Mexico. One of the most common challenges within university campuses is the implementation of state-of-the-art solutions that facilitate the student life of students and the work of teachers. Undoubtedly, technology has always been present in the classroom, and it is one of the most important assets for activities to be developed in an optimal and effective way. Like businesses, educational institutions need to embrace and embrace computer culture, making it a vital asset to continue their teaching.
And it is in this sense that the report "IT Habits of Mexican University Students 2016" prepared by the Ricoh Latin Innovation Center, highlights the behavior and trends of university students in private institutions in the country in relation to their technological environment, such as impressions within their university and the use of software for their learning. The study indicates that 80% of the students surveyed make use of the internal cards of each university to access the campus parking lot, while 40% use their card to print documents and only 10% of the respondents use it as an electronic wallet inside the cafeteria.
Faced with this panorama, in Ricoh we have designed the EDU Card solution, a tool capable of helping educational institutions to become modern teaching centers, with BYOD policies, access controls to doors, parking lots and lockers among other advantages. The EDU Card helps integrate services on campuses such as: paying with a single card in order to improve the experience of students and all staff with innovative solutions. like this service, product or tool.
Although internal cards are available at most private universities in Mexico, 80% of respondents stated that their card can only be used to access the campus. The research also found that in some universities the infrastructure is limited and more maintenance is required, which is why universities do not exploit 100% the use of internal cards.
Most of the printing services are managed by third parties, such as administrators in charge of the library. The study noted that only 30% of universities offer self-service printing services. It is remarkable that some centers in which they do not even offer scanning or printing service, although they have the multifunction devices to offer it.
Implementing Ricoh's EDU Card will help universities improve on-campus services, provide a unique experience for staff, educators and of course students. This solution will significantly reduce the cost of operations, decrease the risk of data theft and lack of accessibility.
Universities will undoubtedly provide an unforgettable experience to their students with the proper implementation of cards that cover all the services that the campus has. Teachers, staff and students will be able to have greater control of consumption charged to user or department of easy use, accessibility throughout the campus. Likewise, they will be able to choose between chip cards, proximity cards and PIN codes or mobile devices, door access control, among others. A single platform to simplify the user experience, speed in the payment process in restaurants and possible integration with dispensing machines and the possibility of recharging cards at stations located on campus or through the internet.
