Card Standards Report: WG1 and SC17 Meeting Report

by Brad Paulson, ICMA Standards Representative

Continuing discussions of competing card durability proposals – Although the sequential test method proposed by AFNOR and DIN is being modified, AFNOR and DIN continue to maintain that the test results of the US proposal do not correlate with data from cards issued at Xavier University. Final Draft ISO Standard prepared for 650 oersted magnetic stripe cards – A single negative ballot, from Germany, was returned for the final committee draft of part 8 of ISO/IEC 7811. The Final Draft ISO Standard of 7811-8 was prepared for final ballot. PDAM1 (Ui6) will be integrated into the next revision of ISO/IEC 7811-6 – ISO/IE 7811-6 is scheduled for regular periodic review in 2007, at which time the amendment will be integrated into the standard.

ISO/IEC 7811-9 Tactile Identification Mark – A committee draft, CD, will be sent out for ballot before the end of 2006. ISO/IEC 8484 Design and Use of Savings Books with Magnetic Stripes for Information Exchange – The Final Draft ISO Standard, FDIS, will be sent out for ballot before the end of 2006. ISO/IEC 15457 – Identification Cards – Thin flexible cards – Final Committee Drafts, FCD, of Part 1 – Physical Characteristics and Part 3 - Test Methods will be sent to ballot before the end of 2006. The Final Draft ISO Standard of Part 2 - Magnetic Recording Technique will be sent to ballot in 2007.

Brad Paulson, Ph.D., is the ICMA Official Standards Representative and concurrently serves as principal and founder of Thor Engineering, a consulting company he started in 2001 to test and evaluate media and materials to determine failure modes and recommend material and process improvements. Views expressed here are his own. Questions? Contact Brad at Tpaulson@rconnect.com.