ActivCard to provide open license for its smart card applets
23 September, 2004
category: Biometrics, Corporate
California-based ActivCard, responding to a U.S. directive for a federal standard for secure and reliable forms of identification, is now offering an open license to the interface specification for its Smart Card ID Applets Suite–what it says are necessary components of an ID solution deployment for large-scale identification and access control systems.
Leading Provider of Secure Identification Software Offers Open License Interface; Enhancing Interoperability, While Maintaining Highest Levels of Security
FREMONT, Calif., Sept. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ – ActivCard Corp. (Nasdaq: ACTI – News), a global provider of strong authentication and trusted digital identity solutions for secure remote access, single sign-on and secure employee ID cards, has announced that ActivCard is now offering an open license to the complete interface specification of its market leading Smart Card ID Applets Suite. This announcement adds the specification of the applet administrative interface and access control to the company’s long list of contributions to open smart card interoperability and security standards, what it calls are
The ActivCard Smart Card applets represent the successful achievement of a four-year standardization and development effort with DoD, NIST, and other US government agencies. ActivCard’s trusted digital identity solutions and smart card applets are the most widely deployed across the US government. This move to further open ActivCard technology is a direct response to support the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12. The president’s directive, issued on August 27, 2004, calls for mandating a Common Identification Standard for federal employees and contractors. ActivCard is the worldwide leader of smart card ID solutions used by enterprise and government to ensure that people are who they say they are before being granted access to information, services, buildings, and other protected areas.
(See www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/08/20040827-8.html for more information.)
“By directing a government wide standard for identification, our President is recognizing the need for more security in our nation,” said Ben C. Barnes, chief executive officer at ActivCard. “We are well positioned as our smart card ID solutions are ready to deploy now, cost effective, biometric compatible and proven at securing identification and access on a large-scale, while addressing the requirements of the President’s directive.”
Smart card ID applets are necessary components of a complete ID solution deployment for highly secure and large-scale identification and access control systems. ActivCard has deployed complete ID solutions consisting of card and credential management solutions and client software middleware in multiple government agencies including the largest smart card deployment in the US, the US DoD Common Access Card (CAC). By opening up the specifications of the complete set of interfaces to the ActivCard smart card applet, ActivCard empowers system integrators, card issuance software vendors, and smart card application developers to extend their solutions to utilize today, FIPS certified, NIST GSCIS 2.1 compliant ID applets. The availability of these specifications now complements ActivCard’s release and open license of its applet usage interfaces in 2000 and 2002, which enable client software interoperability on the desktop.
ActivCard has now taken a bold step to addressing the Presidential Directive HSPD-12’s goal of promulgating a federal standard for secure and reliable forms of identification, for the verification of an individual’s identity, which is resistant to fraud, tampering, and counterfeiting, and can be rapidly authenticated electronically.
The ActivCard Smart Card ID Applets have been FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) certified on smart cards from each of the leading card vendors to give customers the freedom to procure smart cards from multiple sources. In addition, ActivCard’s ID applets have been developed in compliance with the Government Smart Card Interoperability Specification (GSCIS) to enable the deployment of interoperable smart card systems across government agencies.
“Smart cards and the ActivCard Smart Card ID Applets are changing the way businesses and governments secure both network and application access,” said Frank Bishop, senior vice president of sales and marketing at ActivCard. “By publishing the ActivCard applet specifications, ActivCard allows system integrators and agencies to extend security, improve employee usability and reduce the cost of protecting facilities and networks.”
ActivCard offers a comprehensive suite of applets including: PIN/ID management, PKI, generic container (GC)/database and card authentication. Optionally, the suite allows on card biometrics verification to control access to other applets, with an open interface to any biometric vendor and technology. ActivCard applets have been issued on over five million smart cards.
For details on licensing and developer support programs, contact: Ed MacBeth, SVP Global Alliances, at [email protected].
About ActivCard
ActivCard is a global provider of strong authentication and trusted digital identity solutions for secure remote access, single sign-on and enterprise access cards. ActivCard’s scalable systems and strong authentication solutions are deployed by organizations, from enterprises to governments, around the world. ActivCard provides organizations with industry-specific solutions offering increased security, reduced cost, and user convenience. The modular product design allows customers to add capabilities as required, preserving their investment. Headquartered in Fremont, California, ActivCard has sales and service centers in more than nine countries. For more information, visit www.activcard.com.
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