In a world where technology continually reshapes how we interact with our surroundings, Transact Mobile Credential has accomplished a groundbreaking feat that resonates with the evolving landscape of higher education. Having recently surpassed the impressive benchmark of issuing more than one million mobile credentials, we have established ourselves as leaders of innovation, collaboration, and an unparalleled commitment to providing students with seamless, cutting-edge experiences. 

Read on to learn how our mobile credential solution simplifies campus credential management processing, giving students the power of smart cards, conveniently located on their smartphones or watches.  

Mobile Credential channels the power of innovation and collaboration  

Recently, Andrew Hudson, editor of Campus ID News, sat down with Rasheed Behrooznia, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Campus ID Solutions at Transact, to get his perspective on this milestone and significance of the one million mobile credentials number.  

"Being innovative trailblazers in the industry is very important to us. And when you undertake something like that, you believe in it deeply and you hope it will grow to something that you envision. The million mobile credentials number is validation that integrating student IDs into mobile wallets was the right move,” Behrooznia said.   

This important achievement was the result of a collective effort nurtured through collaboration with clients and esteemed educational institutions.  

"I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge some of our clients and universities that helped us get there. Especially the first three that went live with Mobile Credential—the University of Alabama, Duke, and the University of Oklahoma. They were right there, shoulder to shoulder with us. helping us get the implementations needed to get it rolling. They should feel proud. It was truly a joint effort, so we’d like to thank those schools that helped get us here,” Behrooznia said.  

End-user experience is front and center  

At Transact, our achievements aren’t limited to numbers; they’re defined by the transformative experiences we create. Our focus on clients revolves around simplifying integration processes and driving solutions that align with their unique needs. By expanding partnerships and integrations, we can enable clients to effortlessly adopt and customize their offerings.  

Simultaneously, we place an equal emphasis on the end-user: the students. By redefining their experiences, we have engrained ourselves in the daily lives of students. From granting access to lockers using mobile credentials to adding mental health resources to the app, we have addressed the diverse needs of modern students, fostering a holistic approach to campus life.  

“The user experience is everything. For the universities and clients that go on the journey with us, we focus heavily on making their experience as seamless and as fast as possible,” Behrooznia said.  

Origins of Mobile Credential: Near Field Communication (NFC) credential technology  

“Transact was all in on NFC technology early on, right? I think that it's important to pay homage to that as well. Transact believed in the technology and brought it to campuses,” Hudson noted.  

“Yes! Fifteen years ago, we decided the best way to provide a better student experience was to go all in on NFC credentials. We wanted it to be seamless and integrated in handsets and incorporated the technology into our readers for partners who believed in NFC convenience and secure technology. It was something new and we went all in on it, and it was a great decision. So now here we are. I’m glad we made decision, and I’m excited to see how pervasive this technology is in our industry now,” Behrooznia said.  

What are the benefits of NFC-enabled Mobile Credential? 

Many universities are phasing out older forms of physical Campus IDs, such as barcode and magstripe in favor of contactless Near Field Communication (NFC) credential technology. Here are some of the main advantages offered:  

Easier access control and stored value accounts  

• Access control and stored value accounts become much easier with NFC credentials. To use both functions, it’s as simple as tapping an enabled device near a compatible reader.  
• Once students tap their device, they can do everything from accessing buildings and events to paying for food, spirit wear, vending machine snacks, and more! They can also check account balances and manage meal plans.  
• As opposed to barcode credentials, mobile credentials provide one central location to complete and manage access control and stored value accounts.  

Enhanced lifecycle and security management  

• Barcode credentials/plastic credentials lack the lifecycle management capabilities of NFC credentials/mobile credentials.  
• With mobile credentials, administrators can quickly and easily suspend and enable functions which helps to prevent unintended use.  

More cost-effective and efficient, and sustainable  

• Mobile credentials reduce the costs associated with reprinting and issuing new or lost cards considering everything is found on the student's enabled device.  
• Mobile credentials can also be easily updated with new features - which include branding to match the universities’ goals.  
• Mobile credentials help reduce our carbon footprint. To date, Transact Mobile Credential provisions have replaced more than 53 miles of plastic student ID cards. That’s 5.2 tons of cards!  

Research insights drive innovations and decision-making  

Transact’s market research consistently supports the innovations we develop, such as Mobile Credential.  

“We believe that we have a good pulse on the market, and we stay extremely connected with our clients. We often get ideas from our ideas portal and work closely with our client advisory board. We did a research study where we segmented user populations, high school students that were going to be entering into universities, college students that are already enrolled, and newly graduated students. We asked them several questions to understand how they were using mobile technology. 

We found some incredibly interesting results, some things that are helping to inform us where we should take student ID and other solutions at Transact. One of the significant takeaways was students said having a Mobile ID was of utmost importance to them and was a determining factor of what school they decided to go to. I would have thought that was the case, but it's always nice to be sure. Being data driven is something that's crucially important to us,” Behrooznia said.  

In fact, in a survey of 115 university decision-makers, 70% said they are already using mobile credentials or plan to use them in the next five years.  

“In terms of what’s new at Transact, we’re excited to be launching Transact Mobile Credential on Samsung Wallet. We’re continually evolving, adding new technologies into our platform. We’ve also partnered with Luxer One. Students can use their mobile credential to tap on the reader and the locker will open. We want those kinds of seamless experiences for students. Part of the mobile credential experience is focusing on how we can help students get the resources they need, and give them a simple, safe, and secure life on campus,” he said.  

Game-changing technology keeps campuses competitive  

“When we talk about the early days of mobile credential, I saw a lot of larger, big brand universities that were going mobile. But lately I've seen some smaller campuses go that route. What’s your message for mid-sized to smaller campuses who are considering mobile right now?” asked Hudson.  

“The reality of the situation is that universities are at some level competing with each other. They are each unique and exceptional in their own ways, but you've got students deciding where they want to go, and they’re expecting a mobile experience.  

I think it's important to recognize this is something students care about. They also care about environmental sustainability. There's been over five tons of plastic cars that have been saved from going into trash because of Mobile ID. That's impactful. Students make decisions based on these kinds of factors. I also think that when schools are facing the challenge of doing more with less, that could mean less staff, among other things. So, the ability for students to provision their mobile ID before they even step foot on campus can help with that. When they get there, they can go right to their room, open the door, and go in. These are operational efficiencies that help reduce burdens on universities. A smaller university with a smaller budget or team can get students through the door and issues their ID without having to have a bigger staff. It’s a way for them to compete in a market that is highly competitive,” Behrooznia said.  

Pioneering the future of education  

Transact’s innovations are helping to propel education into a future where technology-driven, mobile-centric experiences define the campus landscape. As education evolves in the digital age, our efforts have proven that the journey of a million credentials is just the beginning of an era that integrates innovation with education.  

“We’ve got lots more ideas we're going to be rolling out. But it's good to know that we have something that people find valuable and useful,” Behrooznia said.  

To learn more, view the Campus ID podcast in its entirety. Isn’t it time your campus thought about implementing Transact Mobile Credential? Visit our Campus ID page for more information and a demonstration.