Identity authentication and secure card issuance company Entrust Datacard has formed a major partnership this week. The Minnesota-based company teamed with payment card supplier Gemalto to offer a SaaS-based instant issuance solution for U.S. banks.

The new offering pairs Entrust Datacard’s instant issuance technology with Gemalto’s SaaS platform, lowering the barrier to entry to create an easy-to-deploy instant issuance solution for any size financial institution. The technology gives banks complete control over the card issuance delivery process and, when they issue cards in the branch, they benefit from cost reductions not only in the form of savings on postage, but also from lowered overhead.

Here’s how it works: once a bank branch installs Entrust Datacard’s instant issuance printers they can personalize and print EMV cards on-demand. The issuance software is hosted and managed by Gemalto’s secure, cloud-based SaaS infrastructure.

In the press release, Karen Kaukol, Vice President of Instant Issuance at Entrust Datacard said, “With a SaaS-based instant issuance solution, we are able to not only provide financial institutions with the ability to instantly meet their customer’s needs, but do it in a manner that drives retention, and increases activation and usage rates, all while reducing the overhead expenses to the bank.”

Entrust Datacard was founded in 1969 and presented at FinDEVr Silicon Valley 2016. Jason Soroko, Security Technologies Manager, and Matt Rose, Technical Sales Consultant, spoke to the audience of developers on Safeguarding Your Banking Applications. With more than $600 million in annual revenue, Entrust Datacard has 2,000 colleagues working around the globe to serve customers in 150 countries. Last month, the company partnered with the government of Ghana to help it issue national identity cards to its citizens in real time.

Identity and transaction technology solutions company Entrust Datacard has agreed to team up with the government of Ghana this week. Through a partnership with Identity Management Systems, a subsidiary of Margins Group, Entrust will help the Ghana government issue national identity cards to its citizens in real time.

The new GhanaCard meets all international requirements, including chip-embedded technology and biometric capabilities. Starting this month, the government will begin issuing the ID to 16 million citizens.

The distribution of the cards relies on Entrust Datacard’s instant issuance technology. The real-time issuance of the cards saves Ghanian citizens from having to pick up their ID in person. Furthermore, it saves the government from the administrative hassle of dealing with cards that were never picked up.

“Identity Management Systems designed a custom solution that fits Ghana’s economic and social needs, utilizing Entrust Datacard printers,” said Xavier Coemelck, regional VP for Entrust Datacard EMEA. “Entrust Datacard technologies will enable the government of Ghana to improve service to its citizens and help ensure secure access to rights and services. This project demonstrates our ability to customize our solutions to fit all customer requirements.”

Entrust Datacard was founded in 1969 and presented at FinDEVr Silicon Valley 2016. Jason Soroko, Security Technologies Manager, and Matt Rose, Technical Sales Consultant, spoke to the audience of developers on Safeguarding Your Banking Applications. Headquartered in Shakopee, Minnesota, Entrust Datacard has 2,000 colleagues working around the globe to serve customers in 150 countries.