Identive Group Inc. has formed a new product group within its business structure to provide services for integrated access control. This Converged Access group will build on technology designed for Identity as a Service/SaaS products like idOnDemand, as well as work with Identive’s products in the network access smart reader technology field.

Identive has hired industry veteran John Menzel in the role of vice president Access Control ID Solutions to lead the group. Menzel most recently worked with Ingersoll-Rand Security Technologies serving in general manager and director of marketing strategy roles. Prior to that, Menzel co-founded XceedID, a secure RFID reader and credential company, in 2003. XceedID was purchased by Ingersoll Rand in 2008. 

Precise Biometrics has developed a new line of “smart cases” for brands of tablets and smart phones to be released in 2012 and 2013. The new smart cases have built-in card reader and fingerprint sensor enabling users to both secure their devices as well as replace various password-based security for protected online sites and applications.

The various problems Precise expects their new smart cases to solve include enabling government workers that need to scan smart cards in order to gain access to secured sites to access those sites from their mobile device. 

Visa made waves in August when it unveiled a road map to move the U.S. to EMV and then again in January when the company said that the country’s deployment wouldn’t be chip and PIN. Stephanie Ericksen, head of Authentication Product Integration at Visa USA, talk to Regarding ID’s Gina Jordan about the move and why the U.S. will have a different solution than what other typically associate with EMV. “One thing that we’re trying to clarify is there are many countries around the world that have adopted EMV chip technology, but it’s not chip and PIN,” Ericksen says.

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The General Services Administration (GSA) has implemented its first cloud-based physical access system at the Neal Smith Federal Building in Des Moines, Iowa.

The GSA contracted with BridgePoint Systems to utilize its TrustAlert Physical Access Control Systems. BridgePoint partnered with EmbarkIT to install the system, which replaced the GSA’s 10-year-old legacy system. The system leverages the GSA’s Kansas City, Missouri-based WAN and remote IT infrastructure, which allows the building to shrink its carbon footprint. 

As part of the U.S. Department of State’s initiative to simplify and streamline customer service interactions and processes, the Office of Passport Services has started a 90-day pilot program for online passport card applications.

Adult U.S. citizens living in the United States and Canada who currently hold a valid 10-year U.S. passport book may participate in the program. Applications must include an acceptable digital photograph and a payment of $30 via Pay.gov. Applicants will not be required to mail in their current passport book and forms. 

Codebench Inc. and Hirsch Identive announced the integration of Codebench’s PIVCheck Plus software with Hirsch Identive’s Velocity Management Software, which aims to provide federal government and commercial customers with a solution for identity validation, authentication and PACS registration using mobile handheld devices.

Pairing PIVCheck with Velocity helps users comply with HSPD-12 and PIV-I requirements by enabling them to validate and register FIPS-201 credentials, continue that validation on an ongoing, user-defined schedule, and provide instant certificate status when the credentials are presented at a reader. 

Beginning in fiscal year 2012, U.S. government agencies must upgrade their physical and logical access control systems to provide federal employees and contractors with more secure and reliable forms of identification using Personal Identity Verification (PIV) credentials.

These credentials must leverage smart card and biometric technology in accordance with National Institute of Standards and Technology guidelines embodied in FIPS 201. These upgrades must be completed before federal agencies may use development and technology refresh funds to complete other activities.