Blackboard Inc., a technology company that caters to education facilities, last week announced the availability of a university identification card that uses contactless technology to enable payments and building access.
Called Blackboard Transact, the goal is to “create a single system for access, payments, ID and more with one card,” according to Jeff Staples, Blackboard vice president of market development and strategy for Blackboard Transact. “Campuses can no longer afford to maintain isolated systems that don’t complement one another, and students expect more.”
The card uses Sony Corp.’s FeliCa contactless technology, which technology and payment companies have used in a number of mobile Near Field Communication trials. “With the contactless capability, campuses can even begin exploring future solutions that aren’t necessarily dependent on a card, such as mobile,” Staples says.
Blackboard’s previous magnetic stripe versions of its Transact card enabled payments on and off campus. Off campus establishments can choose to accept the contactless payments.
Blackboard also announced the availability of a contactless reader, the Blackboard VR-4100. The Washington, D.C.-based company developed and manufactured the readers, which also support mag-stripe cards and feature a full-motion video display. Universities may use the display to advertise campus events or make other announcements.
Though the reader only accepts the campus card, future readers will expand acceptance to include payment network-branded cards, Staples says.
Blackboard did not reveal specific costs of the contactless system, but the final bill will vary based on institution size, number of users and other factors, Staples says.
Students may add value to their cards online, at standalone account-management stations or in person at the student card office, depending on how the university configures the program, Staples says.
Santa Clara University in California is the first school to use the technology after testing it last year. Blackboard plans to offer the service to other universities.
