Magicard, one of the worldwide leaders in ID card printer systems and a business unit of Ultra Electronics, the security and defense group, announces the launch of the Pronto, a compact and secure single-feed colour ID card printer for instant personalization of cards. The new Pronto addresses key retail, education, hospitality and recreation customers who require high quality card personalisation and affordable visual security.

This budget friendly printer produces secure colour or monochrome cards. Its compact and efficient design boasts simple operation, first rate performance, quality printing and HoloKote visual security at no extra cost per card. A choice of 4 standard security watermark designs is selectable via the driver.
Pronto is a light weight printer (just 4.4 kg – 9.7 lbs) which makes it very portable. With its compact and aesthetic design, the Pronto ID card printer resides very well on any counter or desktop.

Thanks to its intuitive operation with a simple 3-color LED status indicator, a USB interface, and plug & play Microsoft Windows 2000, XP and Vista® compatible software drivers that provide compatibility with most applications, customers will love how easy the Pronto is to set up and use straight out of the box.

It demonstrates Magicard’s commitment to manufacturing robust printers and making secure card printing affordable.

The Pronto is now available through authorised Magicard ID card printer resellers worldwide and offers a two year warranty.

Thahir Kassim, formerly working for a partner has been appointed as Sales Manager to this new office. Thahir brings a comprehensive sales and technical expertise as well as an in-depth understanding of the local market.

To contact Magicard Dubai Office:

Thahir KassimThahir(at)magicard.com
Phone: +9 714 260 2929
Fax: +9 714 260 2931

Ultra Electronics Middle East
4WB (West Wing) Office – 652
Dubai Airport Free Zone
54974 Dubai
U.A.E.

The key benefits of HoloKote FLEX are:

■ Custom visual security without the high cost and long lead time of special holographic laminate or UV films. Your Magicard printer does the job, placing the watermark on your card using standard consumable ribbons.
■ No ongoing additional printing costs. A modest one-time set up charge gets you a custom HoloKote FLEX key within days, holding your encrypted logo. That’s it. You can then print as many cards as you want with your custom design.
■ Secure – your design is guaranteed to be unique.

“HoloKote FLEX is an enhancement of the popular HoloKote watermark security that thousands of Magicard customers have used to secure their ID cards.” said Andy Matko, Magicard Business Manager. “While the legendary HoloKote, available only on Magicard printers, uses a repeat pattern on the card, HoloKote FLEX is …. Flexible! It offers an excellent alternative to costly holographic laminates and is truly secure because your HoloKote FLEX logo cannot be copied.”

The Enduro Duo also features a 100-card detachable feeder, as well as a manual feeding mode for printing cards one-by-one or in small batches. With an attractive style and color changing LED control panel, a USB interface, Microsoft XP and Vista plug & play driver, the Magicard Enduro Duo is all around easy to use from installation to printing full colour sharp images on your ID cards. Light weight (5.5kg), the printer is ideal for mobile applications.

A single sided model simply called the “Enduro” is available with an option for an upgrade kit to enable double side printing for customer’s whose needs change in the future. Dealers and distributors can also choose to simplify their inventory by just stocking the Enduro single-sided printer, and carrying the upgrade kits.

Andy Matko, the Magicard business manager says: “This is the most exciting development in ID card printers for a decade. Users need buy only as much printer as they need to get their project launched, safe in the knowledge that they can upgrade at any time in the future. Dealers also get a great opportunity to enrich the sales or the after-sales experience for the customer by offering simple up-sell options”.

Of course, the Enduro also offers all of the usual Magicard features including a choice of four Holokote security watermarks and an optional magstripe encoder.

With a 100 card feed hopper the Enduro is capable of handling any big print job, but for special applications there is also a front panel slot for hand-feeding cards when required. With an attractive style and colour changing LCD display with buttons, a USB interface and Microsoft Vista plug & play driver, the Magicard Enduro is all round easy to use, from installation to double-sided upgrade.

Offering excellent value for money for both the printer and consumables, the new Magicard Enduro is available in the Spring of 2008.

The new Magicard Enduro ID card printer is designed to meet the demand for flexible and affordable ID card production.

