Caradas, Inc., a leading provider of smart card authentication technology, today announced its Connexus(TM) Platform solution for smart Visa Access deployment now supports PC smart card readers from SCM Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCMM; Neuer Markt: SMY), a leading global provider of smart card reader technology.

Through the smart Visa Ready program, Caradas and SCM are able to accelerate smart Visa program deployment for financial institutions and other card issuers in North America and Europe by offering a complete, integrated solution that conforms to Visa’s uniform compatibility and performance standards. Today’s announcement is also the latest validation of the Caradas Connexus Platform as a leader in the global smart card market, adding one of the world’s leading supplier of smart card readers to the growing list of vendors supporting the Caradas solution.

With the successful integration of SCM drivers into the Connexus Installer program, SCM’s smart card readers now meet the standards to be smart Visa Ready, and card issuers also have a complete smart Visa Access solution that saves integration costs and ensures compatibility.

“With the addition of SCM card readers to our Connexus Platform, Caradas continues to build momentum in the smart card marketplace, offering best-of-breed technologies to help organization with their smart card deployments,” said Charles Walton, CEO of Caradas. “Teaming with leading technology providers, like SCM, is an important part of our strategy for finding faster, cheaper, easier ways for our customers to implement solutions.”

The Connexus Platform now supports SCM’s SCRx31 family of card readers, which offer both USB and serial interfaces with an exchangeable cable, and are fully tested and compliant with all major smart cards in the market. The readers are based on SCM’s STC II controller chip, an embedded, single-chip solution for smart card and biometric readers that support multiple interfaces, multiple reader devices and all relevant security standards. The STC II chip was the industry’s first to offer on-board flash, allowing future firmware and application enhancements.

The Connexus Platform is the first end-to-end solution for seamlessly integrating new and existing applications and security infrastructures with a broad range of identity, credential, access and relationship management frameworks based on smart cards, PDAs, wireless devices and other intelligent tokens. It is a universal platform for smart card-based authentication services across all channels, and easily integrates with the issuer’s legacy systems, including card management, personalization and account management, as well as with their new virtual channel applications. The platform provides complete card and customer experience management and extensive card customization capabilities to help differentiate issuers in highly competitive markets and Web services environments, and also offers comprehensive digital and physical security management capabilities for enhanced Web single sign-on initiatives.

“Working with Caradas has helped speed up our entrance into the smart Visa program through integration with its innovative platform,” said Jason Schouw, vice president, Americas at SCM Microsystems. “With our contribution, card issuers now have easy access to the industry’s most capable and experienced reader supplier able to handle large-scale demand.”

About SCM Microsystems

SCM Microsystems is a leading supplier of solutions that open the Digital World by enabling people to conveniently access digital content and services. SCM’s Security business provides smart card reader technology for the PC platform and conditional access modules for the digital TV platform to OEM customers in the government, financial, enterprise and broadcasting markets worldwide. The Company’s Digital Media and Video business provides hardware, software and silicon solutions for creating and sharing digital media content to the worldwide retail market under the Dazzle(TM) brand. Global headquarters are in Fremont, California, with European headquarters in Ismaning, Germany. For additional information, visit the SCM Microsystems website at www.scmmicro.com.

About Caradas

Caradas, Inc. is a leading smart card application and credential management platform provider to the financial services industry, working with customers in growing their revenues, making them more profitable and competitive. Caradas offers the Caradas Connexus(TM) Platform for smart card application integration, along with a suite of solutions and services to define and implement secure application infrastructures. Caradas is headquartered in Braintree MA, hosts Caradas Labs(TM) in Burlington MA, and has regional offices in the San Francisco and Washington DC areas. Caradas team members are acknowledged thought leaders and experts in applying smart card and security technologies to financial services application infrastructure. For additional information, visit the Caradas website at www.caradas.com.

NOTE: Connexus and Caradas Labs are trademarks of Caradas, Inc. All other products and services mentioned are trademarks of their respective companies.

SOURCE Caradas, Inc.

CONTACT: Patrick Corman of Corman Communications, +1-650-326-9648, or patrick@cormancom.com, for Caradas; or Darby Dye of SCM Microsystems, +1-510-360-2302, or ddye@scmmicro.com

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