After the terrible events of September 2001 in which different airplanes crashed against the Twin Towers, one of the wings of the Pentagon and another one plunged and crashed against the land, security became a major issue not only in the government and military sphere but also for every business organization, hospital, school, library, club and retail store. In such scenario, business owners and managers realized how important it was to know for certain who was who in the premises. And, as a result, the demand for ID badges started to increase.
At the beginning, in house ID card systems were huge, heavy and really difficult to operate. They did not only take up a lot of space on any desktop or counter but they also represented a great expense that only certain large international corporations could afford. Fortunately, technical advancements made it possible for card printer manufacturers to develop card printing instruments that are much more affordable, powerful, lighter in weight and more compact in size.
As a result, in only a decade, almost every large international corporation, middle sized company and small business organization has its own
ID card printer and can now provide their different staff members with in house made ID badges.
Now, companies can easily identify each of their employees and efficiently distinguish them from visitors, guests and strangers. Thus, companies can prevent more easily being a victim of identity theft as people who does not belong to the organization can be effortlessly spotted.
However, ID cards are not only useful to ensure the company’s safety. In fact, they can be very advantageous in many other ways.
In many business organizations, ID badges play a very important role as HR support. Their magnetic stripe or bar is used to store important information regarding each employee’s attendance, punctuality, performance, awards or recognitions granted, punishments given and so on. This information can be easily retrieved, updated and edited just by swapping the card over a card reader and then editing the information that appears on the screen.
Other companies rely on ID cards as a means of creating a friendlier environment amongst coworkers. As everybody is asked to publicly display their ID badges at all times, it is easier to learn each other’s names and know in which area each works.
Other organizations use ID badges to establish different clearance levels so that only authorized staff members can enter into otherwise restricted areas.
