International expansion lands Universal Smart Cards its biggest contract

Universal Smart Cards has tied up a deal to supply 1.5 million cards to a hotel and casino chain after expanding its presence in the USA.

The Accrington company, which provides smart cards, readers and related technology, had been serving international demand from its UK home, but decided to capitalise on opportunities in America by opening a stateside office.

The firm also worked with Blackburn web development firm eBusiness UK to build an international version of its website capable of handling localised content, foreign currencies and regional logistics.

The investment soon paid off, helping the company seal the biggest deal in its 20-year history.

After agreeing terms with a large chain which owns hotels and casinos in USA cities, including Atlanta and Las Vegas, Universal Smart Cards will provide 1.5 million cards which can be used as secure room keys and loyalty cards for both guests and staff.

The company has also recruited four new members of staff to help handle the contract, and others like it.

Josh Coulson, marketing manager, said: “We had secured a number of contracts from overseas companies through our original website and the trade shows we had attended.

“This showed us that there was a sizeable market for our smart cards.

“We also knew that our products were more advanced than those manufactured locally in the USA or Canada, so we decided to open an office in California and build a website so that we could better communicate with our target audience.”

Universal Smart Cards called on eBusiness UK’s web development team, which it has worked with for almost 10 years, to help build the international-facing website.

The American website serves visitors with regional content written in American English and has its own payment processing systems which better handles the US dollar.

However, all websites can be updated through one centralised back-office system, so there is no duplicated efforts when refreshing the sites or their content.

Josh added: “The two websites look very similar, but our .com site been tailored to suit our American audience. The web development has been a very worthwhile investment as it played a key part in securing our largest ever contract.”

Nasir Kothia, director of eBusiness UK, said: “We are delighted that our friends at Universal Smart Cards have secured this order. We have worked with them for many years and we know that they are hard workers with a great product.

“We are also pleased that the investment in developing a US-facing website has paid off in a big way. It’s testament to the difference that the web can make when used to its full potential.”