Washington, DC, December 9, 2003-NBS® Card Technology Corp.™, a global leader in the secure ID card market, has announced today that it has been awarded the centralized printer contract for the Department of Defense’s Common Access Card (CAC) Program. Following an extensive evaluation process, the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) selected the NBS Horizon®Printer for use in its CAC central issuance facility.

Common Access Cards are used by over 4 million people in the Department of Defense, including active-duty personnel, reservists, department civilians, and contractors. The high-speed, high-volume, in-line Horizon Card Issuance System was chosen to produce the CACs precisely because of the system’s ability to meet the DMDC’s exacting requirements for speed, volume, and especially security. The Horizon personalizes a CAC’s smart chip with data unique to its cardholder-this data includes a color photograph, human-readable text, bar codes, a magnetic stripe, and several other security features. Based on its cardholder’s security level, the CAC will then permit physical access to certain secure locations and logical access to specified computer networks.

Mike Utsal, E.V.P. of Sales for NBS Card Technology Corp. stated, “The Horizon System is garnering more and more attention worldwide because its cutting-edge technology provides unparalleled flexibility in the issuance of highly secure identification cards. In addition to the Department of Defense’s CAC project, the NBS Horizon has been selected for use in various other high-profile secure ID card projects. For example, the Horizon has been used by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to issue Employment Authorization Documents (EADs).”

“NBS is proud to have been selected by the DMDC to provide this innovative card personalization system,” said President and CEO of NBS Card Technology Corp., David Nyland. “Receiving this CAC contract is yet another validation of NBS’s leadership role in the secure ID market. NBS has been in the card business since 1975 and the company’s reputation as an end-to-end solution provider is stronger than ever.”