Owning Your Own/Card Reader/Metering Software

[Laurie Schladweiler]

This list (as always) has been a great resource!  I'm wondering if
anyone reading this list has purchased their own vendacard machines (not
smart cards--just cash cards $5 or $10) and their own software (i.e.
Uniprint or other metering software) in order to keep the cost of
printing down?  We are a large multi-campus (5) community college and
would be covering libraries and public computer labs at each campus.

Some advice has been to have a third party "office solutions" type of
company manage everything, including having the vendacard software
"talk" to the metering software for computer printing (and perhaps
photocopier machines as well.)  We know our technical staff would
initially need training; however our goal is low cost and "high" service
and believe this might be the less costly of the two.  Smartcards would
probably be overkill--our campuses do not have dorms, laundries, etc.

If you have an RFP you would be willing to share that reflects this type
of situation or any other wisdom in this regard, we would be very
grateful!

Thanks in advance,

Laurie Schladweiler
West Campus Library
Pima Community College
Tucson, AZ