company abandons higher education market.

Student Advantage, Inc. founded in 1992 as a national student membership and retail discount network, introduces “SA Cash” to provide schools with a new option to expand the scope of their on-campus debit card program to include selected off-campus local merchants via an outsourced marketing service.

iCollege Inc. (formerly CEI Special Teams), announces its intention to acquire AT&T CampusWide Access Solutions.

2001
Blackboard Inc. acquires iCollege/AT&T CampusWide Access Solutions (originally Special Teams and Harco).

NPD Associates / Roth Systems Inc. change name to Nuvision Networks.

IVI/Checkmate, parent of Debitek, purchased by Ingenico, a leading provider of point of sale systems.

CyberMark becomes responsible for marketing, selling and supporting all Schlumberger DANYL smart card-based products for the campus market as Schlumberger DANYL withdraws from the education market.

CBORD introduces the first IP addressable card reader for campus card access systems.

2002
CyberMark ceases operations and transfers all marketing and support responsibilities to ITC Systems.

Higher One, Inc. founded in 1999 as an on-line financial services company for Higher Education, launches its first program at the University of Houston.

2003
SmartCentric founded by Kieran Timmins to advance the SmartCity smart card solution.

2004
The University of Vermont becomes the first college or university to “share” its host campus card access system with two other non-related schools, Saint Michael’s College and Champlain College.

2005
CBORD acquires Student Advantage.

CBORD, on its 30th corporate anniversary, acquires Diebold’s Campus Card Systems Division.

You can access the full history at Robert Huber Associates online, at
http://www.allcampuscard.com/. To contact the author:

Robert C. Huber, C.M.C., C.P.C.M.
Robert Huber Associates
9446 East Jenan Drive
Scottsdale, AZ USA 85260
(480) 551-0520
(480) 551-0521 Fax
(888) 277-3118 Toll Free
[email protected]