To support this success, Card Systems has commissioned a new Design, Sales, and Support centre within its Waverley House facility which is the latest phase of its investment which has also included the opening of a new printer manufacturing centre there in 2005.

The new facility was opened by Douglas Caster, Chief Executive of the Ultra Group based in Greenford, Middlesex. Mr Caster commented “Security systems are a key component of our overall focus on the high technology Aerospace and Defence sector, and our Card Systems business in Weymouth has delivered excellent growth in sales to demanding international markets. It gives me great pleasure to open this outstanding new facility”

“Our Card Systems team has been developing and manufacturing ID card printers here in Weymouth for over 12 years, and it is also gratifying to be here to witness the presentation of their second Queen’s Award for Enterprise”.

Ultra was chosen to receive the Queen’s Award because of its innovation in developing a family of low cost ID Card printers which enable the computerised generation of full colour plastic identity cards or badges without specialist training and at low cost.

The award presentation itself was made by the Lord Lieutenant of Dorset Mrs Valerie Pitt Rivers in a 250 seater marquee within Bennett’s Water Gardens in Chickerell, and to celebrate the award, the presentation was followed by a garden party reception and evening disco for Ultra’s staff and many invited customers and guests.

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For further information, please contact:

Ray Coles, Managing Director,
Ultra Electronics Card Systems.
Tel +44 (0) 1305 784 738 or
rcoles(at)ultra.co.uk

Valérie Douard,
Marketing-Communications Manager
Ultra Electronics Card Systems.
Tel: +44 (0) 1305 762152 or
vdouard(at)ultra.co.uk

About Ultra Electronics

Ultra Electronics Card Systems is part of the international defense, aerospace and security group Ultra Electronics, with a worldwide workforce of 3,000 employees. Card Systems has been designing and manufacturing its Magicard range of secure ID Card Printers since 1993, and is now recognized as one of the world’s leading manufacturers. The high technology Magicard printers are used in a wide variety of portrait ID and access control applications, and incorporate innovative HoloKote® anti-counterfeiting technology, developed and patented by Ultra, which puts a watermark across the printed card surface.

Please visit www.magicard.com for more information.

UltraCoverPlus empowers Magicard users to keep on producing ID badges whatever the circumstances, by offering:

• Direct Support and Guidance from the manufacturer of Magicard printers, Ultra Electronics, on any subject related to using a Magicard printer.
• Eliminates printer downtime, thanks to Magicard’s printer loaner service in the event a customer’s printer requires depot service.
• The free replacement of any defective printhead, regardless of the cause of failure.

“UltraCoverPlus has always been highly valued by both Magicard printer users and resellers, as it is backed up by the Magicard Support Team, who have an average of more that 5 years experience advising and helping our customers” said Andy Matko, Magicard Team Leader. “Extending UltraCoverPlus to 3 years is an indication of our confidence in the quality of Magicard printers, and I believe will be an important factor in users selecting Magicard ID card printers.”

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For further information, please contact:

Valérie Douard, Marketing-Communications Manager,
Ultra Electronics Card Systems.
Tel: +44 (0) 1305 762152
vdouard(at)ultra.co.uk

About Ultra Electronics

Ultra Electronics Card Systems is part of the international defense, aerospace and security group Ultra Electronics, with a worldwide workforce of 3,000 employees. Card Systems has been designing and manufacturing its Magicard range of secure ID Card Printers since 1993, and is now recognized as one of the world’s leading manufacturers. The high technology Magicard printers are used in a wide variety of portrait ID and access control applications, and incorporate innovative HoloKote® anti-counterfeiting technology, developed and patented by Ultra, which puts a watermark across the printed card surface.

Visit www.magicard.com for more information

The Magicard Tango +L provides an excellent value ‘one-stop’ solution for HSPD-12 / FIPS 201 card issuance, combining high-quality ID card printing, secure lamination, and encoding of the card biometric data in one compact package.

