Introducing ChipNet3 ID Infineer is a world market leader in the provision of cashless payment solutions, exporting its sophisticated smartcard and magnetic stripe technologies to nearly 50 countries around the world from its manufacturing base in Bangor, Northern Ireland. Founded in 1972 as Absec, Infineer manufactures and markets a range of card based applications for catering and vending, as well as office equipment. All these applications can be configured on a single smart card, giving caterers, facilities managers and personnel managers a cost effective solution for the management of people and premises. Keen to maintain its position at the cutting edge of cashless payment and control systems technology, Infineer launched the now renowned ChipNet solution in the summer of 1996, the latest in a line of product developments funded by a progressive policy which sees the company investing ten percent of its annual turnover in research and development. The end of 2002 saw the release of boundaries of smartcard solutions to new heights. product range, which has pushed the As well as being cashless solution experts Infineer are also leading system integrators. If a customer requires either an access control, ID badging or stock management solution, then, rather than trying to re invent the wheel, Infineer work with a number of established partners to bring the best specialist experience to the table. These carefully selected partners are some of the biggest names in the world and include HID, Uniwell and Datacard. has been structured so that software developers can easily integrate it with existing payroll, stock control and administration software applications. This means that Infineer are in a position to offer the widest range of products from one supplier. is a truly future proof solution, it is fully scaleable with a built in upgrade path, so no matter what your future requirements, be it an increase in employee numbers or the need to upgrade to a microprocessor card, can accommodate your changing needs. Our vision is that shall be inherently upgradeable and essentially independent of future card technology, with the goal of allowing customers to upgrade their card and system without having to endure a major change to their system infrastructure.
There are many possible applications of in catering and vending, users can tender payment for a wide variety of key services typically found in corporate environments, for example: 4 To pay for purchases in the staff restaurant or shop 4 To purchases items from a vending machine 4 To pay for or track usage of copiers and networked printers 4 To pay for time spent accessing a PC Each time a transaction takes place all of the details of that transaction are recorded and then processed by the robust back office software package complete with powerful reporting tools that deliver accurate management information regarding sales and card activity at the touch of the button. is the latest edition of the tried and tested ChipNet range and it incorporates many new features and the latest software structures up scaling the solution to meet the requirements of the widest range of customers. It has been designed to give corporate administrators a firm foundation product from which they can expand and grow their card based information and payment solutions into the future. The system has also been designed to be as user friendly as possible for the catering professionals who administer it. All applications are accessed from a common Task Pad screen and Task Wizards have been designed to prompt the user through each stage when they are performing common tasks such as issuing new cards, setting up user groups, running reports and registering new Point of Sale locations.
1. ChipNet Purse Structures Each user of the system has a personalized card. The card is associated to a card holder account which carries a cash value and when purchases are made, the cost is deducted from the value on the account. Each card holder has personal permissions profile. All accounts set up within the Infineer system can have a minimum of two purses. It is often easier to think of these purses as pockets holding separate amounts of money. The administrator may wish to restrict where and when each purse can be spent by selecting certain applications and days of the week. An expiry date can also be set for the account. Purse 1 contains the User s Personal Cash, in other words, his or her own money. Purse 2 can be configured as one of four types of purse: (i) Subsidy Purse a set amount of money is issued to the user on a regular basis, for example daily, monthly, bi monthly by means of a rollover. The administrator can define three periods of the day when the Subsidy amount may be spent and also define valid applications and days of the week. (ii) Allowance Purse this purse operates like the subsidy purse but is limited by total amount of value available and amount of value released per day. (iii) Percentage Discount Purse this applies a configurable discount to the money spent from Purse 1. This discount can be set up to apply only at particular times of the day and/or at particular terminals. (iv) Departmental Allowance Purse this purse allows the user to procure certain items against a departmental allowance.
2. Software Structure The software has been designed with the needs of busy administrators in mind and it is intended to be as user friendly as possible. All applications are controlled from the new ChipNet Task Pad, to make navigation of the management options as clear and simple as possible management tools are grouped by application. The standard Task Pad templates installed with include: i. Card Management Task Screens & Wizards 4 Browse user details 4 Create user templates 4 Define user rights 4 Define free entitlements & privileges 4 Run card based reports 4 Hot list Accounts ii. Catering Management Task Screens & Wizards 4 View catering terminals 4 Register a terminal 4 Manage price lines and sales departments 4 Run catering reports iii. Vending Management Task Screens & Wizards 4 View vending terminals 4 Register a terminal 4 Manage price lines and sales departments 4 Run vending reports iv. Reprographic & Office Equipment Management Task Screens & Wizards 4 View reprographic & office equipment terminals 4 Register a terminal 4 Manage price lines and sales departments 4 Run reprographic & office equipment reports
Key actions can be controlled from the Task Pad, The screen shot below illustrates the Card Holder Management Task screen: Task Wizards In addition to the Task Pad, care has been exercised to make the administrator s job as easy as possible, especially when carrying out day to day operations and routine maintenance. Wizards are used to guide the administrator through the execution of various management tasks such as replacing lost cards, installing a new terminal etc. 3. Reporting Power Each time an account transaction takes place, all of the transaction details are recorded by the Infineer terminal and then relayed back to a central database where reports on user and sales activity can be generated. Most reports can be defined by selecting specific: 4 Dates; 4 Terminals & terminal groups; 4 Users & user groups 4 Display details.
