Gemalto First with Complete Card Management and Personalization Solution Approved for U.S. Government Deployment

Gemalto is the first company with a complete solution for card management and personalization that meets the new U.S. federal identity credential requirements, according to the company. Now government agencies and departments can obtain credentials and all of the other necessary components from a single provider, greatly reducing implementation complexity and the time needed to personalize and issue the credentials.

Gemalto's solution enables agencies to issue identity credentials that can be verified as authentic using specially designed readers, and heighten digital security with applications like desktop logon, network access and electronic document signature. When coupled with a new generation of physical access control systems, the new credentials also increase physical access security.

Gemalto's complete solution has been listed on the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Approved Product List (APL) and each of the individual elements meets all applicable standards for the new credentials, called Personal Identity Verification (PIV) cards. The GSA APL governs which products and services may be purchased by government agencies.

"The availability of Gemalto's solution demonstrates our continuing effort to provide comprehensive solutions that enable our government clients to manage the entire process of creating, issuing and using PIV credentials," said Dave Ludin, vice president and general manger, public sector and identity, Gemalto North America.

Gemalto has long been a major provider of smart card technology to the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense, and was recently selected to provide technology for the U.S. electronic passport program. Globally, Gemalto already provides government-issued identity credentials and electronic passport technology in more than 15 countries.

About Gemalto's FIPS 201 digital security solution
Gemalto's FIPS 201 compliant solution was developed in response to Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), which mandated that all U.S. federal agencies begin to issue their employees and subcontractors PIV cards by October 27, 2006. Standards to comply with the mandate have been defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in its publication FIPS 201, Personal Identity Verification (PIV) of Federal Employees and Contractors. Gemalto's solution meets all of the PIV card-related requirements of FIPS 201.

The following components are all approved and listed on the GSA APL:

* FIPS 201 PIV cards -- dual interface smart ID badges for physical/IT access
* FIPS 201 PIV cards with HID proximity -- Gemalto's newest innovation combines on a single credential Gemalto's dual contact/contactless PIV card technology with proximity technology under license from HID Global Corporation for use with legacy physical access control systems
* GemPC USB-SW transparent smart card reader
* PIV middleware
* Graphical personalization services -- physical printing on the cards
* Electronic personalization services -- personalization of the chip inside the card