Government ID, Smart Cards, Identification and Authentication

Gemalto provides 25 million credentials to U.S. government

Monday, December 7, 2009

Gemalto announced that it has surpassed 25 million smart card-based identity credentials shipped to the U.S. federal government. This total is evenly split between government identity credentials, used for securing the identities of federal government employees and military personnel and for electronic passports. 


Some of Gemalto’s newest products for the U.S. government include its next-generation PIV card, and the Smart Guardian FIPS USB Key.


The new Gemalto PIV card has dual contact/contactless technology and doubles the storage capacity of previous PIV cards to handle larger encryption keys and store multiple identity certificates. Through its open platform, the card also supports adding new applications, such as biometric match-on-card, if desired. It has been approved by the General Services Administration for use by the government and is on the approved purchase list.


The smart card-based Smart Guardian FIPS is a zero-footprint encrypted secure flash drive. It has achieved FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certification, and meets Military Standard 810-F environmental standards.

All of Gemalto’s products for the U.S. federal government come from its production facility and service center in Montgomeryville, Pa. The center recently received the Security Assurance Certification from the North American Security Products Organization, a voluntary certification. [end] 

Gemalto has won the BearingPoint innovation management award – the Agile Innovation Award – for its think tank initiative Business Innovation Garage (BIG).

BIG provides Gemalto’s 10,000 employees company-wide with a structured process to submit and manage any innovative ideas they have. Ideas covering range of fields – from communication, payment, transport, Internet access, and machine-to-machine application – are systematically challenged, audited, developed and eventually selectively turned into incubation cells.

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Diners Club Spain has chosen Gemalto to help it migrate to EMV in 2012. In this effort, Gemalto is providing consulting and personalization services to Diners Club Spain.

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Intercede Group plc and Oxford Computer Group LLC (OCG) have formed a strategic alliance to sell PIV products to non-Federal organizations in the United States.

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The U.S. government has settled an infringement case with Leighton Technologies by agreeing to license its smart cards.

Leighton Technologies, a subsidiary of General Patent, filed a case against the federal government in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in January 2010. Leighton alleged that 54 federal agencies used its six smart card patents without authorization. Leighton’s technology was also used in e-passports.

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Gemalto announced that 10 million Financial Inclusion Network & Operations (FINO) customers in India now benefit and take part in micro-banking, using Gemalto smart cards, as part of FINO’s broader branchless banking program.

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The U.S. Government Printing Office designed and printed an FBI special events credential that was used at Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis by public safety personnel.

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