Gemalto Identity and Payment Card Technology for Santander Universities in Brazil

Gemalto, a supplier in digital security, announced it is providing Banco Santander with innovative technology for its university identity card program. It is Brazil's first multi-functional smart card combining EMV (Europay, Mastercard and Visa) payment and contactless access control on a single ID card, to be used within the university buildings – for students, teachers and staff. Gemalto delivers the cards to the universities and personalizes each card with the cardholder's unique data at its personalization center in Barueri, S?o Paulo.


The Gemalto card can be used for a wide variety of services and applications. For instance, students have the option to use their card as a Banco Santander EMV debit card, benefiting from the ongoing EMV migration in Brazil.


Unicamp was first to join in the Santander University program with cards for the EMV payment functionality. Anhanguera will be first to use the new multi-functional card. Santander University Division has already started distributing the cards to Anhanguera Campus, in Valinhos (S?o Paulo). 


With this program, the bank expects that more than 100,000 students will have Gemalto′s cards by the end of 2008. At Anhanguera University, the contactless card enables more secure access to buildings such as libraries and labs, where it will replace the barcode system and magnetic stripe. Students can use a single card to check out books from the library and to pay at their cafeteria, for photocopy and for other student expenses.  


Other possible new applications include digital signature, integration with public transportation secure storage of data, and secure access to university computer networks. The contactless functionality can even be used to register class attendance, eliminating the need for professors to spend time calling out the attendance sheets.