News

Five Additional Firms Join Fargo Technology Alliance
To Promote Effective Smart Card Solutions

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. - July 30, 2001 - Five additional firms have joined the Fargo Technology Alliance (FTA), a global technology group which promotes effective, advanced smart card solutions, Fargo Electronics, Inc. (Nasdaq: FRGO) announced today. Fargo is the world's leader in innovative technologies for desktop plastic card personalization systems.

"The Fargo Technology Alliance unites smart card solutions with Fargo's international and domestic network of distribution partners. With 17 Alliance members -- the very best smart and proximity card application software developers and manufacturers -- now working together with our global distribution system, Fargo is able to provide a wider range of complete solutions for end users. This generates sales for all companies involved, and builds Fargo's competitive advantage," said Gary R. Holland, President and CEO of Fargo.

"The use of advanced technology, such as smart and proximity cards, is creating new opportunities for distributed card personalization systems," Holland noted. "Some marketing studies suggest that within the next five years, more than 50 million U.S. residents will carry chip-based smart ID cards. The U.S. Department of Defense Common Access Card project, which uses over 1,500 Fargo printers, is a prime example of the implementation of this technology."

Alliance members can participate in special Technology Showcase events with Fargo's Distribution Partners in conjunction with industry conferences and trade shows. The second Fargo Technology Showcase will take place on Sunday, September 30, in San Antonio, Texas, one day prior to the American Society of Industrial Security (ASIS) 47th Annual Seminar and Exhibit October 1-4. Keynote speaker will be Joseph Grillo, president and CEO of HID Corporation, Irvine, Calif.

The five newest members are: CASI-RUSCO, Boca Raton, Fla.; Leapfrog Smart Products, Inc. (OTC BB: FROG.OB), Maitland, Fla.; Lexington Technology, Inc., Huntington Beach, Calif.; Synercard Corp., Quebec, Canada; and Unicard Systems, Sydney, Australia.

CASI-RUSCO, an Interlogix (Nasdaq:ILXI) company, is a world leader in enterprise security management systems. CASI-RUSCO systems provide electronic access control, CCTV management and alarm monitoring in solutions that meet the unique needs of global, multi-site corporations down to the needs of small businesses with cost effective, easy-to-use systems.

Leapfrog has extensive experience and off-the-shelf, comprehensive, solutions in the healthcare, access control and campus (both corporate and university) sectors. Leapfrog's healthcare division, Conduit, develops smart card-based solutions that assist the healthcare industry in becoming more efficient and cost-effective by reducing fraud, streamlining administrative procedures, and increasing the quality of healthcare services provided to the patients.

Lexington Technology is a developer of ID card personalization software and related applications. Lexington provides business solutions that incorporate its data-bridging techniques, and that simplify complex business processes, allowing users to issue, track and manage the identity of people and assets. Lexington Technology provides an open ID card personalization platform, which allows for third party application encoding of smart cards, as well as direct configuration and encoding from within its products. For developers of applications needing card personalization capability, Lexington provides development tools that allow for integration of these functions into third party applications.

Synercard Corporation was formed in 1997 to exploit the emerging market opportunities in the areas of Internet and Intranet-enabled smart card personalization and issuance for advanced photo ID cards. Today, Synercard designs, develops and, through an international network of value-added resellers, markets software products, which simplify and streamline the process of managing and issuing advanced photo ID cards and smart cards for organizations of any size anywhere.

Unicard provides complete smart card solution for university, college and campus environments. The solution is used for many applications within a campus environment. Using just a single smart card, the solution incorporates a growing number of applications including, photo ID, monetary and loyalty purses, access control, student library card and membership applications. The range of products include student ID card production interfaced into university student/staff and library databases, smart card readers for PC's, readers for doors and for vending copies, cash to card vending machines and touch screen point of sale software. It also includes a complete Web based reporting and management system.

"In just a few short years, Fargo card personalization technology has expanded from relatively simple systems for door access to much more complex personalization systems for the education, loyalty, healthcare, e-commerce and mass transit markets, just to name a few," Holland said. "At the same time, card encoding is evolving from relatively simple bar code and magnetic stripe cards to complex schemes with smart cards, proximity cards, and hybrid cards, which use multiple technologies on a single card."

"The primary goal of the Fargo Technology Alliance is to increase the sale of smart card products, card personalization systems and services," according to Joseph Schuler, Fargo's Director - Business Development. "The program is pulling together a wide range of expertise and products, providing information on technology and markets, and creating a network of relationships to promote successful business-to-business partnering. Further, the Alliance has quickly become a valuable resource that sets our combined solutions apart from everyone else."

"The Alliance is open to smart card software developers and manufacturers whose products or services complement Fargo products. Fargo facilitates a direct sales relationship between its Distribution Partners and Alliance Members," Schuler said.

The 12 other members of the Alliance are: Bull CP8; CardLogix; CardSmart Technologies; Gemplus (Euronext: Sicovam 5768 and Nasdaq: GEMP); IDenticard Systems; ImageWare (AMEX: IW); Intraproc GmbH; NFive Software; Schlumberger (NYSE: SLB); SmartDynamics, LLC; Supercom Smart Cards Inc. (Easdaq: SPRC); and UbiQ Inc.

For more information on Fargo Technology Alliance members, see their web sites:

About Fargo

Fargo Electronics, Inc. (NASDAQ: FRGO) is the world's leader in innovative technologies for desktop plastic card personalization systems. Based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Fargo printing systems create personalized plastic identification cards complete with digital images and text, lamination, and electronically encoded information.

Personalized identification cards provide physical, information and transaction security for a wide variety of applications including retail stores, e-commerce, government installations, schools, sports and recreation facilities, clubs and associations, and correctional facilities. More than 50,000 Fargo systems are currently installed throughout the U.S. and in over 100 other countries. For more information, visit Fargo's website at www.fargo.com.

For More Information Contact:
Bruce Bianco, President
Synercard Corporation
Tel: (819) 777-6687, Ext.3122
Fax: (819) 777-8114
Email: bbianco@synercard.com

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