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Attachments: – Photo of Magicard Tango +L ID card printer and laminator – HSPD-12 / FIPS 201 stamp

Notes to Editor

For further information, please contact:
Valérie Douard, Marketing-Communications Manager,
Ultra Electronics Card Systems.
Tel: +44 (0) 1305 762152
vdouard(at)ultra.co.uk

About Ultra Electronics

Ultra Electronics Card Systems is part of the international defense, aerospace and security group Ultra Electronics, with a worldwide workforce of 3,000 employees. Card Systems has been designing and manufacturing its Magicard range of secure ID Card Printers since 1993, and is now recognized as one of the world’s leading manufacturers. The high technology Magicard printers are used in a wide variety of portrait ID and access control applications, and incorporate innovative HoloKote® anti-counterfeiting technology, developed and patented by Ultra, which puts a watermark across the printed card surface.

Please visit www.magicard.com for more information.

This prestigious award was approved by Her Majesty the Queen following a recommendation from the Prime Minister. The award is announced today on the occasion of the Queen’s birthday. The award will be formally conferred by a grant of appointment which will be presented to Ultra by the Lord Lieutenant of Dorset later in the year.

Ultra was chosen to receive the award because of its innovation in developing a family of low cost printers which enable the creation of full colour, plastic identity cards or badges using a personal computer and without specialist training. Ultra’s new family of printers uses innovative electronic and plastics technology to reduce the cost of printing and to bring the technology within the reach of schools, clubs and small businesses for the first time. Ultra sells several thousand Magicard printers throughout the world each year and also supplies the colour film that allows the thermal printing process to produce photographic image quality.

The printers utilise patented anti-counterfeiting technology including customised watermarks printed across the face of the card to improve security. They can also be supplied with magnetic stripe and chip encoders to allow the on-card storage of digital information.

These printers complement Ultra’s Magicard Professional printer range which is sold throughout the world for printing national identity cards, drivers’ licences and access control security badges.

Douglas Caster, Chief Executive of Ultra Electronics, commented:
“This Queen’s Award recognises the innovative features of Ultra’s latest range of identity card printers. They provide a very affordable way of proving a person’s identity with the ability to embed world-leading security features in each card.
The design and manufacture of security card printers is one of Ultra’s many specialist market niches. This third Queen’s Award for Magicard products confirms the creativity and international success of the team.”

Enquiries:

Ultra Electronics Holdings plc 020 8813 4321
Douglas Caster, Chief Executive www.ultra-electronics.com
Andy Hamment, Group Marketing Director information@ultra-electronics.com

Weber Shandwick Financial 020 7067 0700
Susan Ellis / Louise Robson

Notes to editors:

Ultra Electronics is a group of specialist businesses designing, manufacturing and supporting electronic and electromechanical systems, sub-systems and products for defence, security and aerospace applications worldwide.

Ultra, which employs 3,000 people in the UK and North America, focuses on high integrity sensing, control, communication and display systems with an emphasis on integrated information technology solutions. The Group concentrates on obtaining a technological edge in niche markets, with many of its products and technologies being market leaders in their field.

Ultra’s products and services are used on aircraft, ships, submarines, armoured vehicles, surveillance systems, airports and transport systems around the world. Ultra also plays an important role in supporting prime contractors by undertaking specialist system and sub-system integration using the combined expertise of the Group businesses.

Ultra is organised into three divisions as follows:

Aircraft & Vehicle Systems including miniature airborne compressors; high integrity software and systems; aircraft system electronics; aircraft cockpit indicators; aircraft noise and vibration control systems; airframe protection systems, armoured vehicle electronic information and control systems; human/computer interface equipment and shared working environment solutions.

Information & Power Systems including command and control systems equipment; weapons interfacing electronics; radar tracking; electro optical tracking; surveillance systems; naval data processing and distribution; airport and airline information management systems; ID card systems; naval power conversion; signature management of naval vessels; transit system power conversion and control.

Tactical Sonar & Systems including secure tactical line-of-sight radio systems, multiplexers and switches; voice communication systems; tactical data links; cryptographic equipment; active, passive and multi-static sonobuoys; sonobuoy receivers and processors; distributed surveillance sensor arrays; ship’s sonar systems; acoustic countermeasure systems and ship’s torpedo defence systems.