Bell ID Joins Fargo Technology Alliance Agreement Marks 35th Membership In Growing Global Network of Smart Card Solution Providers

Minneapolis (December 16, 2004) – Fargo Electronics, Inc. (NASDAQ – FRGO), a global leader in secure technologies for card identity systems, today announced that Bell ID, of Rotterdam, The Netherlands, a subsidiary of Bell Group plc, has become the 35th member the Fargo Technology Alliance (FTA). The FTA is a worldwide technology group that unites industry-leading biometrics, smart cards, systems integration and software solution providers with Fargo’s distribution partners to create advanced card identity solutions. Fargo markets secure card identity systems that create personalized plastic identification cards complete with digital images, text, lamination and electronically encoded information.

Bell ID is a world leader in the development of smart card management software. Their ANDiS© technology is an open platform software covering a complete spectrum of turnkey products and services for multi-application smart card and key management schemes. The platform is in use in such high-profile customers as Boeing, Heineken Breweries and Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.

“The addition of Bell ID is consistent with our strategy of providing secure solutions,” said John Ekers, Fargo’s director of systems and software. “Our distribution channel is seeing more and more smart card-based opportunities. Bell ID’s card management system provides a comprehensive way to manage those solutions.”

“We’re looking forward to working with the distribution partners and other members of the FTA,” said Igno Peters, Bell ID managing director. “Together we can provide our customers with the quality, expertise and flexibility of a turnkey smart card solution.”

The Fargo Technology Alliance unites smart card solution providers with Fargo’s international and domestic network of distribution partners. It was created in 2001 to combine the expertise of its members in developing complete e-card solutions to meet the growing demand for multiple application card systems. Together with the Alliance members – smart, optical, and proximity card application software developers and manufacturers – Fargo’s distribution partners are able to provide a wide range of complete solutions for end users.

About Bell ID Bell ID, a subsidiary of London-based Bell Group plc, has developed ANDiS©, its open software platform covering a complete spectrum of turnkey products and services for single and multi-application smart card management schemes. In major smart card, biometrics, and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) projects, Bell ID operates both as a main contractor and/or as a technology and software platform provider. Bell ID’s target markets include financial institutions, telco’s, governments, blue chip companies, and universities. For more information, visit www.bellid.com.

About Fargo Founded in 1974, Fargo Electronics is a global leader in the development of secure technologies for identity card issuance systems, including secure card printer/encoders, materials and software. The company has sold more than 80,000 systems in the US and over 80 other countries worldwide. Fargo card issuance systems reduce vulnerabilities and potential for loss of time, money and lives by continually improving the security of identity credentials. Fargo provides physical, information, and transaction security for a wide variety of applications and industries, including government, corporate, national IDs, drivers’ licenses, universities, schools and membership. Based in Minneapolis, Minn., Fargo markets its products through a global distribution network of professional security integrators. For more information about Fargo, visit www.fargo.com.