Attendance Tracking Add-On for the NCC Group!

What an exciting time for the NCC! We had previously installed new ID card printers and ID design and printing software for the group, along with our “EventPOS” cashless catering system, and our visitor management solution “VisiTapp” at all campuses.  We also look after the middleware for pushing card records to the access control systems at all campuses (3 different systems).  We were therefore delighted to be asked to install our attendance tracking solution “Ad Hoc Registers”, which is a module of VisiTapp.

In the first instance the system is being used to monitor students’ extra-curricular sessions which are not timetabled in ProSolution, but form part of each learner’s Study Programme, so they need to be recorded. Previous methods consisted of pen and paper, Excel sheets and emails, but they were not consistent. This was leaving a gap in student journeys within the college group, leaving a potential loophole for students to disengage with their studies, or not complete them.

EventMarker consists of simple USB smart card readers plugged into teachers’ laptops.  For any ad hoc or non-timetabled session, the teacher simply creates the event on their laptop and gives it a description and room number.  The learners then simply tap in and their photo is shown on the laptop screen, and they are marked as PRESENT and if they arrive late they are marked as LATE. 

These marks are saved into the EventMarker database and can be reported on as required.  This system evidences all non-timetabled studies (that students are required to do) and provides management information which is invaluable to senior staff.

Thanks NCC Group, we hope you love your latest addition from idXtra!

To find out more about our systems, click on the below links!

Attendance monitoring software, EventMarker

Visitor Management System, VisiTapp

Farewell to 2022!

That’s another year almost over… it’s gone by in a flash hasn’t it?! As we prepare for the festive season and the new year, we reflect on the year we’ve had.

2022 has been a good one… idXtra’s highlights from this year include doing big installations at large college campuses, celebrating our 20th anniversary and taking idXtra global when we represented at Bett Show Brazil!

We are thankful to all of our customers, suppliers, friends and colleagues at idXtra who have made this year one to remember.

This year we have decided instead of sending Christmas cards, to make a donation to Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity.

With the current economic crisis, along with the freezing temperatures, we thought it was more important than ever to support those who are less fortunate than ourselves, and who find themselves homeless this festive season.

Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with poor housing or homelessness through advice, support and legal services.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all… see you in 2023!

The idXtra Team

idXtra at The AoC 2022!

We were thrilled to exhibit at the AoC Annual Conference and Exhibition once again this month at the ICC in Birmingham.

The Association of Colleges is the national voice for further education, sixth form, tertiary and specialist colleges in England, and the AoC is the must-attend further education event of the year!

It was great to catch up with some existing idXtra customers at the event, and to make some new connections too!

This year we had a lot of interest in our attendance monitoring system, EventMarker. To find out more about it, please click here.

To find out about our visitor management system, VisiTapp, which can be integrated to work seamlessly with our attendance monitoring system, please click here.

London Met Get Upgraded!

Over the summer, the London Metropolitan University chose to upgrade their student card printing system so that it would be more efficient ahead of the new academic year.

We upgraded their student card printing system with middleware processes, so that their card activation is now streamlined to their SALTO Access Control system.

This effective solution saves hours of staff administration time and also improves the safeguarding of their students, as their ID card printing now works seamlessly with their Access Control, i.e door entry and exit!

Thank you London Metropolitan University, we look forward to hearing how you get on with your new streamlined system!

The Team at idXtra

If you’d like to find out more about idXtra’s Access Control systems, please click here.

To find out more about idXtra’s fully integrated solutions, please click here.

Queue-Busting Extension for EventPOS!

We are very excited to soon be launching an extension for our cashless catering system, EventPOS by idXtra!

In the form of a handheld portable tablet or a mini till, along with a card reader, these ‘pop-up’ stations will allow you to extend your services at lunchtime/breaks and reduce queues.

Adding a portable tablet or mini till to your existing EventPOS setup would allow you to have a ‘pop-up’ station, for example, at a mini cafe or drinks stand for an event, without the need for an additional big EventPOS till.

