From April 1, Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. (hereafter Toppan Printing; head office: Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo; President & CEO: Naoki Adachi) will launch sales of "TOPPAN ACIS-RS", a management service for the manufacturing and issuing processes of credit and cash cards.
TOPPAN ACIS-RS is a service that checks and manages progress in card issuing operations for companies introducing cash cards or credit cards. This system enables checking of the current process in card issuing operations, applications such as for stopping dispatch during a process, and inventory and history management of cards and items included with them to be performed from one’s own company via a web browser.

Background
Currently, magnetic cards and IC cards are issued for various uses such as for ATM use and as a means of payment. In particular, there is an increase in multi-function cards that aim for improvement in usability with functions such as electronic money, credit and cash all incorporated into a single card, and the kinds of cards are also diversifying. There is also an expansion in issuance services for items such as ETC cards and family cards that have individual functions for specific uses added to the single "mother" card, and the number of cards being issued is on the rise.
For companies that issue cards, the management of lifecycles in card issuance processes has become complicated due to the increase in these kinds of services. Since the management of progress is not systemized, means such as phone calls on a case-by-case basis have had to be used for confirmation of processes in manufacturing and issuance, and for giving instructions to stop dispatch. Therefore, the time and labor costs involved in confirmation have become a problem.
TOPPAN ACIS-RS is a reference service that allows card manufacture and issuance processes to be managed over the Internet. Using this system, it becomes possible to check progress, issue instructions to stop dispatch and manage inventory and histories for cards and items included with them over the Internet. This therefore significantly reduces the time and labor costs involved in checking.

Features
<1> Checking of the issuance process and instructions are possible using a web browser
By using this system, checking and applications via means such as the phone are possible as before, but it is also possible to check processes and give accurate instructions in real time via the Internet. This means that the speed of operations can be increased and the workload can be reduced.

<2> Management of inventory, progress and history in issuance process
Since history management such as progress of issuance processes and dates when instructions were given can be managed using a web browser, bulk management is possible for the numbers of cards and items included with them that are put into inventory in the plant and also the numbers dispatched. This means that the workload for card issuance operations is lightened and labor costs are reduced.

<3> Through tie-ups with freight companies, it is possible to track cards from dispatch to arrival
Through a tie-up with a freight company’s delivery checking service, it is possible to check the progress of delivery simply by referring to the delivery number issued by the freight company on an Internet-based reference screen. This means that it is possible to check progress up to the point where the card is delivered to the user in real time.

<4> High security operational structure
Card manufacturing and issuance plants have a high security equipment and management structure as manufacturing bases for valuable securities.
In addition, data centers and data servers have privacy mark and ISMS certification.

<5> Full line up of related solutions
It is possible to provide a range of other TOPPAN ACIS* services such as a switch to the "basic type" where IC cash card personal authentication is carried out on a financial institution’s host server, central management of the data needed for IC card manufacture, and instant IC card issuance.

Overview of the service

Copyright 2010 TOPPAN PRINTING CO., LTD.

Price
Initial cost:
New introduction:
No cost as introduced simultaneously with card issuance services Additional introduction to existing system: 1 million yen
Operating cost:
From 300,000 yen a month

Sales target
Toppan Printing is targeting sales to 30 companies totaling 100 million yen by fiscal 2011.

* TOPPAN ACIS
This is a one-stop ID management service using Toppan Printing’s high security environment to perform integrated management, use and analysis of customer data and IDs that are unique codes such as credit numbers and account numbers generated in a range of business situations.