Datacard Group Strengthens Instant Issuance & EMV® Smart Card Technology Expertise in Canada

MINNETONKA, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Datacard Group, the world leader in secure ID and card personalization solutions, today announced that it is continuing to strengthen its global expertise by appointing Mike Vaselenak to lead business development and sales in Canada for Datacard Group's instant issuance solutions.

Currently, Datacard^® solutions issue millions of cards everyday worldwide and the company has thousands of instant issuance installations throughout the world, including both magnetic stripe programs as well as EMV^® compliant smart card programs. Instant issuance complements centralized third party production and drives activation, while helping reduce issuer costs and the risks of sending financial cards and PINs through the mail.

“Continuing to strengthen Datacard Group's global reach, instant issuance offers a substantial opportunity for financial institutions in Canada to enhance customer service levels, as well as increase card sales, activation and usage rates,” said Vaselenak. “I am pleased to join a company that has years of experience and a highly qualified instant issuance and smart card team that delivers world class technology, service and support.”

As an expert in helping define payments and e-business strategies for leading Canadian, U.S. and international corporations, Vaselenak has specialized in business development and product management for payments and transactional systems. Currently co-chair of the Advanced Card Technology (ACT) Canada Prepaid Strategic Leadership Team, Vaselenak has founded and led companies in advanced transaction processing solutions including proprietary account card networks, EMV technology consulting, special purpose point-of-sale (POS) terminals, extended transaction set authorization and adjudication, and ecommerce merchant and supply chain applications.

“With over 20 years of experience in the payments industry, Vaselenak's expertise in EMV technology and payments adds tremendous depth to our team, and his joining enables Datacard Group to deliver ever more value to card issuers in the Canadian market,” said Ron Zanotti, vice president, financial instant issuance for Datacard Group. “The addition of Mike to our team reflects our continued dedication and commitment to expanding on and delivering the world's leading instant issuance solutions.”

Uniquely positioned in the market to help financial institutions design card issuance programs, Datacard Group offers a Secure Issuance Anywhere™ platform, which provides customers the flexibility to issue cards and credentials anytime and anywhere. This platform includes hardware, software, supplies and global support–combining central issuance or instant issuance, as well as emerging NFC mobile issuance and EMV-compliant programs into a single solution.

About Datacard Group

Datacard Group is building on a 40-year heritage of innovation and customer success. Our portfolio of solutions, backed by expert service and support, enable card and secure ID programs for financial, government and other markets worldwide. With an unmatched commitment to customer satisfaction, Datacard remains the industry's leading brand of secure ID and card personalization solutions. For more information about Datacard Group, visit www.datacard.com. Follow us on Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.