Gemalto minidriver now Microsoft certified and Windows Ready
18 September, 2007
category: Corporate, Digital ID
Digital security provider Gemalto’s SafesITe Classic Trusted PKI card minidriver now provides low cost deployment and management to protect digital identities and secure data on machines running Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003 and Vista. This PKI card becomes the second Gemalto smart card compliant with Microsoft’s Windows Smart Card Framework.
ARLINGTON, VA–Gemalto, a leader in digital security, today announced that corporations can now deploy SafesITe Classic Trusted PKI cards working in a Windows minidriver configuration. This simplified and convenient method uses a Windows Smart Card Framework minidriver that is Microsoft® Windows® ready. This follows Gemalto’s successful completion of a new Microsoft pilot certification program dedicated to smart card minidrivers.
“Gemalto’s SafesITe Classic Trusted PKI cards are designed to protect digital identities and secure data,” said Cédric Collomb, senior vice president, Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions, Gemalto. “The availability of the minidriver allows convenient and low cost deployment and management of the cards.”
Microsoft has made smart card support available through its Windows Smart Card Framework on Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server™ 2003 and Windows Vista™. This allows organizations to easily deploy smart cards by downloading the minidriver from Microsoft Update. To test and certify minidrivers, Microsoft has developed a certification program in its Dublin, Ireland-based development center. Gemalto’s successful completion of the certification program means the SafesITe Classic minidriver fully supports the Microsoft Windows Smart Card Framework and is available on Microsoft Update.
“Gemalto has worked closely with Microsoft to create and participate in the new certification program for smart card minidrivers,” said David B. Cross, director of program management, Windows Security, Microsoft Corporation. “Our work together to make smart card minidrivers readily available allows organizations to deploy strong security conveniently and cost-effectively within Microsoft environments.”
The SafesITe Classic Trusted PKI card solution is certified with the “Designed for Windows” logo for card minidrivers and smart cards, and meets the Windows Vista program requirements for smart card minidrivers.
The SafesITe Classic Trusted PKI card is the second Gemalto smart card compliant with Microsoft’s Windows Smart Card Framework, joining the Gemalto .NET smart card, whose minidriver is included in the box with Windows Vista and packaged in a Windows update for Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
“We believe our minidriver WHQL certification is a key milestone to facilitate the deployment of smart card-based digital security for non repudiation and logon within enterprises,” added Collomb.
About the Gemalto SafesITe Classic Trusted PKI cards and Minidriver
Gemalto’s SafesITe Classic minidriver was developed for Microsoft’s redesigned Cryptographic Service Providers (BaseCSP) and the new smart card Key Storage Provider (KSP). The KSP takes advantage of the new capabilities introduced with Microsoft Cryptographic Next Generation (CNG) architecture. Previously, organizations wanting to take advantage of smart cards for strong authentication needed to purchase and install proprietary systems, which are both costly and difficult to support. Now, the Microsoft’s Base Smart Card CSP is available for download on Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, and the newer version of the BaseCSP, together with the KSP for CNG, are built right into Windows Vista. With the Base Smart Card CSP, organizations can enable smart cards by simply downloading its minidriver from Microsoft Windows Update or Download Center.
