April 05, 1999 16:29

DataCard Launches Three New, Market-Focused Companies

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 5, 1999-- 

New companies offer balance of entrepreneurial spirit and corporate stability 

DataCard Corporation today announced it is transforming its three core business units into autonomous
companies named Datacard Worldwide, Credentia and MedAssure. The three new enterprises comprise
Datacard Group, a privately owned holding company based in Minnetonka, Minn. 

Datacard Worldwide provides financial institutions, retailers, loyalty marketers and service bureaus with
the world's premier card personalization systems. Credentia offers identity systems based on digital
imaging, biometrics, smart cards and other emerging technologies. MedAssure provides hospitals with
patient ID systems and is developing an entirely new portfolio of technology-driven products for the broader
healthcare market. 

Glenn Highland, president and CEO of Datacard Group, said creating three fast moving, highly focused
companies will result in increased innovation and tighter alignment with customers. 

"If we had remained one company, we would have continued our above average growth and performed
profitably," Highland said. "But as three independent entrepreneurial companies, we will be even more
dynamic and build greater long-term value." 

"The world is changing. Our customers, and the markets they serve, constantly demand new ideas, new
technologies and new solutions," Highland said. "We believe small, passionate teams within these
companies can meet those demands more effectively than one larger organization." 

While the three new companies have the agility and speed typically associated with small, highly
entrepreneurial companies, they also have the financial and organizational stability of a world leader. "It's
the best of two worlds," Highland said. "The companies are highly focused and fast-moving, but they have
the financial strength of Datacard Group behind them." 

Datacard Worldwide--Personalizing Technology, Creating Trust(TM) 

DataCard has consistently invented the technologies that make financial cards secure and enable
high-volume issuance. Today, most of the world's financial cards are personalized using equipment,
software and systems from Datacard Worldwide. 

"Datacard is the clear leader in card personalization systems for financial institutions, retailers, loyalty
marketers and service bureaus," said Highland. "Plus we sell, service and support our systems and
software solutions in more than 120 countries. Datacard Worldwide maintains our well-known brand in
these markets, plus it recognizes the global scale of the business and worldwide leadership we provide." 

Datacard Worldwide will continue building on DataCard's heritage of innovation, Highland added. Recent
innovations include a new line of self-service kiosks for retail applications and laser engraving technology
for creating ultra-secure identification. The company has also worked closely with Visa and MasterCard to
develop their next generation of secure, high-speed smart card preparation and personalization systems. 

Credentia--Intelligent Identity Systems(TM) 

DataCard Corporation pioneered digital photo ID technology and created the world's best-selling line of
photo ID systems, software and printers. Now, Credentia is extending that digital photo ID leadership
position and developing new systems for an increasingly digital identity world. 

"As the world becomes more networked, the need for virtual ID becomes as critical, if not more critical,
than visual ID," Highland said. "We have anticipated this need and we're developing new solutions that
harness the power of smart cards, biometrics, digital imaging and advanced security techniques." 

"These are advanced solutions, and while DataCard has a strong brand name in the printer and photo ID
markets, we needed a company name that expands our horizons beyond `cards' and would encompass a
whole range of systems for the secure capture, production and management of personal identity
information." 

"Credentia will continue to sell and support the world's best-selling digital photo ID systems and
products," Highland said. "But to remain the clear leader in creating identity systems, we must provide
resellers and end-users with the tools they need to create secure work environments globally and to
safeguard both physical and intellectual property as the worlds of physical and virtual security merge." 

MedAssure--Better Data, Better Care(TM) 

For more than 30 years, admitting professionals in hospitals have made DataCard the name in patient ID
systems. 

MedAssure will continue to provide this segment of the market with affordable, effective patient ID
solutions. MedAssure will lead the world into an era of solutions that will help healthcare providers
compete in the new, consumer-driven age of healthcare. 

"Healthcare providers face an entirely new set of challenges today," Highland said. "Consumers are
smarter, more selective and more powerful than ever. Providers must discover new ways to strengthen
patient loyalty, reduce costs and improve patient care." 

"MedAssure offers technology-based solutions specifically designed to achieve those goals," Highland
said. "For example, MedAssure's portable patient information solution allows physicians to access vital
data quickly and easily at the point of care. Plus, it gives consumers compelling reasons to remain loyal
to a specific provider." 

MedAssure's expertise and long heritage in patient identification is attracting powerful industry alliances,
Highland said. For example, MedAssure's portable patient information solution is the first healthcare
application for the new Microsoft(R) Smart Card for Windows operating system. 

Datacard Group is a diversified technology enterprise comprised of three autonomous companies.
Datacard Worldwide provides financial institutions, retailers, loyalty marketers and service bureaus with
the world's best-selling card issuance systems. Credentia develops intelligent identity systems for
business, government and education markets. MedAssure offers technologies that help healthcare
organizations strengthen customer satisfaction, enhance efficiency and improve patient care. Datacard
Group, a privately held enterprise based in Minnetonka, Minn., serves customers in more than 120
countries worldwide (www.datacard.com). 

     CONTACT: DataCard, Minneapolis     
              Dave Gilbert  
              612.988.2969
              [email protected]

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