Campus Card Timeline

1980 - 1984

A Chronological Summary of Key Campus Card Industry Events, Pioneers, Vendors and Institutions Over The Past 50 Years

Compiled by

Robert C. Huber, CMC, CPCM

Robert Huber Associates

Vendor Independent

Campus Card Business Consultants

1980

IDenticard Systems Inc. (Lancaster, PA), a provider of card production and card access security systems, installs its second A.M.E.C.S. (Automated Meal Control System) at Colorado State University (Boulder, CO).

1981

General Meters Corporation (Calabassas, CA) develops and installs its first “Copier Accountant” system to provide vending control systems (“Off/line”) for copy machines at California State University – Long Beach.

HARCO Industries Inc. (Phoenix, AZ) forms a strategic alliance with Concept Systems Inc. (Philadelphia, PA). HARCO was founded in 1949 by Harvey Bryans of Rochester (NY) as a manufacturer of identification cards and later “On/line” security access systems.

1982

HARCO Industries Inc. (Phoenix, AZ) and Concept Systems Inc. (Philadelphia, PA), install their first “Entrec” campus card access system (“On/line”) using magnetic stripe technology (i.e., high coercivity) and “Meal Plan” software at the University of Wisconsin – Stout (Menomonie, WI).

Entrepreneur and former restaurateur Robert Huber is recruited by Concept Systems Inc. to assist with development and implementation of a CSI Food Production Management & Control System (later branded as "Food Pro") for colleges, universities, military bases and retail food service operations.

Robert Huber is given responsibility to facilitate development of the HARCO "Entrec" access control system into a Meal Plan and "points" system for CSI to market and implement at large college and university food service operations.

R.D. Products (Rochester, NY) introduces its “Automated Access Reader” (AAR) and electronic “Door Access” application software.

1983

General Meters Corporation installs its “Copier Accountant” and “Door Accountant” systems (“On/line”) at Brigham Young University (Provo, UT).

HARCO Industries Inc. and Concept Systems Inc. (CSI) install their first “A.I.D.S.” (i.e., Automated ID System) campus card food service system at the University of Utah.

HARCO and CSI install their first “ID Pro” (newly branded) campus card food service system at the University of California – Los Angeles.

1984

HARCO Industries Inc. establishes a new industry "On/line" card transaction system response time of 3 second at Cornell University.

[Editor Note: Previous On/line campus card system transacations averaged 10-15 seconds; newly introduced regional and national bank ATM machines card transactions averaged 1-5 minutes per transaction during that same period.]

The CBORD Group Inc. (Ithaca, NY) develops and installs its first “PC ACCESS” system – using new personal computer technology.

General Meters Corporation introduces its new “Lunch Line Accountant” at Fuller Theological Seminary (Pasadena, CA).