3M Exhibits Stylish New Designs for Transparent Credit Cards

3M will exhibit a broad range of innovative products and technology for the banking and finance, travel and border security markets on Stand 4K 126 at CARTES

[ClickPress, Mon Nov 12 2007] 3M, the diversified technology company, will exhibit a broad range of innovative products and technology for the banking and finance, travel and border security markets on Stand 4K 126 at CARTES & Identification 2007, the world leading event for digital security, smart card and identification technologies and applications.

Clear Card Filters
There will be some exciting new developments surrounding the Vikuiti Clear Card Filter from 3M, a revolutionary technology that enables the first ATM-compatible transparent banking payment cards. This includes a sneak preview of how stylish new designs can be used to take credit card design to heightened levels of originality and creativity.

Using the Clear Card Filter means applying a new way of thinking when it comes to designing compelling payment cards. The transparency of the cards increases the available surface area on both sides of the card body and the magnetic stripe can be easily integrated into the design. Typography, solids, patterns, illustrations and photographs all reproduce well on the clear plastic substrate and it accepts traditional four-colour printing in addition to a wide range of translucent inks. The combination of fashion and functionality makes the Clear Card Filter popular with consumers and presents immediate differentiation for banks and financial service providers worldwide.

Computer Privacy Filters
3M will also demonstrate its range of laptop and desktop computer privacy filters designed to address on-screen privacy concerns in banks and financial institutions. Privacy filters help ensure customer finance details are securely maintained at branch customer reception points and interview desks, and provide peace of mind for customers when performing online banking transactions via their PC or laptop in public environments.

Vikuiti Privacy Filters utilise 3M’s patented micro-louvre privacy technology, which works like tiny vertical blinds to narrow the viewing angle so that only persons directly in front can view on-screen images and text. From either side, the screen appears black. The filters simply attach to the monitor of the computer, and can be readily removed and stored when not required.

Confirm Laminates
Building on the proven success of 3M’s proprietary security technologies, the latest addition to the company’s Confirm Laminate family will be displayed on the stand. For more than 25 years, Confirm Laminates have offered strong protection against counterfeiting, tampering and alteration of secure identification documents and cards. Now, Confirm Laminate and Confirm Laminate with Floating Image are available for composite cards used in convenient, over-the-counter issuing systems. For example, driver’s licenses, one of the most commonly used forms of ID in the world, can be made harder to tamper with and counterfeit, and much easier to authenticate.

e-Passport Readers and Document Authentication
For the secure document marketplace, 3M will show its e-passport system which helps border management authorities swiftly screen travellers from around the world as they enter the country. In a single step, the system reads digital information contained on the passport’s RFID chip, checks the document data for tampering, and authenticates traditional overt and covert optical features such as logos, crests, laminates, ultraviolet images and other geographical patterns on the page.

Smart Card Manufacturing
In addition, 3M will present innovations designed to improve the different strategic stages in the manufacturing process of the smart card. These include UV De Tack Dicing Tape for better visibility when during the cutting process, UV B-Stage Adhesive for strengthened component bonding, Anisotropic Conductive Films for improved conductivity with electronic interfaces and Module Bonding for perfect compatibility with any substrate.

For further information about Vikuiti products please email vikuiti.eu@mmm.com or visit www.3M.co.uk/vikuiti.
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3M and Vikuiti are trademarks of 3M

3M – Practical and ingenious solutions that help customers succeed
3M is a $22.9 billion diversified technology company, creating innovative products that help make the world smarter, faster, healthier and safer. Well known 3M brands include Scotch, Post-it, Scotchgard, Thinsulate and Scotch-Brite.

3M has pioneered innovation since 1902 and, today, invests more than $1.5 billion a year in R&D. It has applied its expertise in RFID technology to deliver biometric passports; it is using its understanding of the healthcare industry to provide hospitals with infection prevention and detection solutions; and its digital signage offerings are revolutionising the way businesses communicate with their customers, their employees and the general public.

3M employs 75,000 people worldwide to deliver more than 55,000 products to customers in some 200 countries. Its diverse technologies touch nearly every aspect of modern life, serving markets such as consumer and office, display and graphics, electronics and communications, healthcare, industrial and transportation, safety and protection services, and security systems.

The UK and Ireland is home to one of the largest 3M subsidiaries outside the USA, employing 3850 people across 17 locations, including 11 manufacturing sites. Products manufactured in the UK include coated abrasives, respirators, adhesive tapes, industrial microbiology products, drug delivery systems, high-performance coatings, secure documents and passport scanners.

3M Centre, Cain Road, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 8HT
Tel: 08705 360036

Press contacts:
Lloyd Cole Beky Hughes
3M United Kingdom plc Neesham Public Relations
Tel: + 44 (0) 1344 858387 Tel: +44 (0) 1296 628180
Email: lcole1@mmm.com Email: bekyh@neesham.co.uk

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