Additionally, incorporating this to your setup would improve throughput and reduce queuing in the canteen. At busy times, adding a ‘pop-up’ till station at short notice can ensure that students aren’t waiting for large amounts of time to grab their lunch.

Find out more about our cashless catering system, EventPOS, here.

Get in touch here if you’d like to find out more about our mini till / tablet extension for EventPOS!

Access Granted at Cranford Community College!

This month, a long-standing customer in the idXtra family, Cranford Community College, chose to have a big upgrade!

After 20 years of using their previous Access Control system, difficulties in maintaining support for the system lead CCC to decide to get a brand new system.

They entrusted idXtra with this large task, and now they have a brand new ACT IP-based Access Control system. This will be sure to improve throughput around the college, as well as the safeguarding of students.

Thank you, Cranford Community College, we hope you love your new Access Control System!

The Team at idXtra

Welcome on board the United Colleges Group!

As it begins to feel like summer at last, we welcome on board a new customer to the idXtra family- the United Colleges Group! We are thrilled to welcome them and we look forward to working closely with them.

We have been chosen by the United Colleges Group to supply their new cashless catering and visitor management systems, alongside some streamlining of ID card issuance and population of the access control system.

We are installing our cashless catering system, EventPOS, at 22 locations across all of the United Colleges Group’s campuses (City of Westminster College and College of North West London). Their upgrade to EventPOS will simplify the issuing of discreet free school meals and bring several disparate systems together as one system, on a single network linked to MIS. 

Our visitor management system, VisiTapp, will enhance the security and safety of their staff, students and visitors, whilst improving their front of house image. Our VMS comes in various forms and it can be customised precisely to suit their specific requirements.

Thank you United Colleges Group, we can’t wait to upgrade you!

To find out more about our systems and services, check out the links below:

idXtra takes on Brazil!

This month we have taken idXtra global, as we were represented at the BETT Show in Sao Paulo, Brazil!

Our representative, Munir, spoke to many suppliers and visitors at the event, as we hope to form some partnerships and distribute our products in this amazing and enormous country.

BETT Brazil, aka Bett Educar, is the largest education and technology event in Latin America. The event was held at the Transamerica Expo Center in Sao Paulo, Brazil, from 10th – 13th May.

We now also have a Portuguese website for idXtra Brazil; take a look!

www.idxtra.com.br

idXtra celebrates its 20th Anniversary!

We are pleased to announce our 20th anniversary of being in business! As we celebrate this, we would like to thank all of our loyal customers, suppliers and staff for your custom and patronage over the years.

Without our loyal customers we would not exist, and we have gone from strength to strength with your support. We look forward to serving and supporting you in all the years to come!

Tony Walsh, Founder

A little bit of backstory about us… idXtra was founded on 28th March 2002 by Tony Walsh and Tarique Ahmad; how time has flown since then!

Initially idXtra focused mainly on ID card printing and software, but twenty years later we have expanded the team and grown, and we now specialize in an array of innovative technologies such as visitor management systems, cashless catering, attendance monitoring and access control systems.

Take a look at our old logo from 2002-2011; what a throwback!

Season’s Greetings from idXtra!

As 2021 slowly draws to a close, we reflect on what a year it has been. Amid the Coronavirus pandemic, we are thankful to be able to spend this festive period with our loved ones.

We would like to thank our loyal customers for their continued patronage, and we look forward to all that is to come in 2022!

Before we see in the new year, we’d like to welcome on board two new idXtra customers, Queen Mary’s College in Basingstoke and Newham College London!

Queen Mary’s College have just had our cashless catering system installed in their premises; it will make their catering and payment processes so much easier. To find out more about our cashless system, EventPOS, click here.

Newham College London have also recently decided to have EventPOS installed in both of their campuses, Stratford and East Ham. The new system is a big step forward from their previous one.

We look forward to hearing how both colleges get on with their new tech!