A range of standard reports are available: 4 Card Centre Activity Breakdown of a card centre(s) collected cash value 4 Activity Sales Detail for POS 4 User Activity All transactions made by User, Group or by All users 4 POS Totals Sales Totals for POS 4 PLU Sales Details of sales by PLU 4 Account History Details Usage of a single account 4 System Summary Summary report for the complete system 4 Card Centre Collections Dates & Times of card centre cash collections also offers the facility to export these reports to external accounting and payroll packages if required. Custom reports can be constructed to meet the customer s specific reporting needs. 4. POS Hardware Uniwell DX 890 POS Unit in conjunction with Infineer 8752 Terminal The DX 890 features a touch screen system, it is so straightforward that the training time required is drastically reduced and operators can provide better customer service. The Touch screen is 10.4" wide featuring a 256 colour VGA (640 x 480) display. With a simple touch the operator can with complete a sale with ease. Complicated menus such as a la carte dinning, involving many choices and options, can be handled effortlessly by presenting the optional items through new screen layers, significantly increasing operator efficiency. The DX 890 features a compact cabinet size (W300 x D442 x H248mm) that provides the customer with a unit that doesn t waste valuable counter space yet retains and very sophisticated and refined appearance. The DX 890 features a standard Interface with 2 x RS 485 and 3 x RS 232C allowing the unit to be connected to a host of ancillary equipment including remote receipt/kitchen/slip/report printers, bar code scanners, weigh scales and cash drawers.
5. ChipNet Applications Vending The new look Infineer 7750 Vending Terminal is ideally suited to environments such as corporate restaurants. A card reader is mounted in each vending machine networked back to the database. Benefits of Cashless Payment for Vending 4 Encourage customer loyalty and greater spend per head 4 Minimise service calls necessitated due to faulty coin mechanisms and note readers 4 Eliminate requirement to collect and bank large amounts of cash 4 Discourage vandalism 4 Revaluation facility (where supported by MDB machines) 4 Increased speed of service and improved hygiene 6. ChipNet Applications Card Revaluation users can load value onto their accounts at an Infineer Card Centre. These selfservice stations, located in public places, accept a combination of notes and coins. Card Centres can also be configured to deliver print receipts. Cash collected from Card Centres is reconciled with the Back Office software. Card Centres have been designed to offer a problem free means of self service account revaluation. They are easy to install, simple to use with low maintenance demands
7. ChipNet3 ID Applications Print and Copy The combination of Infineer copier terminals and Pcounter networked print management software delivers a complete solution for the efficient charging of all reprographic activity at anywhere from a college to a Law Firm. Multiple pricing options, cost centre billing options and a Range of card acceptance options ensure that all print And copy activity is captured and, where relevant, charged. 8. Infineer Integration with Third Party Cards. As a skilled systems integrator, the power of the ChipNet3 ID solution is built around strategic partnerships with specialist suppliers of the following systems: 4 photo identification systems 4 time and attendance systems 4 access control systems 4 library management solutions However one of the unique features of ChipNet3 ID is the ability to use a range of cards or tokens from other suppliers as the unique identifier. While Infineer can easily recommend the correct card to meet a client s needs, often a card is already in use for recording time and attendance or access control. ChipNet3 ID now has the ability to use a range of Third Party cards as the unique identifier in the system. This not only protects the capital investment in cards but also reduces the costly and time consuming need to reissue cards if new applications are required. Cards Supported by ChipNet3 ID include: Hi Co Magnetic Stripe Standard Memory Cards Enhanced Memory Cards HID Smartprox HID iclass MIFARE Schlumberger Micro processor Cards Gemplus Micro processor cards Support is also available for a range of bar codes.
The solution has a number of benefits for the corporate restaurants of commercial and industrial organizations. 4 Improve levels of employee satisfaction Implementation of the Infineer solution reduces transaction times at both Point of Sale and vending machines as prepayment means there is no need for cash at payment point. This cuts down on lunchtime waiting periods, encourages people to use onsite facilities and improves the perceived level of service of company employees. 4 Build customer loyalty Once cash has been loaded onto the smart card, it cannot be spent elsewhere. Customers are therefore encouraged to use on site facilities, ensuring high customer retention. 4 Increase revenue As service levels improve and the number of customers increases, catering and vending revenue also increases substantially. 4 Accurate control of subsidies and discounts The Infineer solutions make it easy to allocate subsidies and discounts to employees in a controlled way, so that benefits to staff are not exploited. 4 Improve cashflow By implementing the Infineer solution, charges, risks and hygiene issues involved in handling and transferring cash are avoided. Cash in advance is also secured as funds loaded onto the card can be banked before they are actually spent. 4 Accurate management information at the touch of a button All components of the Infineer system can be fully networked, allowing transaction details from each loader, till and vending machine to be collected and reports quickly and easily generated. The flexible reporting means that reports can be tailored for individual sites to meet their specific reporting requirements. Sales and card activity reports can be simultaneously accessed from a number of PC s.
4 Minimal administration when updating card holder accounts Remote account management allows for updates and changes to be made to an account or groups of accounts without the administrator having to notify them. 4 Multiple Applications on a Single Card Being card based, there is the potential to develop a scalable solution that can deliver several key applications: Time & Attendance Tracking and Access Control Infineer has considerable experience of working closely with many providers of automated time and attendance and access control systems and can integrate the Infineer solution with that offered by such a provider. The Infineer card can incorporate magnetic stripe, barcode or proximity technology, depending on the site requirement. Office Equipment Control Infineer also offers a wide range of pre payment and cost allocation solutions for office equipment. The copying and printing facilities of a busy company often represent a substantial overhead and implementation of Infineer s copy management solutions can have considerable impact on efficiency, and ultimately, the bottom line For more information on Infineer Products, contact sales@infineer.com