Is It Time to Trade In Your Old ID Card Printer?
If you’re like many businesses today, you rely on your ID cards for access control, authentication, and identification purposes. Any down-time in your current ID card printing system is a loss of productivity that has ramifications far beyond inconvenience. A common response is to wonder if it’s time to trade in your old ID card printer.
Many of our customers ask us this important question for a variety of reasons. Perhaps they’re having problems with their current system or it’s not covering their ID card needs any longer.
If you’re asking this question, here are a few more questions you should answer before deciding to trade in your old ID card printing system.
How much time and money are you spending in repairs?
All electronic devices wear down and need repair and maintenance on an ongoing basis to keep them in top shape for continued use. ID card printers are no different. If you’ve been properly maintaining your ID card printer by cleaning it and having it serviced regularly, you’re more likely to extend its lifespan.
But if you’re spending more money and time in repairing an ID card printer and it continues to have problems, it may be time to consider trading in your old model. Not only will you gain increased efficiency and less down-time with a new system, but you’ll save money over the long run in decreased maintenance costs.
Have your business needs changed?
If your business is growing and expanding, it’s likely that your ID card needs have changed, too. Can your current ID card printer handle the increase in production? Or perhaps you need more functionality, like encoding options or double-sided printing.
This may not necessitate a trade-in because some ID card printing systems are field upgradable, like some of the Fargo models. You simply drop in the upgrade, and your printer has new functionality.
If your ID card printer is not upgradable, however, it may be time to consider trading in for a new system that can handle your changing needs.
Has your ID card printer model been discontinued?
This is another situation that, in and of itself, doesn’t necessitate an immediate trade-in. Most manufacturers continue to produce consumables that older models need like ribbons and spare parts.
This isn’t a long-term option, though. The day will come when consumables aren’t as readily available, which will leave you scrambling to keep your system operational. It’s a good idea to plan to trade in your ID card printing system in the relatively near future once your model has been discontinued.
Are you considering an operating system upgrade?
If you’re planning to upgrade your company’s operating systems to the newest version, you may run into problems with your ID card printing software. Older software might not run on new operating systems, which leaves you with two choices.
You can operate your ID card printing solution on a separate computer with the old operating system. This may leave your company open to security risks, however. Or you can trade in your old ID card printing system for a model that runs on your new operating system.
The IDSecurityOnline Difference
These are a few of the pertinent questions we help our customers answer every day. There are many other considerations to keep in mind when considering a trade-in, like needing faster print speeds to keep up with demand or better quality images. There are as many reasons to consider a new ID card printing system as there are businesses making changes.
If you’d like to explore your options, our experts are trained to help guide you to the solution that best fits your needs and your budget. And we’re willing to walk you through IDSecurityOnline’s generous trade-in policy if that’s the route you choose to take.
